Late surge lifts Laredo past SteelHounds, 3-1
BY JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- "You can put it this way: We are two errors away from beating a top hockey team," said coach J.F. LaForest after his Youngstown SteelHounds lost their second game in a row to the Laredo Bucks, 3-1, Wednesday night in a Central Hockey League game.
The SteelHounds appeared on their way to a comeback from Tuesday's 4-1 loss to Laredo when they tied the score at 1-1 early in the third period on Kris Mallette's goal at 8:42 of elapsed time.
But then Youngstown gave up two quick goals to the Bucks within a span of just 40 seconds at 12:26 and 13:46 to spoil their chances before an announced attendance of 2,338 fans at the Youngstown Convocation Center.
Nick Warriner scored two goals in four attempts while Adam Stefishen contributed two assists to pace Laredo (7-5), which competes in the Southeast Division and has been one of the top teams in the CHL the past two seasons.
The Bucks won the league championship two years ago.
Laredo out-shot the SteelHounds, 29-27.
SteelHounds hit the road
The SteelHounds (5-5 in the Northeast Division) ended a six-game homestand and now will be on the road for the next three games before returning home to meet the Corpus Christi Rayz Nov. 25 at 7:05 p.m., to open another six-game homestand.
LaForest said Wednesday's loss came down to two defensive breakdowns.
"[Laredo] capitalized on two scoring opportunities driving to the net. It was poor coverage on our part," said the coach.
"But [Laredo] is a good team. They went to the finals last year. They won the cup two years ago. We are not quite on their level yet but we are getting there."
LaForest acknowledged that the SteelHounds' offense has sputtered the last two games, being outscored 7-2, but he believes it can be corrected.
"We have to make some adjustments," he said, also believing his team played better than Tuesday's loss.
"It was a much better effort," he said. "I thought we outplayed them in the third quarter."
Warriner ends drought
After a scoreless first period during which each team took 11 shots, the Bucks finally found the net on their 22nd shot of the game as Warriner connected on a short tap-in at 1:57 of elapsed time in the second period. Stefishen was credited with the assist.
Youngstown, meanwhile, was limited to only five shots in the second period while Laredo took 11.
But the SteelHounds regrouped to launch the third period in aggressive fashion, and dominated the offense for about nine minutes before Mallette found the net on a 10-foot shot at 8:42 of elapsed time on assists from Scott Barnes and Lorne Masita to tie it at 1-1.
But then about three minutes later, after nurturing hope for a comeback, the floor fell in on the SteelHounds.
Two goals in 40 seconds
First, Steve Simoes slammed in a line-drive shot at 12:26 of elapsed time that hit the corner of the net and bounced back out, to give the Bucks a 2-1 lead. James Hiebert got the assist.
Then, just 40 seconds later at 13:46, Warriner struck again at 13:46 from very close range on assists by Stefishen and Hans Benson to make it 3-1 and seal the win.
The SteelHounds' next game is Friday at the Lubbock Cotton Kings at 7:05 p.m. Youngstown plays at the Oklahoma Blazers Sunday at 3 p.m. before finishing the road trip Tuesday at the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs.
kovach@vindy.com