Losing ugly

Monday, April 21, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

SUN STAFF REPORTS

HOUSTON -- One more loss and the season is over.

The Las Vegas Thunder, displaying brilliance early and brutality late, blew a two-goal lead and lost to the Houston Aeros, 4-2, Sunday at the Summitt. Las Vegas now trails Houston two games to none in their best-of-five, first-round series of the IHL Turner Cup playoffs.

Defenseman Ruslan Salei scored on each of the Thunder's only two power-play shots in the first period before a fluke Aeros goal jolted the momentum in the other direction.

But a major embarrassment came with 19.5 seconds left to play and the game out of reach. Las Vegas forward Sasha Lakovic left the 9,476 in attendance with a final taste of Thunder hockey when he shamelessly sucker punched Alan May twice, rendering him unconscious.

"That's a joke, disrespects the game" Aeros head coach Dave Tipett told the Houston Chronicle.

With his gloves still on, Lakovic nailed May with a right hook to the face as soon as the puck dropped. After May crumpled to the ice, Lakovic punched him in the head again. May remained motionless on the ice for several minutes as emergency medical technicians treated him. He attempted to leave the rink under his own power, but was doubled over. A stretcher met him, but he did not go to the hospital.

"It's pretty hard to feel sorry for the guy," Thunder head coach Chris McSorley said. "He's too late for the Oscars, but I'm sure he'll be a strong nomination for next year's awards."

Lakovic claimed May had been taking cheap shots at Alexander Semak and Salei all night.

"Not being a tough guy or anything, but whether people think I jumped him or not, he knew what was coming," Lakovic said. "I told him right before the faceoff. I mean, why else would I be out there?

"It's his own fault. He should have had his head up."

Lakovic was assessed a roughing major and a match penalty for intent to injure. His antics, in addition to being classless, give the Aeros another reason to eliminate the Thunder.

"I would have dropped the gloves," Lakovic said. "I would have squared off, but I knew for a fact he would have turtled."

The teams return to the Thomas & Mack Center this weekend for the next two games, if the series goes that far. Game 3 is 7 p.m. Friday. If needed, Game 4 is 7 p.m. Saturday.

Salei's early goals gave the Thunder a chance to jump all over Aeros goaltender Frederic Chabot. They were his first of the postseason and nearly were identical as both were one-timers from the right point off cross-ice feeds from Semak. Patrice Lefebvre also assisted on the first goal at 8:41, while Martin Gendron also assisted on the second at 14:19.

Houston's momentum came at 9:22 of the second. With Semak and defenseman Steve Bancroft attempting to bring the puck under control behind the Thunder goal, the puck took an odd bounce, flipped high in the air, arced over the goal and bounced into the net off goalie Parris Duffus' back.

The goal, cutting the Thunder's lead to 2-1, was credited to the last Aero to touch the puck, Guy Larose. In Saturday's 4-2 loss, the former Thunder scored another freak goal when his backhand attempt deflected off Salei's stick and through Duffus' legs to tie the game at 1.

"Although that goal was considered a fluke, I don't think it distracted Parris," said Thunder assistant GM/coach Clint Malarchuk, a former veteran NHL goalie. "We really continued our game plan. They definitely gained momentum, but we kept our composure throughout the game."

Larose's second goal Sunday wasn't so freaky. At 9:20 of the third period, the Aeros capitalized on a Thunder turnover in the neutral zone when Larose took a pass from Mark Lamb, skated from left to right in front of the crease and beat Duffus with a backhand to tie the game at 2.

Houston defenseman Mike Hurlbut scored the eventual game-winner with 5:47 to play. Right wing Gary Shuchuck put it out of reach less than two minutes later with the final score of the night.