Ice Diggers ground Phantom Rockets, 4-2

By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN -- Brian Swensen had a goal and two assists as the Toledo Ice Diggers defeated the Mahoning Valley Phantom Rockets 4-2 in a Continental Elite Hockey League game Thursday at The Ice Zone.
Glen Houghton added a goal and an assist for second-place Toledo (7-3-0), which won its fourth straight game.
The Phantom Rockets (4-7-0) lost their fourth straight game and are 1-5-0 in their last six.
"I feel that we have the best two goalies in the league and Justin Carland in goal for us was just outstanding," Phantom Rockets coach Bob Hawthorne said. "Every game he has defended between 30 and 35 shots.
"He has been phenomenal each time that he has been in goal and tonight was a great night for him despite the final score," Hawthorne said.
Shots advantage
The Ice Diggers held a 45-22 shots on goal advantage, including a lopsided 36-11 advantage after the first two periods.
"I really like the way the Phantom Rockets play," Toledo coach Mike Mankowski said. "They never quit tonight, playing all 60 minutes and that to me is a key statistic.
"Bob Hawthorne is an excellent coach and they will keep improving over the course of the year," Mankowski said. "Shots on goal doesn't always tell the overall story as the Phantom Rockets had quality shots tonight, not a quantity of shots."
Toledo got on the board first at 11:27 of the opening period, when Houghton assisted Swensen on a short-handed goal.
Dayne Bihn, assisted by Matt Zeman and Swensen, increased the Ice Diggers' lead to 2-0 at 14:47 on a power play goal.
The Phantom Rockets cut the lead in half when Mike Hanna, assisted by Tyler Miller got Mahoning Valley on the board at 16:54 of the opening period. Miller took the Phantom Rockets' first shot on goal 9:18 into the game.
A Houghton goal at 19:12 gave the Ice Diggers a 3-1 lead after the first period.
"We did a good job during the first two periods of driving the net," Mankowski said. "If we bear down on those chances it might have been a different game.
"Both Brian Swensen and Glen Houghton had great games for us. Swensen has the ability to be the best player on the ice each time out and Houghton, who played for us last year, is someone that I am comfortable with on the ice in any given situation."
The Phantom Rockets' Eric Mayhew, assisted by Justin Cassel and Chad Blumes, scored on a power play goal at 6:25 of second period to cut Toledo's lead to 3-2.
But Brian Nicklas of the Ice Diggers, assisted by Swensen, made it 4-2 at 17:23 of the second period.
While the third period was scoreless, the Phantom Rockets held an 11-9 shot advantage, doubling the number of shots on goal they had in the first two periods.