SteelHounds allow 3 goals in 3-minute span, lose 4-2

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The second-period defensive lapse enabled the MudBugs to take control.

By CHUCK HOUSTEAU

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown SteelHounds suffered through a three-minute span in the second period when Bossier-Shreveport scored three unanswered goals, and fell to the MudBugs, 4-2, Saturday night at the Chevrolet Centre.

"The second period was very disappointing," SteelHounds captain Chris Richards said. "They grabbed the momentum. They beat us at our own game.

"They skated harder than us and they buried some pucks."

The onslaught happened early in the second frame after the SteelHounds grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first period on a short-handed goal by Joel Irving.

The goal was Irving's third in two nights and gave him a total of 16 points for the season.

The MudBugs (6-6-2) tied the game with 15:46 left in the second period on a rebound goal by Kevin Cooper off a shot by Jason Campbell.

Bossier-Shreveport then grabbed a power play goal by Tyrel Lucas just 1:22 later.

The third goal came on a long slapshot by MudBugs' captain Chris Brassard with 13:00 left in the period.

"We had a little lull there in the second period," SteelHounds coach Kevin Kaminski said. "I thought maybe after the first period after getting the short-handed goal we might have gotten a little complacent.

"We started cheating offensively and that cost us the game."

The SteelHounds tried to get back in the game in the third period as they threw everything they had at MudBugs goaltender John DeCaro.

Youngstown peppered DeCaro with 13 shots in the third period, but could overcome the two-goal deficit.

Overall, the SteelHounds out-shot the MudBugs, 29-19.

"When you're down two goals going into the third period you have to keep the game simple," Kaminski said. "We wanted to get as much traffic to the net as possible and shoot everything.

"We got the one goal and we were coming but their goalie made a big save and they got the back-breaker there to put the game away."

The back-breaker was a breakaway goal by Brett Smith with 7:27 left in the game as the SteelHounds were pressing the MudBugs' net to try to win the game.

Kaminski called DeCarbo one of the best goalkeepers in the league.

"They have two number-one goalies and their defense is mobile and big," Kaminski said. "They came to play tonight. They deserved the two points."

Still Youngstown made a game of it after cutting the lead to 3-2 on a power-play goal by Kevin Jarman on a beautiful assist by Steve Birnstill with 8:45 left in the contest.

An apparent tying goal on a slap-shot by Milan Maslonka with 7:47 left was waved off by the referee. The shot hit the post and never made it into the net and was waved off immediately.

The SteelHounds now return to the road for a five-game trip that begins with a return engagement with the MudBugs on Friday.

Sunday, November 25, 2007