SteelHounds fall to Brahmas

Youngstown gave up two third-period goals in a 4-3 defeat Friday.

By CHUCK HOUSTEAU

VINIDCATOR CORRESPONDENT

YOUNGSTOWN — The Youngstown Steelhounds have owned the third period during their very successful start to the Central Hockey League season.

But Friday at the Chevrolet Centre, the Steelhounds gave up two third-period goals in the last 6:14 of the game and dropped a 4-3 decision to the Texas Brahmas.

The two teams will square off tonight at 7 in the rubbermatch of the three-game series. Youngstown (16-6-1) won the first game Wednesday in overtime 4-3.

“Our defensive awareness wasn’t there tonight in the third period,” Steelhounds coach Kevin Kaminski said. “Their guys were standing in front of the net pounding in rebound shots and we had guys puck watching.

“That can’t happen.”

Texas stunned the Steelhounds by knocking in late goals by Chris Thompson and Kevin McLeod despite being outshot 15-5 in the final period.

Overall, the Steelhounds outshot the Brahmas 33-23.

“We didn’t play bad in the third,” Kaminski said. “When you get 15 shots, where is that hunger to score goals.

“We had a lot of good opportunities to score goals butyou have to pay the price to get it in the net.”

Brahmas goalkeeper David Cacciola was sensational in the final period and saved three incredible shots by Steelhounds attackers in the final minute alone when Youngstown had a man-advantage with their goalkeeper pulled.

“Cacciola is the backbone of their team,” Kaminski said. “He did a great job but it should not have come down to that.”

The Steelhounds were seemingly in control of the contest through most of the first two periods.

Youngstown built a 3-1 lead early in the second on the second of two goals by Eric Przepiorka.

The Steelhounds scored the opening goal of the game on a shot by Chris Richards. Then after the Brahmas tied the game at 1-1, Przepiorka scored a goal with just 27.2 seconds left in the opening period.

The Brahmas tallied their second goal late in the second period on a shot by Anders Strome but Youngstown still was in control of the contest.

“We weren’t disciplined tonight,” Kaminski said. “We took too many dumb penalties.

“The team that plays the most disciplined will win the game [tonight]. Anyone of our guys who makes a dumb penalty will be sitting with me on the bench.”

The game was a fight-filled contest with both teams accumulating 104 penalty minutes on 38 infractions.