ICE HOCKEY Phantom Rockets lose sixth straight

The Mahoning Valley team may be pressing, the acting coach said.
By GREG GULAS
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
BOARDMAN -- Paul Scalici had two goals and an assist, playing a part in all three Detroit scores, as the Lightning defeated the Mahoning Valley Phantom Rockets 3-1 in a Continental Elite Hockey League game Sunday at The Ice Zone.
Rob Hawthorne, acting head coach for his father Bob, who was suspended for two games and fined $250 for entering the officials' locker room Saturday night, said the team is snakebit right now.
"We are pressing because we want to break out of this scoring slump," he said. "The losing streak is weighing on us, but that goes with the territory.
"[Goaltender] Justin Carland had a stellar game in goal for us, rejecting 45 of the 48 shots that came his way," Hawthorne said. "I really feel that we have the best 1-2 punch in goal of any team in the league."
Streak hits six
The Phantom Rockets (4-9-0) lost their sixth game in a row and the seventh in their last eight outings.
The Lightning (15-3-0), the league's leading team, won their second straight contest. They have now split their last four outings.
Art Mnatsakanow, assisted by John Onofrey and Scalici, gave the Lightning the early lead when he scored on a power play goal just 3 minutes, 15 seconds into the game. They built a 2-0 lead when Scalici scored an unassisted goal at 12:18 of the opening period.
When the Phantom Rockets' Paul Fonte scored (assisted by Scott Kochniarczyk and Cassie Keefer) at 14:31 of the opening period, he cut the Detroit lead to 2-1 after the first 20 minutes.
Scalici rounded out the scoring (assisted by both Onofrey and goaltender Jacob Leonard) with a goal at 7:35 of the second period to increase the Lightning's lead to 3-1.
"Paul Scalici has really been on a tear offensively," Lightning coach John Tucker said. "Ever since Bobby Kukulka got called up to the USHL, Scalici has taken it upon himself to deliver offensively.
"I am pleased because this league is drawing attention from the hockey higher ups."
Scoreless span
A game that started out like it was going to be an offensive clinic turned into a defensive battle as no team could penetrate the net during the last 32:35 of the contest.
Detroit had 48 shots on goal, with the Phantom Rockets' Carland rejecting 45. Mahoning Valley had 33 shots on goal, but the Lightning's Leonard pitched a near shutout as he rejected 32.
The Phantom Rockets finished their homestand with an 0-5-0 record.