SteelHounds win shootout to snap 3-game skid, 5-4

AMARILLO, Texas — Chris Richards and Jason Baird scored while Kevin Beech stuffed Amarillo in the shootout, as the Youngstown SteelHounds defeated the Gorillas, 5-4, in a Central Hockey League game Sunday.

The victory overshadowed a hat trick performance by Amarillo’s Chris Lipsett.

Richards scored two goals in regulation play, his 17th and 18th of the season, while Kevin Jarman and Peter Pohl added scores for the SteelHounds (29-18-4), who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Amarillo (18-25-8) took a 1-0 lead when Lipsett found the net on assists by Trevor Reed and Matt Miller with 1:22 remaining in the first period.

Richards’ first goal (on assists by Baird and Nathan Schwartzbauer) tied the score with 15:09 to go in the second period, and Jarman’s goal, assisted by Pohl, gave Youngstown a 2-1 lead with 4:29 remaining.

Bill Vandermeer tied the score with 18:01 to go in the third period, but Richards’ unassisted goal with 15:54 remaining made it 3-2 Youngstown.

Lipsett tied it with 11:51 to go before Pohl’s short-handed goal with 9:00 remaining made it 4-3. Amarillo pulled goalie Dan Bauer and Lipsett added his third goal with 45 seconds to go.

After a scoreless overtime, Richards and Baird scored back-to-back in the third and fourth turns in the shootout.

Beech made 37 saves to pick up the win.

The SteelHounds continue their road trip Tuesday at Texas in an 8:05 p.m. start, then return to the Chevrolet Centre Friday for three games against Wichita. Game times are 7:05 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 4:05 p.m. Sunday.