By Michael Heilman

The Lehigh Valley Phantoms headed to the Adirondack Bank Center at the Utica Memorial Auditorium to take on the Utica Comets Friday night.

A minute and seven seconds into the first period, a goalie interference call against Phantoms defenseman Reece Wilcox sent the Comets on the power play. Forty seconds later, the Comets took a 1-0 lead on a power-play goal by former Phantom Justin Bailey (14) with an assist from Brogan Rafferty (28). Less than two minutes later, Justin Bailey (15) scored his second goal of the game to extend the Comets lead 2-0 with assists from Nikolay Goldobin (18) and Kole Lind (21). After Bailey’s second goal, the Phantoms substituted Alex Lyon for Jean Francois-Berube.

After the goalie change, the Phantoms cut the Comets lead 2-1 on a goal by Connor Bunnaman (4) with assists from Chris Bigras (6) and Isaac Ratcliffe (5). The Phantoms came to life after Bunnaman’s goal. After a hard-fought battle by the Phantoms, the Comets added another goal this time by Reid Boucher (22) to make it a 3-1 Comets lead with assists from Sven Baertschi (24) and Olli Juolevi (14). The Phantoms answered back with a shorthand goal by Mikhail Vorobyev (6), his first game back with the Phantoms. The Utica Comets led 3-2 at the end of the first period.

Twenty-five seconds into the second period, the Comets extended their lead 4-2 on a goal by Jonah Gadjovich (8) with an assist from Ashton Sautner (7). The Phantoms were doing all they could do to get back into the game. Late into the second period, Justin Bailey (16) would complete the hat trick goal with assists from Nikolay Goldobin (19) and Kole Lind (22) to give the Comets a 5-2 lead at the end of the second period. Bailey has been on fire this season and could get called up to the Vancouver Canucks.

The Phantoms were creating opportunities in the third period with fourteen shots on goal but could not find a way to put the puck into the net. The Utica Comets were playing great hockey and defeated the Lehigh Valley Phantoms 5-2. The Comets are now in first place in the North Division.

The Phantoms had a total of twenty-eight shots on goal, and the Comets had twenty-nine. The Phantoms committed five penalties in the game. Phantoms goalie Alex Lyon was one for three allowing two goals and his replacement Jean Francois-Berube was twenty-three of twenty-six, allowing three goals. Utica Comets goalie Michael DiPietro stopped twenty-six of twenty-eight shots allowing two goals.

The three stars of the game were Comets right-winger Kole Lund with two assists, Comets left-winger Reid Boucher with one goal, and Comets right-winger Justin Bailey with three goals.

The Phantoms return home to the PPL Center for two games Saturday night against the Laval Rocket at 7:05 and Sunday against the Cleveland Monsters at 3:05 pm.