YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – After splitting the first two games of the Clark Cup Eastern Conference Final, the Youngstown Phantoms will return home to the Covelli Centre after stealing home-ice advantage from the 1-seed Chicago Steel.
Hear from Phantoms captain Shane Lachance and goalie Jacob Fowler in the video above after they stopped by the WKBN studio and newsroom on Sunday.
“I like our chances, we’re the best home team in the league this season,” Phantoms captain Shane Lachance said. “So I think, you know, it’s two out of three now and we have home advantage so I think it sets up pretty well for us.”
So, considering the Phantoms posted the best home-record in the United States Hockey League this season, Youngstown goalie Jacob Fowler and team are confident in this best of five series.
“We haven’t lost too many games in 2023, let alone back to back so I think it’d be hard to find any team that will beat us more than twice in a weekend,” Fowler said. “So super excited and definitely some big points up for grabs.”
And the team is not just winning, but enjoying the success they are having here in Youngstown.
“Any time your team’s having success, it’s it’s fun to come to the rink, you know, when you’re winning, everyone’s in a good mood,” Lachance said. “So I think that’s huge, obviously, Youngstown hasn’t been in the spot in a long time now so I think it’s nice to kind of put the city on our backs and, you know, just go out and show we can do.”
Both Lachance and Fowler touched on how this team has turned around since they arrived and made this a destination in the USHL.
“Being able to kind flip the script on what Youngstown hockey is and just making it the place that everybody wants to come play junior hockey at,” Fowler said. “So I think it’s really special that we’ve had the season that we’ve had and definitely looking to not have that end anytime soon.”
The Phantoms have a chance to regain the lead in the series on Monday, May 7, at the Covelli Centre, with puck drop at 7:05 p.m.
