YOUNGSTOWN PHANTOMS: The U18s travel to face conference rival Youngstown Phantoms for a pair at the Covelli Centre.

The Phantoms enter the weekend with a 20-14-0-1 record, and stand third in the Eastern Conference with 41 points. Youngstown split last weekend with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, skating to a 5-4 shootout win on Friday (Jan. 17) before getting shutout 4-0 the following night.

Youngstown has two skaters who've hit the 30-point mark in forwards Adam Benák (10G-23A) and Jamison Sluys (9G-21A), and three with at least 20: Michael Mesic (9G-14A), Evan Jardine (12G-10A) and Jack Hextall (4G-16A). Benák's 23 apples lead the team, while Jardine's 12 tallies top all Youngstown goal-scorers.

Blueliner Luke Osburn leads Phantoms defensemen with 19 points, while Coleson Hanrahan has nine and Conner de Haro has eight.

Melvin Strahl has led the way for Youngstown in net, getting the nod for 23 of their 35 contests and owning a 14-9-0-0 record with a 2.63 GAA and .896 SV%. Owen Lepak has served as a solid backup, posting a 3.15  GAA and .856 SV%.

This weekend will mark the wrap on the season series between the U18s and the Phantoms, with Youngstown holding a 2-1-0-0 edge entering play.

MUSKEGON LUMBERJACKS: The U17s are set for a home-and-home against the Muskegon Lumberjacks, who currently stand second in the Eastern Conference.

The 'Jacks own a 20-10-2-4 record on the season after the Lincoln Stars dealt them two losses last week, with a 6-2 final on Friday (Jan. 17) and 7-3 score on Saturday (Jan. 18). In their last 10 games, Muskegon has gone 4-3-0-3, including a 4-3 loss to the U18 squad on Jan. 3 and a tight 3-2 win over the U17s the following evening.

Michigan Tech commit and standout Shikhabutdin Gadzhiev has been absolutely stellar in net, leading the USHL with a .922 SV% and three shutouts. His 2.49 GAA is good for fourth in the league and he posts an 11-5-1-1 record.

Offensively, David Deputy (11G-19A), a midseason acquisition from Omaha, and David Klee (13G-15A) lead the charge, with Tynan Lawrence (11G-14A), Vaclav Nestrasil (11G-13A) and Jack Galanek (10G-14A) not far behind.

Xavier Veilleux tops Muskegon's defensive group with 22 points, good for fifth league-wide. His 17 helpers and five goals also lead Lumberjack blueliners. Danny Klaers and Luka Radivojevic have also hit the double-digit mark, with 12 and 10 assists, respectively.

The U17s have seen the 'Jacks three times so far this season, and are still looking for the first win over the conference rival as they head into the weekend.