BOARDMAN, Ohio (Sunday, March 30, 2008) - Their record is 45-18-9 on the year. Few can remember the 18 losses. The nine ties are hazy. Even the 45 wins seem a distant memory now. With all of the tournament championships and the unprecedented success of their inaugural season, the Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team is now poised for their greatest test of the season - the Tier I, Under-18 National Championships.

"It's a huge step for our organization as a whole," says Phantoms hockey general manager Bob Mainhardt. "It is very important to develop hockey at all levels, and that is one of our first big steps. To be able to take the team to the National Championships the first year, speaks volumes for what we've been able to accomplish in a short period of time."

Twelve of the best teams, at the highest skill level, in the oldest age bracket of youth hockey in the United States will flock to the Amherst Pepsi Center in Buffalo, N.Y. this Wednesday to compete in the five day tournament. The title game will be played Sunday at 6 p.m.

The biggest win for the Phantoms on their trek towards Nationals was a 4-2 triumph over the favored Cleveland Jr. Barons - the fourth ranked team in the country - back on March 8 in the Ohio state championship tournament. From there, the Phantoms went on to win the district championship game over the No. 21 Pittsburgh Hornets in Carmel, Ind. two weeks ago.

"The team has been very consistent for the last couple of weeks," says assistant coach Rocky Russo. "Obviously, the Barons game was a big game, they were supposedly the lock for the state championship game, and I think that our leadership did a great job of keeping guys on a steady pace the entire time. Emotions didn't get too high or too low, and I think that has been the key the entire time."

Perhaps adding some motivation to the team, is the return of Joe Dumais. Dumais, the team's head coach throughout most of the season, left to go play professional hockey for the Columbia Inferno of the ECHL in mid-February. After being sidelined with an injury, Dumais has come back to the Valley and will be accompanying the team to New York.

"I am very proud of them," says Dumais. "They deserve everything they have gotten so far. They've worked hard all year. Throughout the year we've been preaching the little things, they have bought in to what we've taught them, and it is really paying off.

"Overall, Otis (Plageman) and Rocky have done a great job of filling in for me, but I think the most credit goes to these guys. We kind of laid the foundation, us three, and they've taken to it, and it is their team now to just run with it."

The Phantoms are led by forward Jordan Sims. Sims has tallied close to 70 points this season, while Andy Cramer, Spencer Jordan and J.D. Howard are all among the team's top scorers as well.

Howard, a Canfield native, signed a tender to play next season for the Mahoning Valley Phantoms Junior A team. Five of the Phantoms' six tenders from around the country will be playing in the National championships.

Down the stretch run, however, it has been the team's goaltending that has been the biggest factor. Tyler Ross and Andrew New have turned in clutch performances at crucial times, and if the Phantoms hope to continue the run, their goalies will have to stay hot.

"A big thing is going to be our goaltending," says Russo when asked about the keys to success in Buffalo. "Andrew New was very hot through all the tournaments, and he is going to have an opportunity to help pace the team. If he and Tyler can start well for us, it's going to be a big key. We also need to stay on this even keel - we can't get too emotional."

The Phantoms will open up the round robin portion of the National Tournament on Wednesday at 2:15 p.m. against Belle Tire - the Michigan District Champions. From there, the Phantoms will play the LA Selects on Thursday, before they take on the host Amherst Knights on Friday.

If the Phantoms graduate from the round-robin, they will play in the single-elimination playoff round beginning on Saturday afternoon.

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, Ohio (Tuesday, March 18, 2008) - Back in the early part of 2007, players and coaches alike came to the Mahoning Valley Phantoms midget program looking for opportunity and taking a chance on a first year team because they believed in the Phantoms' philosophy and direction - and it's paid off.

The Phantoms Midget Major AAA team has advanced on to compete in the Tier I Under-18 National Championships after a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Hornets late Saturday night in the Mid-American District championship game in Carmel, Ind.

Getting goals from defenseman Mike Monfredo and forward Jordan Sims, the Phantoms jumped out to a two goal lead in the first period. Penalties allowed the Hornets to tie the game in the second, before Kurt Washnock banked home a rebound from behind the goal line, off the Hornets' goalie, for the game-winner.

"The team is playing extremely well right now with production coming from all the lines," said head coach Otis Plageman. "We are getting contributions from everyone, in every game, and in every situation. We are a very dangerous team right now, with no real weakness. It's very rewarding to see everything come together at this, the most crucial time of the year."

This is evident, as the Phantoms have disposed of three higher nationally ranked teams (the No. 21 Pittsburgh Hornets, the No. 16 Gilmour Prep team, and the No. 4 Cleveland Barons) in the past two weeks, on their way to the state and district championships.

The Phantoms qualified for the district tournament after winning the Ohio state championship game 5-3 over the Cleveland Jr. Jacks on March 10 at the Ice Zone.

The Mid-American District includes Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, and Western Pennsylvania. It is one of the 12 districts within USA Hockey.

"I'm not surprised by the team's success against higher ranked teams," Plageman said. "Coach Joe Dumais built a rock-solid foundation for this team based on the execution of all the little things. I think that, that is what is setting us apart from the other teams at this point of the season - it's the players' attention to detail, the little things that a lot of coaches don't think about or don't care about.

"It's rare to find an entire team wanting to learn and dedicating themselves to the execution of all these little things. I truly believe that our success wouldn't be possible without every player being coachable and wanting to get better personally and wanting to commit themselves to the team's systems of play."

The Phantoms will now head to the Amherst Pepsi Center in Buffalo, N.Y. and will face the Michigan district champion - Belle Tire (Detroit) - on April 2 in the first game of the National Championships.

All teams will play a three game round-robin, before starting the single-elimination championship round on April 5. The National Championship game will be played on Sunday, April 6 at 6 p.m.

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, Ohio (Monday, March 10, 2008) - By virtue of two goals and an assist from forward Kurt Washnock the Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team skated to a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Jr. Jacks and the Ohio state championship on Monday night at the Ice Zone.

The title game was just the finale of the four-game State Playoff Tournament that began Friday in Mentor when the Phantoms took down the Columbus Jr. Blue Jackets 6-2. Six different Phantoms tallied goals including Canfield native - and future Jr. A Phantom - J.D. Howard.

Washnock again led the way with three assists in a hard-fought 4-2 triumph over the Cleveland Jr. Barons on Saturday, before slotting his first goal of the weekend on Sunday in a 4-1 decision over Gimour Academy.

Despite severely out-chancing the Jr. Jacks, and outshooting them 51-11 in Monday's title game, the Phantoms found it difficult to capitalize on their opportunities. In addition to Washnock; Adam Woods, Lee McClure and Matt Cook each tallied a goal, while goaltender Tyler Ross made 8 saves to secure the state championship.

From here, the Phantoms will travel to Carmel, Ind. this Friday through Sunday for the Mid-American District Championships, and if successful, to Buffalo, N.Y. for the Tier I, Under 18 National Championships at the Amherst Pepsi Center on April 2-6.

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, Ohio (Monday, February 4, 2008) - Just two weeks removed from their third tournament championship at the 2008 Phantoms Hockey Showcase, the Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team battled through a tough weekend, going 0-1-1 in a pair of exhibition games on Saturday and Sunday at Gilmour Academy.

"Both games I thought we really outplayed Gilmour," said head coach Joe Dumais. "We're having a tough time finishing our opportunities when we get them. We make one mistake and they take advantage of it - and we need to start taking advantage of our chances."

Heading into the weekend, the Phantoms had won their last five in a row, but in facing one of the country's top prep schools fell 2-1 on Saturday.

The Midget AAAs fared a bit better on Sunday afternoon, coming back to earn a 3-3 tie. The Phantoms are now 1-2-1 against Gilmour this season.

Offensively, it was forward Lee McClure that led the way, tallying his 15th and 16th goals of the season. McClure is sixth on the team in scoring.

"Lee McClure has a lot of potential and he's starting to come around and had a couple of real nice goals," said Dumais.

Although forward Cody Ganchar is seventh on the team in scoring, it is his two-way play this weekend that caught his coach's eye.

"Cody Ganchar is by far our best defensive forward. He proved it again this week. He was great on draws and seems to do everything right," Dumais said.

Next up, the Phantoms Midget Major AAAs (36-16-8) will get a week off before heading to the Viper Stars Cup in Pittsburgh on February 15-18.

"I am looking for more consistency," Dumais says about what he's looking for between now and February 15. "Our team has a lot of potential, but one thing that is holding us back is our stupid penalties and our attitude on the ice. We need to be more even keel."

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, Ohio (Monday, January 21, 2008) - The task was formidable, as they faced five games in three days. Overcoming all the obstacles, however, was the Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team, as they went 5-0-0 en route to the Phantom Cup in the Midget Major AAA portion of 2008 Phantoms Hockey Showcase held this weekend at the Ice Zone.

"Overall we played very well," said AAA head coach Joe Dumais. "We played some good halves and some not-so-good halves, but overall we battled hard, we competed; and winning five in a row is great for our confidence."

The Phantoms started off on the right foot on Friday afternoon, winning 4-2 over the Pittsburgh Viper Stars downtown at the Chevrolet Center.

Two wins on Saturday, first a 3-0 triumph over the Keystone Generals, and then a 3-2 win in the marquee match-up with the Chicago Young Americans (CYA), gave the team a birth into Sunday's championship round.

"We tied CYA at the beginning of the year, and then they beat us 6-2 in the championship game in Minnesota," Dumais says about what it meant to beat Chicago.

"They have been pretty much the hardest team to beat since the beginning of the year. Beating them shows how far we've come as a team. We are getting better every day."

The AAAs trounced the Lansing Capitals 11-0 in the semi-final round on Sunday morning to set up the championship game rematch against the Generals - a 1-0 victory - to capture the Cup.

"We didn't know much about the Generals when we played them first," Dumais said. "So, we knew them a little bit better the second time we played them and we just had to stick to the game plan to come out on top."

Leading the way on the weekend for the Phantoms were forwards Jordan Sims, Kurt Washnock and Adam Woods. It was the goaltending, however, that really caught the coaches eye.

"Our goaltending was very good," said Dumias. "Both Andrew New and Tyler Ross were excellent this weekend. Andrew New had a couple shut outs there, and Tyler Ross had some key saves against CYA and stopped all five breakaways in the shootout."

The Phantoms Midget Major AAA team is 36-15-8 on the season with three tournament championships to their credit.

The squad will now enjoy a weekend off before lacing up the skates again on February 2-3 against one of the top hockey prep schools in country - Gimour Academy.

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, Ohio (Tuesday, January 15, 2008) – The Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA hockey team suffered a 6-3 setback on Saturday, before rebounding for a 4-4 tie on Sunday against the Columbus Jr. Blue Jackets at the Ice Haus at Nationwide Arena.

"Overall, I thought we played pretty well," said Phantoms head coach Joe Dumais. "Our forecheck allowed us to dominate down low. We had a ton of shots and great scoring chances, but we just made a few mistakes, and it cost us big time."

Forward Adam Woods, in particular, had a good weekend, scoring two goals and two assists. Dumais was impressed not only with Woods' scoring ability, but also his effectiveness in all three zones.

"Adam Woods was outstanding in every facet of the game," Dumais said. "He worked hard, played solid defensively, and obviously his offensive talents showed as well."

The Phantoms Midget AAA team is one of eight Midget teams competing in the 2008 Phantoms Hockey Showcase taking place this Friday through Monday. In addition to the Midget AAA tournament, there will be six North American Hockey League teams competing – effectively drawing scores of scouts from multiple levels of hockey to the event.

"It's a great opportunity for these guys," Dumais says about the Showcase. "There are going to be a ton of college scouts and then all of these junior teams here as well – that's everybody's goal to move on to play Junior A hockey next season."

"Obviously, we'd love to have them back here, but if they can have a lot of options for next year, that's even better."

The Midget AAA Phantoms (31-15-8) will begin their Showcase against the Pittsburgh Viper Stars on Friday afternoon. The game will be held downtown at the Chevy Center at 1:15 p.m. The Phantoms will then play against the Keystone Generals and the Chicago Young Americans on Saturday, before Sunday's championship round.

All NAHL games and most Midget AAA games will be played at the Ice Zone in Boardman.

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company – Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Monday, December 17, 2007) - The Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team suffered three setbacks in four games over the weekend at this season's second NAHL Midget Showcase Series tournament in Chesterfield, Mo.

"We came out and expected to do a lot better, but things just didn't go the way we planned," said head coach Joe Dumais. "We really missed Spencer Jordan and Kyle Van, who are out with injuries right now. Those guys are good leaders and they work hard.

"We can take positives out of this - as far as learning from it and moving on, and just start to get better."

The Phantoms started the tournament with a 2-1 loss on Thursday night against the San Jose Junior Sharks, a team they had beaten 3-1 back in November.

Despite killing off 16 power plays on Friday afternoon, the Phantoms let up four unanswered goals to the Chicago Mission, the eventual tournament champions, en route to a 5-3 defeat.

Led by three assists from forward J.D. Howard, the Phantoms came from behind late in Saturday's game to win a 4-3 decision over the Texas Attack. The Phantoms are now 2-0-0 against the Attack this season.

"We came out and realized what we needed to do against Texas, and that was play hard and don't worry about penalties and refs," Dumais said. "We played our game, got some nice goals, and were just fortunate enough to get a win out of that."

Frankie Chiapperino and Jordan Sims put the Phantoms up 2-0 on Sunday morning against the Omaha Energy, before three straight goals from Omaha's Jeff White eventually led to a 4-3 Omaha win, rounding out the Phantoms' tournament.

Howard (2G, 3A) and Adam Woods (3G, 2A) each tallied five points over the four game span, leading the team in scoring.

The Midget Major AAA Phantoms are now 29-12-7 on the season, and will enjoy an 11 day break before getting back to action on Dec. 28.

"I gave the guys (Monday) off," Dumais said about how the team plans on spending their holiday. "(Tuesday) we have our Christmas three-on-three tournament, which will be a nice fun day. We have already played (48) games this year, so this is a way we can relax, have some fun, and then I'll give them a week off to just go home, get away from hockey, and hang out with their family."

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Monday, December 10, 2007) - With their second NAHL Midget Showcase Series event looming only a week away, the Midget Major AAA Phantoms won a pair of games this past weekend against the Pittsburgh Predators.

The Midgets buried four quick goals on Saturday afternoon before hanging on to win 5-2. Sunday morning, the Phantoms had to come from behind to pull out a 3-1 win.

"I thought we looked real good," said head coach Joe Dumais. "We played tough. Sunday morning, we came out and really peppered the goalie, but just couldn't bury it. We were down 1-0 late in the game, but we battled back and pulled out a victory. I was proud of the guys."

Future Junior A Phantom, J.D. Howard, tallied three points on the weekend, upping his season point total to 32 - fourth on the team. The Phantoms are now 3-0-1 against the Predators this season.

In September, at their first NAHL Showcase Series event in Blaine, Minn., the Phantoms moved through some of the top competition in the nation on their way to a second place finish. This time, in Chesterfield, Mo., Dumais plans to use his team's depth to get them over the hump.

"Coming down to that final game, we were a little bit gassed last time," says Dumais. "It might have been my fault a little - playing a couple guys too much. We just have to make sure that we roll everybody on the bench and take care of ourselves off the ice as well."

Even with the wins against the Predators, the Phantoms preparation is not complete. Dumais says the team will have to get back to some basics before facing off against the top teams in the country.

"We have got to get back into doing some systems," Dumais says. "Our forecheck was a little bit off the mark - we were running around, puck chasing. So, we'll have to re-establish our forecheck and our d-zone."

The Showcase tournament lasts four days, and the Phantoms open up Thursday night against the San Jose Jr. Sharks. The team will then face off against the Chicago Mission on Friday, and the Texas Attack on Saturday, before the playoff rounds begin.

The third and final NAHL Midget Showcase Series event will be held at the Ice Cube in Ann Arbor, Mich. from Feb. 15-18. The three-leg series was designed in an effort to give the nation's elite midget-aged players a chance to play against each other, and in front of scores of scouts.

"If it's anything like it was in Minnesota, it'll be great as far as scouts go," says Dumais. "It's real good for them because they get exposed to a lot of junior scouts and a lot of college scouts, which will help them out in the long run."

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Monday, November 26, 2007) - As the Midget Major AAA Phantoms gear up for their next big tournament in three weeks, they have learned some lessons on how to play consistently.

Last weekend the team felt disappointment for the first time all year, losing 4-1 and tying 2-2 against the Columbus Junior Blue Jackets, a team the Phantoms had already beaten 5-2 earlier in the season.

The Midget AAAs were able to bounce back, however, winning their only game over the Thanksgiving weekend - a 5-2 triumph over Niagara Falls in Erie, Penn. - moving their record to 26-9-7 for the season.

"We always show up to the rink expecting to play well and to win, so it was kind of disappointing," said AAA head coach Joe Dumais about the winless weekend at home against the Jackets.

"But we were able put that behind us real quick," Dumais continued. "We had some time off for the holiday and played well enough against Niagara to win. We've got a ways to go, but we're improving every day."

A big part of Saturday's win was the play of goaltender Andrew New.

"Our goaltending is doing well. Andrew New kept us in the game early (on Saturday). Defensively, we were a little bit out of it, gave up a few breakaways, and he made some big saves to keep it a 0-0 game. We kind of rolled from there."

The Phantoms now host the Pittsburgh Predators at the Ice Zone this Saturday at 12 noon, and Sunday at 11 a.m. The Midget AAAs then head off to Chesterfield, Mo. for the NAHL Midget Showcase from Dec. 13-16.

"We've got a good four or five days of practice here," Dumais says. "We're looking to keep it simple, work on some more systems, maybe introduce more things to the guys. But our goal right now is to just get better every day."

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Tuesday, November 13, 2007) - The Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team went 3-2-0 against some of the best competition in the country, losing in the semi-finals this past weekend at the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Classic.

The Midgets opened the tournament Friday with a 5-4 setback against (Detroit) Little Caesars, followed by a 7-4 win over the Texas Attack. Saturday proved to be the most successful day of the weekend, as the Phantoms won 3-1 over the San Jose Jr. Sharks, followed by a 3-1 victory over Team Comcast (Philadelphia).

In the championship round Sunday, however, the Phantoms were eliminated 3-2 in overtime against (Detroit) Honeybaked. The AAAs are now 25-8-6 on the year.

"Coming into the tournament, some guys were unsure about where we stacked up against some of the top teams," said head coach Joe Dumais. "We played Little Caesars, we played Honeybaked - we walked away realizing that a bounce or two here or there and we would have pulled off those wins. We're right there with those top teams."

Continuing his hot season, Jordan Sims led the team in scoring over the weekend, notching four goals and adding three helpers.

"This was his best weekend by far," Dumais said of the team's leading scorer. Sims now has 17 goals and 22 assists on the season.

"He really stepped it up against some of the best competition in the country," Dumais went on. "He's one of our best defensive forwards along with being one of our biggest offensive threats. I can put him out in any situation and he'll excel."

With two home games looming this weekend against the Columbus Jr. Blue Jackets, the Phantoms still have a few areas that need improvement.

"I think we still have some work to do in our defensive zone," Dumais says. "Offensively, we're still getting a ton of chances, but we're not getting enough traffic in front of the goalie. Around the net, we haven't had that killer instinct to bury those loose pucks."

Game time between the Phantoms and the Blue Jackets is slated for 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. Both games are at the Ice Zone in Boardman. The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Monday, November 5, 2007) - The Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team muscled out two ties at the Lansing (Mich.) Capitals this weekend in their final tune-up before heading to the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Classic.

"We looked pretty good," said Phantoms head coach Joe Dumais, after a 1-1 tie on Saturday and a 3-3 stalemate on Sunday.

"I thought we had a good weekend as far as moving the puck, playing hard, and working the systems. We just had a real tough time bearing down and finishing. It has been a problem for the past few weeks now."

Jordan Sims led the way with a goal and an assist in the two game set, moving his team leading point total to 32 (13G, 19A). Andy Cramer and Spencer Jordan also tallied a point apiece. Cramer is second on the team in scoring (29 pts.), while Jordan remains in third (27 pts.).

With nearly three weeks off since their last tournament, a first-place finish at the Buckeye Invitational in Cleveland, the Phantoms have not faced the type of quality competition that they will be seeing this coming weekend.

Dumais says, with that in mind, the focus this week in practice will be re-focusing on some of the fundamentals.

"This week as we play some tougher teams, we're going to focus in on our defensive zone coverage and penalty kill," said Dumais. "I think those are going to be the keys to our success because we really haven't been tested in the D-zone too much in the past couple of weeks."

The Midget AAA Phantoms start off against Detroit Little Caesars and the Texas Attack on Friday, before facing the San Jose Jr. Sharks and Team Comcast on Saturday. The semi-finals and finals will be played on Sunday in Pittsburgh.

The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Monday, October 29, 2007) - The Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team kept on rolling, winning two games this weekend versus the Cleveland Jr. Jacks, and moving their record to 22-6-4 on the season.

Led by Andy Cramer and Spencer Jordan, each with two goals and three assists on the weekend, the Phantoms won 5-1 on Saturday night in Cleveland, and then 4-1 in the rematch Sunday morning back at the Ice Zone in Boardman.

Next up, the Midget Major AAA team travels to Lansing, Mich. this weekend for a two-game series versus the Lansing Capitals. The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Tuesday, October 23, 2007) - The Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team went 1-1 over the weekend against Gilmour Academy for their home openers at the Ice Zone in Boardman.

The Phantoms got off to a sluggish start on Saturday evening, falling 6-3 against the prep school from Cleveland. The Midgets were able to rebound on Sunday however, coming back to win 6-2.

Jordan Sims and Frankie Chiapperino each tallied two goals and two assists in the series. Goaltender Andrew New turned aside 24 of 26 shots in the second game, leading the Phantoms to their 20th win of the season.

Next up, the Midget AAA Phantoms and the Cleveland Jr. Jacks play a home-and-home series this Saturday and Sunday. Game time Sunday at the Ice Zone is 11 a.m. The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and is sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Monday, October 15, 2007) - The Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team went 4-0-1 this weekend, on the way to capturing their second tournament championship of the year at the Buckeye Shoot-Out in Cleveland.

After thumping the Mount Lebanon Hornets 11-0 Friday in their opening game, the Phantoms tied the Pittsburgh Predators 1-1 on Saturday.

Back-to-back 3-1 wins set up a rematch versus the Predators in Sunday's Championship Game, with the Phantoms prevailing once again 3-1 to bring home the trophy.

"The first game against Pittsburgh we were a little lackadaisical, and we were just going through the motions," said Phantoms head coach Joe Dumais. "We felt we didn't give our best effort. That was our motivation for the championship game."

The line of Andy Cramer, Spencer Jordan and Jordan Sims continued to lead the way for the Phantoms, racking up 22 points on the weekend

"Those three are playing really well," said Dumais. "The biggest thing is that they are working hard, playing within the systems, and not worrying about anything individually."

"It doesn't matter how much talent you have, you still have got to push it every day, and that's what they are doing."

This weekend's results moved the Phantoms overall record to 19-5-4 on the year. Dumais says the team's record is a reflection of their improving consistency.

"We're starting to understand what it takes to play well," Dumais says. "I think we learned this weekend that we've got to bring it mentally and physically every game. If we get away from that, we can let lesser teams compete with us."

The Phantoms first home games of the season are scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday against Gilmore Academy. The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Tuesday, October 9, 2007) - The line of Spencer Jordan, Andy Cramer, and Jordan Sims combined for 23 points in five games this past weekend, leading the Mahoning Valley Midget AAA Phantoms to a 4-1-0 record and a second place finish at the Midget Buc Bowl in Des Moines, Iowa.

"They played phenomenal," said Phantoms coach Joe Dumais about his scoring trio. "We can put them out in any situation - offensively, defensively, penalty kill, power play - and we know they'll be successful."

After spending the first month of the season playing with the Phantoms Junior A team, the return of Spencer Jordan to the Midget team was the spark that got the line going. Jordan had five goals and four assists on the weekend.

"Having Spencer back is huge for those guys," said Dumais. "His experience with the Junior A squad really helped his game. He looked like a man playing amongst boys this weekend."

The Phantoms opened the weekend with a 4-1 win over the California Stars and a 1-0 win over the Utah Chadders on Friday. The squad followed those wins up with a 2-1 victory over the Alaska Wolves on Saturday, and a 3-2 double overtime triumph in the semi-finals against the Dallas Alliance on Sunday morning.

Although the Phantoms came up one win short of their second tournament title of the year, falling 3-2 in overtime to Minnesota-Duluth, Dumais says that just being in those types of games will pay dividends by the end of the season.

"We've pretty much gone through every situation you could have been in already this year," said Dumais. "While it is tough to lose some of these championship games, it's all about the experience. When the end of the year comes, and we are in overtime or a shoot-out, we will know what it takes to win."

Goaltenders Andrew New and Tyler Ross combined for a 1.60 goals against average in the team's five games, splitting time between the pipes over the weekend.

The Midget AAA Phantoms are now 15-5-2 on the season, and are headed to Cleveland to play in the Buckeye Shootout this Friday through Sunday. The team opens up against the Pittsburgh Predators. The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (Monday, September 24, 2007) - The Midget AAA Phantoms went 4-1-1 en route to a runner-up finish this weekend in the NAHL Midget AAA Showcase in Blaine, Minn.

Led by the scoring of Matt Cook and Jacob Carney, and goaltender Tyler Ross' three wins, the Midget AAA Phantoms moved their overall record to 11-4-2 on the year, but more importantly, brought home another piece of hardware.

"I'm really happy with the way they played," said head coach Joe Dumais. "They pretty much got better every game. I think the guys are realizing what it takes to win."

The Phantoms started the weekend on Thursday, shutting out the St. Louis Blues U-18's 2-0. Friday afternoon, the Phantoms moved to 2-0 in the tournament beating the Columbus Jr. Blue Jackets 5-2. The Phantoms played two games Saturday, beating Victory Honda 2-1, before losing 4-3 in a shoot-out to the Soo Indians. The one point they earned from the shoot-out loss was enough to vault them into the championship round.

Sunday morning, the Phantoms beat Russell Stover U-18 in a 3-1 decision, setting them up in the championship game against the Chicago Young Americans. Earlier in the year, the Phantoms tied CYA 2-2; but despite getting over 40 shots on goal, the Phantoms fell by the score of 5-2.

"I think CYA is one of the hottest teams in America after winning in Detroit, and then this tournament here," Dumais said. "They were just able to capitalize on every chance they had. We played well, we stayed with them, we had a ton of shots, but we just couldn't bury the puck."

The Phantoms Midget AAA team has high hopes for the rest of the season, after getting second place in this tournament, to go along with a championship in Boston and coming in third in Detroit.

"We can definitely play with any team in the country," says Dumais. "There are some good teams out there right now though, so we still have a ways to go."

Next up, the Midget AAA Phantoms head to Iowa from Oct. 5-7. The schedule has yet to be announced. The Phantoms Youth Hockey program is based out of Boardman, Ohio and plays all home games at the Ice Zone, sponsored by the B.J. Alan Company - Phantom Fireworks.

BOARDMAN, OHIO (September 11, 2007) - After capturing the championship in Boston over Labor Day weekend, the U-18 AAA Phantoms Midget Major AAA Hockey Club headed to Detroit for one more tune up before the Midget AAA Showcase next week. Coming off an emotional high the week before though, the team stumbled a bit, going 1-2-1 on the weekend, and finishing third in the Motor City Cup.

"We did take a few steps back," said head coach Joe Dumais. "But, by the end of the weekend, we realized that you have to show up every game, play every shift, play every period, and take it one day at a time."

Against some of the top teams in the country, the Midget Phantoms got a taste of what it takes to compete against the best; day in, and day out. The Phantoms opened up with a 6-2 loss to the Chicago Fury on Friday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena.

"They (the Fury) really took it to us," said Dumais. "They really outworked us, and I think that was a wake up call to our guys."

The Midget Phantoms rebounded, gutting out a 2-2 tie against the Chicago Young Americans, a traditional national powerhouse. After falling 7-3 to Detroit Compuware in the following game, the Midget Phantoms finished off the weekend on an upbeat note, earning third place in the tournament by beating the Indiana Ice, 2-1.

"We played in the consolation game on Sunday and that was our best game," Dumais explained. "We came ready to go, we prepared well, and it showed. The guys played real well, and they learned a lot from this weekend, from the ups and the downs."

Looking Ahead

The Midget Phantoms Major AAA team is now 7-3-1 on the year, and has 10 days off before their next game. Dumais says he's going to use this time to work on special teams and installing more systems.

"We're really going to hit it hard as far as what we expect on the power play, penalty kill, and our neutral zone," said Dumais. "We've hit on some of it, but we haven't gone much into detail yet. It's a long season, and we don't want to be counterproductive by throwing too much at them right away."

The Midget Phantoms will face off next against the St. Louis Blues U-18, the Columbus Blue Jackets U-18, and the Soo Indians, in Blaine, Minnesota at the 2007 NAHL Midget Showcase Tournament, September 20-23.

The Phantom Fireworks Midget Major AAA team made a statement in opening the 2007-2008 campaign, going 6-1-0 en route to winning the Labor Day Face-Off Tournament in Boston.

"Going into the tournament, we were focused on playing hard, playing physical, competing and playing as a team," said head coach Joe Dumais after the tournament. "That was our goal and the guys really did well; they came together, and I think it paid off in the end."

The forward line of Jordan Sims, Spencer Jordan and Andy Cramer combined for 19 points over the seven games, including five goals and two assists for Sims. Defenseman Kyle Van also had a strong performance in the tournament, chipping in three points off the blue line.

Against some of the best AAA teams in the country, the Phantoms allowed a mere six goals in seven games. "Our goaltending was phenomenal," Dumais said, referring to the play of netminders Tyler Ross and Max Fenkell. "They really stepped up to the occasion and solidified the team's play."

The 18-U team started off 3-0-0, with victories against the Pittsburgh Viper Stars (1-0), the New Hampshire Avalanche (5-0), and then beating the 495 Stars from Massachusetts to the tune of 7-1.

The team suffered their first loss of the season to a physical Valley Junior Warriors (Mass.) team by a score of 1-0. The Warriors were successful in taking the Phantoms off their game. "They were a chippy team," said Coach Dumais. "They did a lot of talking, we did a lot of talking, and I think we just kind of got away from our game plan."

The Phantoms bounced right back and finished off the preliminary round with a 5-0 thumping of Team Maryland, and then earned a 4-3 win over the New Hampshire Monarchs in the semi-finals. That victory set up a rematch against the Warriors in the championship game.

The team's main focus heading into the finals was to stay with their game plan, and not get caught up in the talking. With the help of a short-handed goal by Cody Ganchar, and their top-scoring line playing multiple roles, the Phantoms were able to win the rematch 2-1 and take home the title.

The Midget AAA team is now heading to Detroit for the Motor City Cup, Sept. 7 to 9. The team opens up against the Chicago Fury, Friday afternoon at Joe Louis Arena.