Late Port Huron Goal Ruins Tomahawks Rally
By Suzanne Grove
PORT HURON, MICH. – Goals 1:18 apart by Johnstown’s Jaycob McCombs and Jeff Bergh forged a 3-3 tie with less than three minutes to play, but defenseman Alex Archibald’s goal with 1:45 left gave Port Huron a 4-3 victory over the Tomahawks Saturday night.
After a 3-2 victory Friday, Johnstown (16-9-6) exits the weekend series with two points and remains in fourth place in the North Division. The loss snapped a three-game road winning streak for the Tomahawks, now 8-5-4 on the road this season.
McCombs scored twice for Johnstown, which entered the game with the second-best power play in the league (21.6 percent) but failed to convert either of its two man-advantages. The Tomahawks allowed two power-play goals and were outshot, 39-29.
For the second night in a row, Port Huron (16-13-2) got on the board first with less than five minutes remaining in the opening period when Mitch Maloney scored on goaltender Colin Brennan at 15:35. The Tomahawks’ McCombs evened the score when he put a shot past Alex Blankenburg with just four seconds remaining in the first period.
In the second period, the Fighting Falcons took advantage of an Andrew McDonald penalty for slashing when Brett D’Andrea scored on the power play at 15:46. Penalties again hurt the Tomahawks when the Fighting Falcons forged a two-goal lead at 3:14 of the third period on Payden Mielke power-play goal.
McCombs brought the Tomahawks within one on his second goal of the night and sixth of the season at 15:51, and Bergh’s eighth goal of the season tied the game, 3-3, at 17:09. But Archibald, who earlier set up two goals, got the game-winner at 18:15 – his fourth goal of the season.
The Tomahawks faceoff against the Kalamazoo Jr. K-Wings on Sunday, Dec. 30 and Monday, Dec. 31 at the War Memorial Arena, bringing back Johnstown’s tradition of New Year’s Eve hockey.