Johnstown, Pa. — Fans got their first look at the 2015-16 Johnstown Tomahawks Sunday, as the team played its fourth annual Red & Blue Exhibition Game in front of a near-capacity crowd at Planet Ice in Richland Township.
The game was the final stage of the Tomahawks Main Camp, which opened Thursday evening with 69 roster hopefuls in attendance. After a series of scrimmages Friday and Saturday, the top performers from camp were selected to play in the annual exhibition game.
“There was some tough competition out there, as we expected,” Tomahawks head coach Mike Letizia said. “We saw a lot of skill and a lot of toughness on display today, and we’re looking forward to having those elements in our line-up once the season starts in September.”
Scoring opened in the first period when tendered forward Tiernan Seningen directed a loose puck to Jackson Shanley, who fired a wrist shot past goaltender Camden Burggrabe to put Team Red up 1-0.
Seningen factored into the scoring again in the second period when former Keystone Ice Miner Cameron Smith found him with a cross-crease pass, and Seningen snapped a quick shot past Burggrabe for a 2-0 lead.
In the third period, Seningen added a third point on the day, finding Cameron Williams in front of a crowded net. Williams fought through the traffic to beat goalie Shane Lippincott, extending the Red lead to 3-0.
Team Blue got on the board midway through the third beard as Sidman native Ty Rickabaugh fed the puck to former Ice Miner Tommy Horn, who slapped a one-timer past Nicholas Ottenbacher to cut Red’s lead to 3-1.
Team Red responded late with an empty net goal from Shanley to secure a 4-1 win.
The coaching staff will now decide which players will be invited to return to Johnstown for the start of Tomahawks training camp in late August.
The Tomahawks regular season opens on the road Sept. 18 against their new East Division rival, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights. Johnstown’s home opener is set for Friday, Oct. 16 against another new division opponent, the New Jersey Titans.
Season tickets are now available, with packages starting at less than $99 for your choice of any 14 games. For more information, call the Tomahawks office at 814-536-4625.