YOUNGSTOWN PHANTOMS: After traveling to Michigan to take on the Under-17 Team last week, the Youngstown Phantoms make their quick return to USA Hockey Arena to square up with the U18 squad in the lone NTDP game of the week.

After sweeping the home-and-home set with the U17s, Youngstown's record sits at 20-10-4-1, good for 45 standings points and fourth place in the USHL's Eastern Conference, with games in hand on each team that the Phantoms are chasing.

NTDP alum Charlie Cerrato leads Youngstown in points-per-game, racking up 26 points (3g-23a) in just 21 games played. Ryan Botterill has matched his point output (12g-14a) in 31 games played. Forwards Adam Pietila (16), Braiden Clark (11) and Miles Gunty (11) have all pitched in double-digit scores for Youngstown.

On the blue line, top defenseman Andrew Strathmann, who has produced 23 points in 26 games, will be suspended for Thursday's contest. That leaves 2007-born Sascha Boumedienne as the team's top point producer from the back end, as the native Swede has posted two goals and 16 assists. Right behind him is Tory Pitner, a 2024 NHL Draft-eligible, who has a team-high seven scores from the blue line to go with 10 assists for 17 total points.

Youngstown rosters two qualified goaltenders. Owen Bartoszkiewicz has played in 21 games with a 12-6-3-0 record, 3.01 GAA and .893 SV%. Colin Winn has 16 appearances with a 7-4-1-1 record, 3.56 GAA and .872 SV%. Bartoskziewicz and third netminder Aiden Wright, who was playing in his first career USHL game, took the starts in net in the two games last week.

The game will be the final matchup between the U18s and Phantoms this season.