Lehigh Valley, Pa. — With goals in back-to-back games this past weekend, Lehigh Valley Phantoms forward Gerry Fitzgerald has been named the PSECU Player of the Week.
The Phantoms returned from the holiday break and took a short road trip up the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike to take on the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Friday night inside of Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza.
Maksim Sushko carried a puck into the Penguins end, up the left-wing boards, before firing a shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle that rebounded to the slot where Fitzgerald was driving the net. The 26-year-old native of Port Alberni, Canada, popped the puck up and over the left pad of Penguins’ goaltender Casey DeSmith to give the Phantoms a 1-0 lead over their rivals just 31 seconds into Friday night’s contest.
On Saturday night, Lehigh Valley returned to the friendly confines of PPL Center to host the North Division’s Utica Comets.
After the Comets took a 1-0 lead into the locker room following the first period, the Phantoms battled back to tie the game thanks to Kurtis Gabriel’s second marker of the season at the 12:43 mark of the middle frame. Just 29 seconds later, Lehigh Valley took a 2-1 lead over Utica as a Sushko centering feed found a streaking Fitzgerald in the slot. Fitzgerald took the pass and fired it into the top right-hand corner of the net to beat Utica’s Michael DiPietro.
The pair of goals this weekend makes it three goals in Fitzgerald’s past seven games, for a total of four points in those same seven contests.
Season tickets offering a wide range of benefits as well as 21-Game and 13-Game plans are available by calling the Phantoms at 610-224-GOAL (4625).
And for the latest Phantoms news, visit www.phantomshockey.com or follow the team on Facebook, Twitter (@lvphantoms) and Instagram (@lehighvalleyphantoms).
Prior PSECU Players of the Week
12-23-19 Pascal Laberge
12-16-19 Chris Bigras
12-9-19 Alex Lyon
12-2-19 Andy Welinski
11-25-19 Tyler Wotherspoon
11-18-19 Greg Carey
11-11-19 Kyle Criscuolo
11-4-19 Morgan Frost
10-28-19 Nic Aube-Kubel
10-21-19 Morgan Frost
10-14-19 Joel Farabee
