USHL 2023-24 Preview: Youngstown Phantoms
The Youngstown Phantoms will look to defend their Clark Cup title in 2023-24
Not too long ago, the Youngstown Phantoms could regularly be found at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
However, with swift and purposeful changes both in the front office and behind the bench, Youngstown put a staff in place determined to change the culture of the Phantoms.
“I thought we had a real strong internal belief in what we're doing,” Youngstown head coach Ryan Ward said, reflecting on where the team was at this time last year.
The first month of the season saw a team with plenty of potential but one that started with a 2-5-1-0 record through the first eight games.
However, as the season progressed, the Phantoms began to find their groove as the front office continued to provide reinforcements.
Youngstown acquired veteran forward Andon Cerbone from Omaha in early December and added a pair of Slovakian skaters, including forward Martin Misiak, for the team’s second-half stretch.
Of course, it would be remiss not to highlight Jacob Fowler in net, who finished 2022-23 with the best goals-against average (2.28), save percentage (.921), and tied for the most shutouts (5) in the USHL.
The Boston College commit backstopped the Phantoms to their first Clark Cup title in team history, earning Clark Cup MVP and Goaltender of the Year honors.
Despite considerable turnover from last year’s roster, the Phantoms still look like the team to beat in the Eastern Conference, thanks to a proactive offseason.
It’s all part of the team’s philosophy and expectation that Youngstown is a place where players and coaches come to win.
“When we come to camp, the standard is the standard, and the standard has been set,” Ward said.
Key Departures
Jacob Fowler, G
William Whitelaw, F
Martin Misiak, F (Will play in OHL in 2023-24)
Shane Lachance, F
Andon Cerbone, F
Key Returners
Andrew Strathmann, D
Tory Pitner, D
Owen Bartoszkiewicz, G (from Univ. of Minnesota)
Brandon Svoboda, F
Jack Willson, D
Key Acquisitions
Michael Burchill, F
Nathan Lewis, F
Charlie Cerrato, F
Tender Signings
Zachary Morin, F
Sascha Boumedienne, D
Three Keys To 2023-24
Target Practice
Being the best comes with a price.
Every team facing the Youngstown Phantoms will have that weekend circled on their respective calendars. Going up against the defending Clark Cup champions, the matchup provides a litmus test for teams looking for something they can hang their hat on.
But head coach Ryan Ward welcomes the challenge.
“It’s exciting to have the target on your back,” he said. “It’s certainly a place we want to be year in and year out. We definitely don’t take it for granted, and we are going to get every team’s best every night. And we’re looking forward to that.”
Forward Thinking
With Shane Lachance, William Whitelaw, Martin Misiak, and Andon Cerbone all exiting this offseason, the Phantoms were aggressive in adding experience to their roster.
Shortly after earning their first Clark Cup title, Youngstown acquired forwards Nathan Lewis and Mikey Burchill in separate deals. The moves came on the heels of the Phantoms moving up in the USHL Phase II Draft to take Charlie Cerrato with the No. 1 overall pick.
The former NTDP forward spent most of last season with the U-18 squad, scoring 18 points (three goals, 15 assists) in 37 games but believes he has more to offer.
“I think Charlie has a chip on his shoulder and something to prove, and he's a very high-end player with a ton of upside and wants to be a Phantom, and we're excited about him,” Ward said.
Along with the veterans added this offseason, Youngstown will be debuting Zachary Morin, who signed a tender agreement in January of this year. The trailblazing forward is expected to be a high draft pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Replacing Fowler
Of course, the stability in net that Jacob Fowler provided last season is no small task to replace.
Youngstown will return Colin Winn, who posted a 3.15 goals-against average and .891 save percentage in 25 games last season.
The team is also welcoming back Owen Bartoszkiewicz from the University of Minnesota. The 20-year-old was with the Phantoms in a limited role for 2021-22, but he’s expected to see a sizeable increase in time between the pipes this year.
Anyone that followed the USHL understands what Fowler meant to the 2022-23 Youngstown Phantoms, but Ward and his coaching staff are confident in their goaltending tandem for the upcoming season.
“Those two guys want to work and want to push each other, and they have something to prove,” he said of Bartoszkiewicz and Winn. “For me, that’s what is Youngstown: we’re an organization that always is going to have something to prove and make people believers, and that’s no different in net. I think those guys, how they performed in camp and just talking to their trainers over the summer, they are as dialed in as anyone.”