Story by Tri-City Storm Communications
The Tri-City Storm is set for this weekend’s two-game road series against the defending Clark Cup Champion Youngstown Phantoms following a 2-1 win over Youngstown in the opening game of the season at the 2023 DICK’S Sporting Goods USHL Fall Classic. This weekend’s games at the Covelli Centre will be the Storm’s final two road games of the team’s current four-game road trip. Tri-City will return home to the Viaero Center next weekend for back-to-back games against the Waterloo Black Hawks. Puck drop for tonight’s road game is scheduled for 6:05pm CT.
Tri-City (7-5-0-0) seeks to snap a brief three-game losing skid in tonight’s battle against Youngstown. The Storm dropped back-to-back road games last weekend against the Dubuque Fighting Saints and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Tri-City enters tonight’s matchup as the 4th place team in the USHL’s Western Conference standings. The Storm currently ranks 11th in the USHL with 35 goals scored, and 4th in the league with 33 goals allowed through the opening twelve games of the 2023-2024 regular season. Tri-City’s powerplay is 14th in the league with a conversion rate of 11.7%. The Storm’s penalty kill is ranked 4th in the USHL entering tonight’s game with a success rate of 85.4%. Tri-City holds a 2-2-0-0 record against Youngstown in head-to-head matchups over the last five years. The Storm’s last trip to the Covelli Centre was on January 17th, and January 18th, 2020. Tri-City split games with Youngstown during that weekend. The last time the Storm won two games in a single season against the Phantoms was during Tri-City’s 2018-2019 Anderson Cup Championship season. Scoring leaders for the Storm entering tonight’s game include August Falloon (7), Nolan Roed (5), Owen Beckner (4), Ryan Smith (4), Trevor Connelly (3), and Cam Briere (3).
Youngstown (8-3-1-0) won two of three games last weekend and enters tonight’s game as the 2nd place team in the USHL’s Eastern Conference standings. The Phantoms posted a two-game sweep of the Sioux Falls Stampede at the Covelli Centre on Friday, October 27th, and Saturday, October 28th, but dropped an overtime decision to the Madison Capitols on home ice on Sunday, October 29th. Youngstown is tied for 4th in the league with 46 goals scored this season. The Phantoms are 3rd in the USHL this season with 29 goals allowed. Youngstown’s powerplay ranks 12th in the league with a conversion rate of 13.8%. The Phantoms’ penalty kill leads the Eastern Conference with a success rate of 91.9%. Youngstown’s most recent victory over Tri-City came on January 18th, 2020, in a 5-3 victory at the Covelli Centre. Scoring leaders for the Phantoms entering tonight’s home game against the Storm include Adam Pietila (8), Ryan Botterill (5), Michael Burchill (4), Tory Pitner (4), Zach Morin (3), and Miles Gunty (3).
Tonight’s game is set to begin at 6:05pm CT and will be streamed on FloHockey and Storm Radio. Tickets to home games at the Viaero Center may be purchased online by skating to www.StormHockey.com, or by calling the Viaero Center Box Office during Box Office hours at 308-338-8144. The Tri-City Storm is presented by Viaero Wireless.