The defending bronze champion Phantoms continue to suffer from the loss of the offense it so greatly depended on last season to win.  On Sunday, the Phantoms managed to again net only two goals during the game and those two goals would not be enough as the team fell to the Hawks by the final of 4-2.   The Phantoms would start strong in the opening period, as the Phantoms would net two goals in a span of just under three minutes to climb into a 2-0 lead.  Patrick Ewerth would get the party started, as Ewerth who returned to the Phantoms this season, would net his second of the season (assisted by Tim Vanoverloop) just 6:51 into the contest to secure a 1-0 lead.  Minutes later, the Phantoms would again tally a strike, as an unidentified Phantom would score with 6:35 remaining in the period (assisted by Tim Vanoverloop) to mount a 2-0 lead.  (All season long it appears the referees can not get player numbers correct.  We have no #29 on the team).  Late in the opening period, the Hawks would begin to chop away at the Phantom lead, as with 1:07 remaining in the period the Hawks would manage to capitalize on a Phantom screen in front and narrow the Phantom lead to 2-1 after one period.  The Hawks held the shot advantage 10-7 during the opening period.  In the second, despite the Phantoms registering 9 shots on goal and the Hawks 10, neither team would be able to light the lamp.  In the third period, the Hawks would continue their comeback.  Just 1:52 into the period, the Hawks would manage to again use traffic in front of the Phantom goal as a tool to get pucks past the Phantom netminder.  It again worked, as the Hawks would tie the game at 2-2.  Minutes later, the Hawks would jump into their first lead of the night to take control at 3-2.  Late in the period, the Hawks would put the icing on the cake, as the black shirts would again beat the Phantom netminder to closeout the scoring at 4-2. 

On the game, the Hawks outshot the Phantoms 27-25.  In what is becoming a sad issue prior to Hawk-Phantom games, the Hawks of course completed the game perfect in the minds of the officials, as the Hawks escaped without a single penalty.  As for the Phantoms, the team was ticketed with three penalties for six minutes, as well as a double-game suspension to Neal Downer.  Following the game, Neal told the Phantom front office that he will not return to Cedar Rock as a result of extremely poor officials.  Pretty bad, when Neal himself is a referee at Rivertown.  The Phantoms continue to experience roster shortfalls this season.  Phantom General Manager Kevin Wootton had a long conversation with one of the Cedar Rock management officials as well as the person in charge of doing referee schedules following the game.  Both the Silver and Bronze Phantoms teams are having issues this season, as well as other teams in terms of the lack of knowledge and special treatment by some officials, which has lead to the idea of the Phantoms strongly pulling out of the Bronze league next season.  The Phantoms will return to the Plex on Sunday, May 31st at 8:00pm to tangle with the league-leading Roman Empire.