May 19, 2023 – United States Hockey League (USHL) News Release
Youngstown, Ohio. — The Youngstown Phantoms completed its historic run through the postseason by earning a 1-0 win over Fargo in the championship-clinching game Friday night.
Tonight’s victory gave the Phantoms a 3-0 win in the best-of-five series over the Force and is the first Clark Cup Championship in team history. The Phantoms, who were making their second appearance in the Clark Cup Final, have been members of the USHL since the 2009-10 season.
A combination of superlative goaltending and timely scoring proved to be the keys for Youngstown’s win tonight.
The Phantoms owned a six-to-five shot advantage in a scoreless first period and by the end of the second Youngstown was outshooting Fargo by a total of 18-14. But with Youngtown’s Jacob Fowler and Fargo’s Matej Marinov both turning in stellar goaltending performances, neither team was able to push the puck past the goal line.
Then, just 24 seconds into the third period, Youngstown forward Andon Cerbone collected an errant pass in the Fargo defensive zone and ripped a shot past Marinov for his fifth goal of the playoffs. The Force outshot the Phantoms eight-to-six in the final frame, but Cerbone’s goal held up as the game-winner.
Cerbone, who tallied the overtime game-winning goal in last Saturday’s 2-1 triumph, finished the year riding a five-game point-scoring streak going during which he registered 3-2- 5.
Youngstown, which fashioned an 8-1-0 mark in nine playoff contests, outshot the Force 24-22 in the game.
Fowler, a Boston College commit who went 3-0-0 in the championship round with a 0.64 goals against average, .976 save percentage and a 22-save shutout in the final game, was named the Clark Cup Most Outstanding Player.
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