Comeback Kids Extend Point Streak to Six

Phantoms Rally Late to Top Utica 4-3 in OT

November 9, 2024

Allentown, PA –

The beat rolls on for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms after coming back thrice before ultimately downing the Utica Comets in overtime by a 4-3 margin on Saturday night at PPL Center. Olle Lyckell heroically tied the score at 3-3 with only 3:29 remaining before Rhett Gardner won the contest in sudden-death. The fun continued into postgame as fans laced-up their skates and glided the ice with their favorite Phantoms courtesy of NJM Insurance. 

Lehigh Valley (5-3-3) extends their season-best point streak to six games (4-0-2) which included thrilling wins over in-state rivals Hershey and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Cal Petersen earned the win in goal with 20 stops to improve his record to 2-1-1. 

Resilience was the theme for Saturday night’s game which saw Utica take a lead in each period, all of which were erased prior to intermission. Chase Stillman struck first for the Comets on a shorthanded goal assisted by Adam Beckman at the 10:36 mark of the first period. But on the very same power play, Lehigh Valley bounced back to even the score. 

Only 17 seconds later, it was jersey number 17 for the Orange and Black tying the game. Following an offensive-zone face-off win by Gardner, a center-point shot snapped by Hunter McDonald was successfully deflected at the net front by Garrett Wilson. Although the score was tied at 1-1 after 20 minutes, the Phantoms continued to push the pace and carried a 14-8 shot advantage into the break. 

Second period. Similar story. 

Utica again scored shorthanded to grab a 2-1 lead before a Lehigh Valley answer. Only 1:22 into the new period, Brian Halonen snapped home his team-best fifth goal of the campaign. On a 2-on-1 rush up the ice, Halonen carried the puck through all three zones before beating Petersen with a wicked wrister to the glove side. 

But with 4:12 left in the frame, it was Samu Tuomaala who answered the bell for the Phantoms. Ben Gleason fired a stretch pass from behind Petersen’s net to the half boards near center-ice, where a perfect chip to the inside from Rodrigo Abols sprung Tuomaala on the move. Tuomaala now has five points (2g, 3a) in his club’s current six-game point streak. 

In the final period, Utica jumped to a 3-2 advantage on Jack Malone’s first goal of the season at 7:38. A bouncing puck knocked off the glove of Lehigh Valley defender Ethan Samson and glanced right to Malone’s blade in the low-slot for the open look. With time ticking down, the Comets came within inches of snagging a key insurance goal, but Adam Beckman rang the goal post to keep the Phantoms alive. 

The close call for Lehigh Valley worked to the club’s benefit. Similar to Wilson’s first period goal, the Phantoms again generated a prime scoring chance following an offensive zone draw and tickled the twine. Jacob Gaucher won the face-off right onto Lycksell’s tape who finally hit pay-dirt on his 10th shot of the night with 3:29 left. 

It set the stage for sudden-death overtime heroics courtesy of Rhett Gardner to lead the Phantoms to a 4-3 overtime win. Samson won a board battle and slung the puck from behind the net to the opposite post for Gardner. A quick shot from a sharp angle beat Utica’s Isaac Poulter sprawling across to his left with 1:50 remaining.

Thrilling Lehigh Valley Phantoms hockey returns to PPL Center on Wednesday, November 13 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Military Appreciation Night presented by Netizen. Ticket information is available online at PhantomsHockey.com.

SCORING SUMMARY

1st 10:36 – UTC, C. Stillman (1) (A. Beckman) (SH) (0-1)
1st 10:53 – LV, G. Wilson (2) (H. McDonald, R. Gardner) (PP) (1-1)

2nd 1:22 – UTC, B. Halonen (5) (S. Bowers, C. White) (SH) (1-2)
2nd 15:48 – LV, S. Tuomaala (4) (R. Abols, B. Gleason) (2-2)

3rd 7:38 – UTC, J. Malone (1) (D. Wendt, S. Casey) (2-3)
3rd 16:31 – LV, O. Lycksell (1) (J. Gaucher) (3-3)

OT 3:10 – LV, R. Gardner (1) (E. Samson, O. Lycksell) (4-3)

Shots: 
LV 31 – UTC 23

PP:
LV 1/3, UTC 0/4

Goaltenders:
LV – C. Petersen (W) (2-1-1) (20/23)
UTC – I. Poulter (OTL) (0-2-2) (27/31)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (5-3-3)
Utica (0-8-3)

UPCOMING
Wednesday, November 13 – W-B/Scranton Penguins at Phantoms – Military Appreciation Night presented by Netizen
Friday, November 15 – Phantoms at Springfield Thunderbirds
Saturday, November 16 – Hershey Bears at Phantoms – Saturday Night Hockey Live!

 

 

 

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