LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa – The force was strong with another sellout crowd at PPL center, but not with the Phantoms as they lost 2-1 while celebrating Star Wars night on Sunday. Members of the 501 Legion, which is a group of Star Wars fans who dress up as popular characters from the franchise who work charity and sporting events year round were in attendance to provide an amazing event for the fans.
The first period started as many have for Lehigh Valley this season, with an early Power Play that would turn out to be their best of five on the night. Despite moving the puck well and getting a lot of chances, they could not finish, which lead to a chance at the 
other end as the penalty expired. As Binghamton forward David Dziurzynski got out of the box, he led a rush into the Phantoms zone. He would slide the puck down to Ryan Dzingel below the far circle, and he would hit Eric O’Dell with a centering pass. O’Dell would find the back bar behind Anthony Stolarz to open the scoring at the 6:22 mark of the first, and that would be the only goal of the frame. Out shooting the B-Sens 12-4 through one, the Phantoms would go into the room looking for a way to strike back in the second.
The second would see a combined eight penalties between the two teams, including four power plays, some 4-on-4 hockey, and a fight. The teams would trade power plays to start the frame, with each team getting opportunities but being unable to score. Phantom forward Cole Bardreau and B-Sen Dzingel would drop the mitts at the 11:10 mark, in a duel that would end pretty even matched, with fists instead of lightsabers the combatants sparred to a draw. About two minutes later, Andrew MacDonald and Dzingel would both get called for unsportsman-like conduct to bring the teams to 4-on-4. That would last a minute and four seconds before Kyle Flanagan would get called for running in to Stolarz and interfering with him. Again there would be nothing doing on the power play for Lehigh Valley, as Scott Greenham would keep the door shut on the Phantoms hope for a goal. In the third, however, a new hope would rise.
Newly named AHL All-Star Nick Cousins has been having a pretty good season for the Phantoms. With eight goals, 22 assists, and 30 points coming into Sundays game, he seemed like the perfect person to score to tie the game in the third. And do that he did. Sam Gagner would spring Cousins ahead on the play, and number 25 would come blazing across the blue line at near light-speed. As he did, he unleashed the force of a wicked wrist shot that hit the near side post with enough power to destroy a planet, and effectively tie this game at one. However, revenge would belong to the B-Sens, as just two minutes later they would take their lead back on a deflection infront of the net off the shaft of Nick Pauls stick in the crease in front of Stolarz. Greenham would make the lead hold up, making 28 saves to propel the dark side to a victory in Allentown. A goal tending duel always results in low scoring games, and the Phantoms just did not benefit off the effort put in by Stolarz on Sunday.
The three in three this weekend did not turn out how Lehigh Valley planned, losing all three games, all be it they were all close games, but valuable points in the standings were missed. Another three in three awaits the Phantoms this coming weekend, with rivalry match ups with Hershey at home on Friday and again at home against Hartford on Saturday. They will finish it up in Bridgeport on Sunday, hoping to come out with a much better result than this week end. A very promising road trip from a week ago seems like a distant memory now, as the Phantoms find themselves two games below .500 again with nearly half a season remaining.
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