Rebels Defeat Tomahawks 3-2

Mar 5, 2017

ASTON, Pa. – The Aston Rebels defeated the Johnstown Tomahawks 3-2 in a close game Saturday night at the IceWorks Skating Complex.

Aston fired home the game’s first goal early in the first period when Auggie Moore deflected a Dustin Manz shot from the point past Tomahawks goaltender Drew Hotte. Justin Smith registered the secondary assist.

Later in the frame, the Rebels gained a 2-0 lead after Drew Blackmun’s tally at 15:01. Ryan Solomon and Michael Underwood picked up the assists.

Johnstown skated into the second period looking to start the comeback and later in the period, the Tomahawks would cut the deficit in half.

Captain Filips Buncis fired a wrist shot past Rebels goalie Mareks Mitens at 17:00 of the second period on the power play for a 2-1 Aston lead. Donovan Ott and Hayden Rowan assisted on Buncis’ ninth of the season.

Fourteen seconds later, Solomon regained a two-goal lead for the Rebels with a goal, his tenth. Ryan Patrick assisted on the marker.

The Tomahawks cut the Aston advantage to 3-2 late in the third period when Buncis scored his second of the contest.

However, the Rebels would hang on despite a late Johnstown push for the tying goal to take the 3-2 victory.

Hotte stopped 22 of 25 Rebels shots in the loss while Mitens halted 18 of 20 Tomahawks shots on goal.

The Tomahawks are back on the road on Thursday, March 9 when they begin a three-game series with the New Jersey Titans at 7:30 p.m. Johnstown returns to the Cambria County War Memorial Arena March 17-18 for a St. Patrick’s Green Out Weekend. The team will wear specialty Irish jerseys against the Aston Rebels presented by the Holiday Inn.