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SteelHounds Weekly

April 7, 2008 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Youngstown SteelHounds News Release


The End Comes by to Fast

The best season in Youngstown SteelHounds history came to an end on Friday night when they fell to the Colorado Eagles 1-0 in game five of the Northern Conference Semifinals, losing the series 4-1. The Hounds finished the regular season with the fourth best record in the Central Hockey League at 39-20-5 (83 points). They were second in the Northeast Division that saw all four teams qualify for the playoffs. The Hounds finished first in road wins at 19-11-2. They were 20-9-3 inside the Chevrolet Centre. The 39 overall wins, 83 points, 19 road wins and 20 home wins are franchise records.

Game Three Recap: COL 4/YNG 1

Game three saw Colorado take a stranglehold in the best-of-seven series with a 4-1 win at the Chevrolet Centre. The win for the Eagles marks the first time that a visiting team has won in this match-up since April 4, 2007. Colorado's power play was dominant again as they were 2-7 with the man advantage. The Hounds lone goal was scored by Chris Richards late in the first period to tie the game at one. Greg Pankewicz scored two goals while Scott Polaski and Riley Nelson each put a puck in the net to give the Eagles the win. The Hounds out shot Colorado 25-20 for the game.

Game Four Recap: YNG 5/COL 2

The Hounds were able to extend their season with a convincing 5-2 win on Thursday night. After a scoreless first period the Hounds jumped out to a 3-0 second period lead with goals from Ryan Bennett, Mark Odut and Jimmy Russo. Bennett's power play goal was at 13 seconds of the period. Odut's goal was shorthanded while Jimmy Russo scored his first as a professional. Colorado came back with two quick goals but Ryan Bennett slammed the door with his second of the game to make it 4-2 after two periods. Bryan Lachapelle scored in the third period to give the Hounds a 5-2 win. Kevin Beech made 22 saves on 24 shots to pick up his first professional playoff victory in his first start. The game was very physical as they combined for 135 penalty minutes off of 43 offenses with Colorado leading the way with 72 minutes.

Game Five Recap: COL 1/YNG 0

It was a true goaltenders duel on Friday night as Kevin Beech and Sebastien Laplante made a total of 67 saves on 68 shots. The lone goal came on the power play as Riley Nelson put home a backhand from Greg Pankewicz and Aaron Schneekloth at 9:03 of the second period to give the Eagles the 1-0 win. Colorado out shot the Hounds 17-9 for the period and 36-32 for the game. The Eagles were 1-4 for the game and 9-31 in the series on the power play. Youngstown was 0-5 with the man advantage for the night. Sebastien Laplante made 32 saves to pick up his second shutout of the series. Kevin Beech made 35 saves on 36 shots in a losing effort.

What's on Tap: Prepare for Next Season

This season has come and gone but next season will be here before you know it and you do not want to miss any of the excitement. A $100 deposit is all it takes to reserve your seat for the 2008-09 season. For more information on how to become a Hounds season ticket holder call (330) 747-PUCK. Be sure to crash the net at SteelHounds.com as the site will be updated regularly with player interviews, feature stories and information for next season. Do not forget that the team shop is always open at SteelHounds.com. Jerseys, shirts, novelty items and more are available for sale online at the team shop on SteelHounds.com. The Youngstown SteelHounds thank their fans for another terrific season of hockey at the Chevrolet Centre.

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Central Hockey League Stories from April 7, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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