CHL 'Hounds finish with 'W'

Captain Jeff Christian finished the season with 55 goals and 50 assists.
By JOHN BASSETTI
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
YOUNGSTOWN -- Finally, the SteelHounds have as many wins at home as away.
That's what Youngstown's 4-2 victory over the Fort Worth Brahmas Saturday did for the SteelHounds, who struggled at the Chevrolet Centre all season.
Rookie Joey Sewell had three goals and captain Jeff Christian one to lift Youngstown in a season-ending game that gave the first-year SteelHounds a 12-18-2 record at the downtown facility.
Sewell's goals were Nos. 20, 21 and 22, including an empty-netter just before time expired.
Christian also had an assist on Sewell's first goal that allowed the veteran to join the 50-50 club. Christian entered the game with 54 goals and 49 assists. At season's end, he had 55 and 50.
Although an unfortunate situation put Simon St. Pierre in goal, the replacement for starter David St. Germain turned out to have an excellent night.
St. Pierre, who would make a good infielder with his line-drive catches, finished with 22 saves.
Even record
Youngstown had a road record of 12-17-3 and ends its first year in the Central Hockey League with an overall mark of 24-35-5.
The SteelHounds won their last three games in a series against the Brahmas, who were 0-8 for the season against the SteelHounds.
Youngstown started the game by trailing 2-0, then had a second-period comeback to tie the game.
Sewell got the SteelHounds on the board first when he connected at 3:21 by sending the puck into the upper right part of the net. Christian had the assist -- his 50th.
However, 32 seconds later, St. Germain, the SteelHounds' main goaltender, was injured when a Fort Worth player fell on him.
St. Germain lay sprawled inside the goal until getting the attention of trainers. He was replaced by St. Pierre, who went on to finish the period with nine saves.
Youngstown tied the game at 15:54 when Sewell retrieved the puck at the center circle, then worked his way toward Fort Worth goalie Larry Sterling.
Sewell juked Sterling, then popped the puck, again into the upper right part of the net.
Early lead
The Brahamas took a 2-0 lead in the first period on goals by Cory Stillman and Ben Gustavson. Jimmy Sokol assisted on both.
Stillman's developed when he skated about three-quarters the length of the rink and scored on St. Germain's right side just 3:58 into the game.
It came as a surprise since Youngstown controlled the puck for 70 percent of the opening minutes.
Gustavson's goal came a few feet in front of St. Germain after the SteelHounds goalie deflected Sokol's pass, again, after a Ft. Worth skater approached from St. Germain's right side.
In the first period, Youngstown outshot the visitors, 17-11.
In the end, Youngstown outshot Ft. Worth, 37-35.
For the season, the second period was the SteelHounds' worst-scoring period while Ft. Worth's best-scoring period was the second.
It was reversed on Saturday when Youngstown got two goals to Ft. Worth's zero.
Entering the game, Youngstown had goals-by-quarter totals of 70-63-67. The Brahmas were 48-52-49.
bassetti@vindy.com