KEARNEY, Neb. – Unable to hold a two-goal lead in the third, the Tri-City Storm (13-7-3) needed a shootout to complete a 3-2 win and sweep the Youngstown Phantoms (12-7-5), on Saturday afternoon at the Viaero Event Center.

Storm goals were scored by defenseman Kevin Kerr and forward Jake Wahlin, while Dan Labosky and Mason Appleton converted in the shootout.

Tri-City netminder Jared Rutledge made 31 saves and stopped 3-of-4 in the shootout to record a victory in his first game with the Storm.

Neither team was able to score in the opening frame, but Tri-City outshot the Phantoms 13-8 through the first 20 minutes.

The Storm finally broke through in the final two minutes of the second, when forward Wade Allison found Kerr who joined the rush and beat Youngstown goaltender Chris Birdsall.

The goal unleashed the Teddy Bear Toss at the Viaero Event Center and brought a crowd of 3,425 to life.

19 seconds later, Tri-City made it 2-0 when Wahlin banked a rebound off Birdsall into the net. Cody Milan brought the puck into the Youngstown end but fanned on a shot attempt. The puck bounced off the endboards right to Wahlin, who scored his third goal of the season.

In the third, Youngstown was able to tie the game and force overtime, getting goals from defenseman Matt Miller and forward Josh Melnick.

Without a winner in the extra five minute period, the teams went to a shootout.

Maxim Letunov scored for Youngstown in the first round to give the Phantoms the early lead in the skill session. After missed attempts by Wilkie and Milan, Labosky scored in the third round on a do-or-die attempt to force a fourth round.

Rutledge stopped Kiefer Sherwood in the fourth, giving Appleton the opening to seal a win for the Storm.

Tri-City has now won four consecutive games and has 29 points, sitting in second in the USHL’s Western Conference. The Storm have also won four straight against Youngstown, and have a record of 4-2 in the shootout during the 2014-15 season.

Just one game remains on the schedule before the league’s holiday break. Tri-City will be in Omaha to face the Lancers on Friday night at 7:35 p.m.

The Storm return to the Viaero Event Center on Dec. 27 to face Sioux City at 3:05 p.m.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Garrett Gamez and Kyle Eastman along with defenseman Bobby Nardella. Forward Joel Herbert was also scratched, serving a league suspension…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

(no scoring)

2nd Period

Tri-City – Kevin Kerr (Wade Allison, Conner Valesano) 18:31
Tri-City – Jake Wahlin (Cody Milan, Chase Berger) 18:50

3rd Period

Youngstown – Matt Miller (Matt Alvaro, Kiefer Sherwood) 5:56
Youngstown – Josh Melnick (Maxim Letunov) 11:29

Overtime
(no scoring)

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Bench Minor – (Too Many Men), 2 min, 5:30
Youngstown – Chase Pearson – (Interference), 2 min, 6:33
Youngstown – Lukas Craggs – (Elbowing), 2 min, 18:27

2nd Period

Tri-City – Mason Appleton – (Interference), 2 min, 0:33
Youngstown – Lukas Craggs – (High Sticking), 2 min, 2:54
Youngstown – Kevin Conley – (Interference), 2 min, 10:08
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Diving), 2 min, 10:08
Tri-City – Mattias Goransson – (Cross Checking), 2 min, 11:55

3rd Period

Tri-City – Chase Berger – (Boarding), 2 min, 7:30

Overtime
(no penalties)

Power Play

Youngstown – 0/4

Tri-City – 0/3

Shots

Youngstown: 8, 11, 13, 1 = Total: 33
Tri-City: 13, 10, 5, 4 = Total: 32

Saves

Youngstown – Chris Birdsall – 30/32
Tri-City – Jared Rutledge – 31/33

KEARNEY, Neb. – The Tri-City Storm’s first line of Nick Master, Dan Labosky and Chris Wilkie combined for 10 points and were the difference on Friday night in a 5-3 victory over the Youngstown Phantoms at the Viaero Event Center.

Master led the way with a hat trick, while Labosky had a goal and assists on all of Master’s tallies. Wilkie had a goal in the second period, as well as two assists.

Tri-City didn’t take long to strike and Master gave his team a 1-0 lead with his first tally of the evening at 1:15. Wilkie got the puck to the center in front of the net and the Broomall, Penn. native was in the perfect spot, allowing the puck to bounce into the net off his skate. Labosky picked up the second assist on the goal.

Less than a minute later however, the Phantoms tied the game on Maxim Letunov’s 12th goal of the year from Kiefer Sherwood.

Youngstown took a lead at 7:24 of the opening period when Sherwood scored his first of the night to make it 2-1.

In the middle period, Tri-City scored twice in just over four minutes to retake the lead. First, while killing a penalty to Joel Herbert, Labosky found the back of the net for the first time this season in his third game back with the team. Conner Valesano moved the puck up ice and created the chance before Labosky hustled to the rebound and beat Youngstown goaltender Chris Birdsall.

Then, just over two minutes later, Wilkie deflected a Mason Appleton shot past Birdsall for his 13th goal of the year. Defenseman Kevin Kerr was given the third assist on the tally that gave Tri-City a 3-2 lead.

Sherwood re-tied the game at 6:02 of the period with his second goal of the night and the game entered the third period tied at 3-3.

On his first shift of the final period, Master scored twice to complete the hat trick, giving Tri-City the first two-goal advantage of the night.

Labosky had the first assist on both goals, setting Master up in front of the net to earn his second and third assists on the night.

The hat trick is the 23rd in Tri-City Storm history, and the first since forward Joel L’Esperance scored three against Youngstown a year ago on Dec. 13, 2013.

Tri-City outshot Youngstown 31-21 in the game. Storm netminder Alec Dillon made 18 saves to earn the win.

The two teams will battle once more on Saturday afternoon at 3:05 p.m. to complete their season series.

Notes: The Storm scratched forwards Garrett Gamez, Kyle Eastman, and Chase Berger along with defenseman Bobby Nardella…

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

Tri-City – Nick Master (Chris Wilkie, Dan Labosky) 1:15
Youngstown – Maxim Letunov (Kiefer Sherwood) 2:06
Youngstown – Kiefer Sherwood (Josh Melnick, Kris Myllari) 7:24

2nd Period

Tri-City – Dan Labosky (short-handed) (Conner Valesano) 1:49
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie (Mason Appleton, Kevin Kerr) 4:04
Youngstown – Kiefer Sherwood (Maxim Letunov) 6:02

3rd Period
Tri-City – Nick Master (Dan Labosky, Chris Wilkie) 1:11
Tri-City – Nick Master (Dan Labosky, Kevin Kerr) 1:42

PENALTIES

1st Period

Tri-City – Gordi Myer – (Interference), 2 min, 3:06
Youngstown – Bryan Lemos – (Hooking), 2 min, 9:43
Youngstown – Maxim Letunov – (High Sticking), 2 min, 14:43
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – (Roughing), 2 min, 15:20

2nd Period

Tri-City – Joel Herbert – (Head Contact) 2 min, 0:18
Youngstown – Tommy Parran – (Hooking), 2 min, 8:35
Tri-City – Chris Wilkie – (Charging), 2 min, 8:35
Youngstown – Ryan Lomberg – (Head Contact), 2 min, 13:32
Youngstown – Taylor Best – (Roughing), 2 min, 16:54
Tri-City – Jalen Schulz – (Slashing), 2 min, 16:54

3rd Period

(no scoring)

Power Play

Youngstown – 0/3

Tri-City – 0/3

Shots

Youngstown: 10, 3, 8 = Total: 30
Tri-City: 9, 15, 7 = Total: 31

Saves
Youngstown – Chris Birdsall – 26/31
Tri-City – Alec Dillon – 18/21