Youngstown Phantoms goalie Chad Veltri had a perfect weekend.
Veltri first made 27 saves in a 3-0 United States Hockey League win over the Des Moines Buccaneers on Saturday.
The Niagara University recruit from Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania, then had a 24-save shutout on Sunday in a 3-0 win over the Central Illinois Flying Aces.
Veltri has won five out of his last seven starts. He improved to 7-5-0-1 in 13 games since coming to Youngstown from the Sioux Falls Stampede earlier this season.
The Phantoms used the wins to move into fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings.
DIVISION CHAMPS
The Granite City Lumberjacks and Texas Brahmas each clinched North American 3 Hockey League division titles Saturday.
Matt Fitzgerald made 19 saves and five different players scored as Granite City defeated the Wisconsin Whalers 5-2 to clinch the West Division title.
Thomas Held had a 27-save shutout and Stuart Pearson scored twice when Texas clinched the South Division with a 5-0 win over the Atlanta Capitals.
Granite City is 35-6-2. Texas is 34-3-2.
Defenseman Mike Bermingham had a goal and four assists as the East Coast Wizards won twice to extend their winning streak to six games and clinch the Eastern Hockey League South Division title.
The Wizards, who will receive a bye in the first round of the EHL playoffs, have won 14 of their last 17 games.
PLAYOFF BOUND
The loss by Central Illinois Sunday allowed the Muskegon Lumberjacks to become the first team to clinch a USHL playoff berth this season.
The Lumberjacks lead the Eastern Conference with a 34-11-2-1 record.
The Amarillo Bulls and Johnstown Tomahawks are the only North American Hockey League teams that have clinched berths.
GAME-WINNERS
Defenseman Jed Pietila had both game-winning goals for the Austin Bruins and scored three goals total in a weekend sweep of a home-and-home NAHL series with the Minnesota Wilderness.
Amarillo’s Alex Peterson had a game-winning goal during his Friday hat trick in an 8-2 romp over Odessa, then added another goal Saturday in a 4-2 win to complete a sweep of the Jackalopes.
COLLEGE COMMITMENTS
NAHL scoring leader Logan Jenuwine from the Amarillo Bulls has committed to play at Arizona State University.
Jenuwine, a 20-year-old from Romeo, Michigan, leads the NAHL in points (81), goals (43) and game-winning goals (11). He shared the scoring lead at the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament with four points in two games.
Christian DiCesare, a 20-year-old defenseman with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers, recently announced his commitment to the University of Notre Dame.
The 20-year-old from Morristown, New Jersey, has four points in 42 games in his first USHL season.
ONE-TIMERS
Hank Sorensen from the Waterloo Black Hawks went plus-6 with four points last week, leaving him fifth in scoring among USHL defensemen with 33 points in 42 games. … Payton McSharry scored two goals Friday when Drew Scites made 35 saves as the Great Falls Americans defeated the Bozeman Icedogs, 3-1, for their 16th straight NA3HL victory. … Zach Withington had six points in two games for the EHL’s Connecticut Chiefs, giving him 55 points in 38 games this season. … Connor Woolley’s hat trick Saturday included his fourth game-winning goal when New York Applecore defeated the Valley Jr. Warriors, 6-3.
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.
Photo courtesy of Scott Galvin.
