SteelHounds suffer 5-3 loss to Mudbugs

Youngstown scored three times in the final period, but it wasn’t enough.

By CHUCK HOUSTEAU

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

YOUNGSTOWN — Youngstown SteelHounds coach Kevin Kaminski isn’t happy with his hockey team.

Despite scoring three goals in the final 15 minutes of the third period, the SteelHounds couldn’t overcome a big deficit and dropped a 5-3 decision to the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs at the Chevy Centre Saturday night.

“We didn’t come ready to play,” said Kaminski, whose team is mired in the middle of a six-game winless streak. “To me it was very embarrassing.”

Kaminski was extremely disappointed that the SteelHounds didn’t execute the game plan or come out with very much passion following a 5-2 loss to the Mudbugs Friday night and skating in front of one of the largest crowds of the season (4,023).

“A Saturday night in Youngstown before one of the biggest crowds of the season and we didn’t come to compete,” Kaminski said. “And it cost us two points tonight.”

The win by Bossier-Schreveport was its 15th consecutive victory and that tied a Central Hockey League record.

The Mudbugs’ (25-7-3) 53 points leads the Northeast Division of the CHL standings.

The two teams face off for a third game today at 4:05 p.m.

The SteelHounds (20-13-2) fell behind quickly in the first period on two power-play goals by Joe Ori and Kevin Cooper and that didn’t sit well with Kaminski.

“I gave them the game plan and it works when you play my way,” Kaminski said. “When you want to do it your way and we’re not all on the same page it doesn’t work.”

The Mudbugs continued to control the tempo in the second period but didn’t have much luck getting through Andy Franck’s goal play because of some outstanding saves.

Bossier-Shreveport finally broke through late in the period when Mike Falk got his first goal of the season with 2:49 left.

That goal seemed to take the life out of the SteelHounds.

The Mudbugs struck quickly at the start of the third period to score two more goals and push the lead out to 5-0 before the SteelHounds decided to play some hockey.

Youngstown got three straight goals and pushed the Mudbugs around the final 15 minutes of the game.

First the SteelHounds got a power-play goal by Eric Przepiorka and a minute later Joel Irving knocked in another shot to cut the lead to 5-2.

Youngstown took advantage of a 5 on 3 power-play with 5:48 left when Chris Richards got his 14th goal of the season.

The SteelHounds pestered Mudbugs’ goalkeeeper John DeCaro the rest of the way and even pulled Franck from goal in the final two minutes but could get no closer.

“You have to play 60 minutes of consistent hockey,” Kaminski said. “We have to get back to the foundation we’ve built and bring our A-game [today].

“The last 15 minutes tonight is all that we can take from this game. So we have a little bit of momentum that we can take into game three.”