The West Michigan Phantoms, now in the team's unprecedented twenty-sixth season of hockey operations, was able to gain some breathing room in the battle for league supremacy on Sunday. Following a five-goal second period performance, the Men of Phantom Nation were able to overcome a 1-0 deficit in the first period and rally to post a 6-1 victory against the Hawks, improving the team to an undefeated mark of 3-0. The Phantoms began the game behind the magic eight-ball, as just 1:07 into the contest the Phantom's Chuck McCloud would be sentenced to sit-and-stew-for-two in the penalty box on a high-sticking infraction. The Hawk power-play would capitalize with just 11 seconds remaining in their extra-man-band to open the games scoring and jump into a 1-0 lead. Both team would display a lot of scoring chances and potential during the balance of the opening period, but despite an 11-8 Phantom shot advantage in the opening period, the Hawk powerplay goal at the 2:56 mark would be the lone strike in the game's first frame. In the second period, the Phantoms would continue to muster shots on the Hawk's goaltender. Tim Czycyk would draw even the dual 6:20 into the period, as the multi-season Phantom would register his third of the season. Just under two minutes later Matt Mead, in his first game of the season following a business trip to Mexico, would put the yellow shirts on top, as Chuck McCloud would set-up the Simpson's Montgomery Burns look-alike to put the Phantoms on top for the first game in the contest at 2-1. With the Phantom intermission emphasis of putting pucks and traffic on net beginning to pay off, the Phantom offense would continue to flourish and net three more goals in the span of 1:21 to take control of the game. Trent Kik would continue the Phantom's second period charge, as last week's scoring hero would tally two of those three-quick Phantom strikes in the span of 35 seconds (both Kik's goals assisted by Tim Czycyk) to mount the Phantoms into a 4-1 lead. Tim Czycyk would close-out the Phantom's five-goal second period blitz 46 seconds following the second Kik goal, as Czycyk would net his second of the game (assisted by Trent Kik) to put the Phantoms on top 5-1 after the second period. Despite a breakdown by the Hawks during the approximately six minute charge by the Phantoms both teams continued the hard-fought battle in the second period, where the Phantoms out shot the Hawks by a 15-9 margin. In the third period, the Phantom's Chad Manning would register his first goal of the season and the lone mark in the third period. The unassisted strike by Manning with 8:17 remaining in the period would seal the contest with a Phantom 6-1 victory. On the game, the Phantoms out shot the Hawks by a 39-25 margin. Those 39 shots on goal by the Phantoms mark the highest shot total by any Phantom-Bronze league team at Cedar Rock since the bronze team was created back on March 2, 2008. On the 96KBPS.com Internet Radio's Crime Watch, the Phantoms were ticketed on just two minors for four minutes, while the Hawks were sentenced on a single minor for two minutes. The Phantom victory improves the team to a 3-0 mark, the only undefeated team remaining in the Cedar Rock circuit. The Phantoms remain two points ahead of the second place Sharkies and Team Chowder, two teams that the Phantoms have yet to draw battle against. Sunday's game marked the first time this season that every member of the Phantoms was in attendance. The team will return to the cornfield in Cedar on Sunday, October 4th.
