Gorillas outbattle SteelHounds, 5-2

The contest got somewhat hostile with 43 penalties called in the game.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- There was very little Christmas love on the ice between the Youngstown SteelHounds and the Amarillo Gorillas Thursday night in their Central Hockey League game at The Chevrolet Centre.
In fact, there was mostly downright hostility that resulted in 43 penalties -- 23 by the SteelHounds and 19 by the Gorillas -- plus a couple of melees, several fights, in fact two at one time and three in a row, and ejections.
So not only did the announced attendance of 4,909 fans -- second largest turnout of the new SteelHounds' franchise -- see a very competitive hockey game, but they also saw a lot of boxing mixed in with a brawling atmosphere that had the three officials hustling all over the ice to try to keep the peace and order.
And they also saw the SteelHounds fall into an early and big hole -- they trailed 3-0 at 8:33 of elapsed time in the first period -- and then fail in their comeback attempt to drop a 5-2 decision to the Gorillas.
Youngstown (10-14-1) and Amarillo (11-10-2) will return to the Chevrolet Centre tonight for a rematch at 7:05.
Physical battle throughout
"If you don't win on the scoreboard, then you have to win the physical battle," said SteelHounds' coach Jean Laforest, trying to explain the bruising nature of Thursday's game.
"If [we] are challenged, then we are going to respond to that challenge. We are not going to be pushed around in our own house."
Laforest believes the reason the game had some many penalties and fights was because the SteelHounds got behind early and were aggressive and trying everything to get back into the game, and that the Gorillas returned the aggressiveness.
"We got behind and we were aggressive because we want to win, and they responded to our aggressiveness," said Laforest.
Wray, Hahn key win
Scott Wray scored two goals and Derek Hahn had a goal and two assists to lead the Gorillas, while goalie Jamie Vandespyker proved to be hard nut to crack with 18 saves.
But the Amarillo defense was sharp as a whole by allowing the SteelHounds only 20 shots, and just four in the final quarter when they needed a comeback.
Youngstown's starting goalie, Simon St. Pierre, gave up the first three goals and took the loss. He had four saves. His replacement, David St. Germain, had 18 saves.
"The first eight minutes were horrible. [Amarillo] had two power play goals. We put ourselves into a hole too early," said Laforest.
Amarillo strikes fast
The Gorillas scored with only 20 seconds gone from the game when Richard Hansen connected from close range on a power play on assists by Hahn and Mark DeSantis.
But the SteelHounds recovered and held off Amarillo scoreless for about eight minutes until Wrap found the net at 8:15 of elapsed time on assists from Hahn and DeSantis.
Then Wrap struck again only 18 seconds later at 8:33 on Hahn's assist to make it 3-0, before the SteelHounds finally broke the ice at 9:12 on Chris Richards' goal on assists by Kris Mallette and J.R. Holmes.
So in a span of 57 seconds, three goals were scored.
Gorillas pad lead
The Gorillas made it 4-1 at 17:33 of the first period when Brent Hughes' rebound of a power-play shot dribbled into the net with assists from Hahn and Trevor Read.
Then Jeff Christian scored his 23rd goal of the season for Youngstown at 19:05 on assists from Richards and Jeff Alcombrack to pull the SteelHounds within 4-2 after the opening period.
The second period and most of the third stanza turned out to be a pure defensive struggled with no scoring by either team, but instead penalties, fights and ejections galore, until Amarillo clinched the win with its final goal at 3:20 in the third period on Hahn's goal on Hansen's assist.
kovach@vindy.com