Phantoms cruise past Marquette

Mahoning Valley has won six straight games.
BOARDMAN -- Dustin Cloutier and Mike Fillinger each scored twice and Ryan Zapolski made 27 saves to lead the Mahoning Valley Phantoms to a 7-2 win over the Marquette Rangers at the Ice Zone Saturday night.
The Phantoms (12-7-1) have won six straight games and trail first-place Alpena by four points in the North American Hockey League's North Division.
Fillinger gave the Phantoms a quick start by scoring his first goal of the night at 2:18 of the first period. Nathan Longpre followed just 11 seconds later off the ensuing faceoff by blasting a shot between the circles and over the left shoulder of Rangers goaltender Stephen Ritter. Longpre's seventh goal of the season extended his point-scoring streak to six games.
Marquette responded with Luke Bennett's rebound for a goal, but Cloutier gave the Phantoms a 3-1 lead with 2:12 left in the period on the power play.
"Before the game, we talked about us going after them early," Fillinger said. "If we didn't, then we knew that [today's] battle would be as much a challenge, if not more."
Pulling away
Alden Hirschfeld made it 4-1 at the 9:45 mark of the second period with his fifth goal of the season and Cloutier scored his second goal of the night and his second short-handed goal in as many nights.
Brodie Zuk pulled Marquette within 5-2 on the power play with 4:18 remaining in the period, but Fillinger's second goal, his ninth of the season, was scored short-handed at 6:04 to make it 6-2.
Brent Dexter closed out the scoring, taking a pass from Chad Boeckman in front and beating Ritter between the legs with 8:53 left in regulation.
The teams conclude their three-game series at the Ice Zone today at 1 p.m.