were able to kick-off just before the hooter sound

TORONTO -- The Toronto Marlies lost the special-teams battle to the visiting Rochester Americans and that made all the difference. The Marlies surrendered two power-play goals and failed to score on six man-advantage opportunities en route to a 4-1 defeat in American Hockey League action on Saturday. "One of the keys we talked about in the dressing room was the special teams game," said Marlies coach Steve Spott. "They go 2-for-7 and were 0-for-6 and thats the hockey game. "The effort was there but ultimately our challenge is pure finishing around the net. We have to find ways to manufacture offence and it may not be pretty." Rochesters Luke Adam scored his seventh goal in seven games, and extended his goal-scoring streak to four games. Mike Zigomanis, Alexander Sulzer and Phil Varone -- with an empty-netter -- provided the rest of the Americans offence. Adam and Varone chipped in with an assist apiece for two-point games. The contest also marked Zigomanis return to Toronto, where he spent the previous four seasons with the Marlies before signing with Rochester last summer. "Theyve got some veterans over there, theyve got some offensive weapons over there that were good tonight," Spott said. "When you look at Luke Adam and how hes playing right now, hes a natural finisher and hes getting it done." With the victory, their third win in four outings, the Americans improved to 4-2-1 on the season. Matt Hackett was sharp in the Rochester goal, making 29 saves and surviving a penalty shot. The Americans netminder was the beneficiary of solid team defence in front of him, and also got some help from his goalposts. Toronto defenceman John-Michael Liles clanged one midway through the second period and again in the third, and Marlies defender T.J. Brennan hit the post on a penalty shot early in the third period. "Give Hackett some credit," Spott said. "Usually the goalie has to be your best penalty-killer and I thought he was excellent for them tonight." Spencer Abbott had the lone goal for Toronto, his first of the season, in front of 4,169 fans at Ricoh Coliseum. "I tipped one off the crossbar right before (scoring) and I missed an open net earlier, so I was thinking it might be tough to get that first one," said Abbott, who has eight assists in six games. "But it just squirted out and (Kevin) Marshall made a nice play a it was a tap-in." Toronto goalie Garret Sparks, making his second start of the season, had 25 saves in a losing effort. "He battled hard, he competed, I dont fault him on any of the goals," Spott said. "He was solid, he gave us a chance to win." The Marlies have dropped three of their past four games, scoring a total of six goals in that span, to fall to 4-3-0. "We have an elite group of defencemen here, weve got some offensively gifted defencemen, so the message is get pucks to the net and then the forwards have to get around the net," Spott said. "Theres some natural finish that you need to have, but we did a good job. We generated a lot, we had pucks around the net. a But ultimately we have to allow our power play to get us a goal every night because 5-on-5, its a struggle for us to score regularly." Adam opened the scoring on the power play when he whipped a high wrist shot from the right faceoff circle past Sparks glove at 16:09 of the first period, just four seconds after Torontos Tyler Biggs was sent off for holding. Zigomanis, with his third goal of the season, whacked a rebound over Sparks blocker at 7:12 of the second period. Sulzer made it 3-0 for the visitors when Adam fired a cross-ice pass which the Americans defenceman one-timed into the gaping net at 16:58 of the middle frame. After Brennans penalty shot hit iron early in the third period, Abbott deposited a rebound into the open net to put the Marlies on the scoreboard at 10:16 and Varone closed out the scoring with an unassisted empty-netter at 19:45. The Marlies visit the Hamilton Bulldogs on Sunday, while the Americans are off until next Friday when they host the Syracuse Crunch. Luke Kuechly Jersey . -- Dane Fox scored his 61st and 62nd goals of the season and Brendan Gaunce had a goal and three assists as the Erie Otters downed the Kitchener Rangers 7-3 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. DJ Moore Jersey . INJURIES - Reds RF Jay Bruce is facing knee surgery for a torn meniscus and it could cost him a month of playing time. Chris Heisey, who has shown some pop (43 home runs, . http://www.shoppanthersonline.us/panther...er-blue-jersey/. After missing 20 games as a rookie a year ago, Valanciunas - like the Raptors as a whole - has been fortunate to be in good health this season. As he spoke about it, the Raptors sophomore centre scanned the room for wood to knock on. "It is disappointing because we lost today so thats the worst part of the day," said Valanciunas, who left Tuesdays game with a lower-back sprain in the third quarter, missing the rest of Torontos 118-113 overtime defeat at the hands of the Hawks. Brian Burns Youth Jersey .Michael Briscoe is serving a life sentence for sexual assault, kidnapping and first-degree murder in the death of 13-year-old Nina Courtepatte in 2005. Donte Jackson Panthers Jersey . The International Ice Hockey Federation says Pavlovs avoided a two-year sanction because he acted "without significant negligence in failing to verify the safety of the supplements he was taking.Scotland produced a series of fine performances to claim a first World Series victory in the London Sevens at Twickenham. Dougie Fife scored a try, his second of the game, after the hooter to give the Scots a 27-26 win over South Africa and cap a day that also included wins over England and the United States.Scotland started the tournament ranked a lowly 11th but stunned hosts England 17-0 in a one-sided quarter-final, with their tries coming from Damien Hoyland, James Fleming and Mark Robertson. That set up a clash with the United States, who had belied their underdog status in the last eight by running in six tries in a stunning 42-14 win over New Zealand. A selection of the players at the HSBC Sevens Series in Twickenham were micd up to reveal some interesting in-game moments A shock place in the final seemed to be on thee cards when they led the Scots 17-7 midway through the second half but Fife scored two tries in quick succession to send Scotland into the final.ddddddddddddThey claimed an early lead on the Springboks in the final as well, thanks to a Scott Wight try, but appeared set to have to settle for a runners-up berth when Rosko Specman and Cecil Afrika responded.Fleming cut the deficit to 21-15 with a try, but South Africa seemed to be on their way to victory when Specman scored his second try of the game.Fife made it 26-22 with another score just seconds before full-time and Scotland were able to kick-off just before the hooter sounded, giving them one final possession to try and claim an unlikely victory. Dougie Fife was Scotlands hero with four tries across the semi-final and final And that was just what they did as they moved the ball out wide to the left and Fife side-stepped his way past three defenders to score a stunning tournament decider.Its an unbelievable feeling, Fife told Sky Sports. This team have come a long way, we truly believe we can beat anyone on our day and today we showed that. I think we surprised a few people.The United States finished third thanks to a 26-19 win over Fiji in their play-off while New Zealand went on to win the Plate competition, beating Argentina in the final after a comfortable 35-10 win over England earlier in the afternoon. Also See: Super Rugby: Advantage Chiefs US stun New Zealand, SBW hurt Follow @SkySportsRugby Rugby on Sky ' ' '