Soo Eagles Complete Sweep of Johnstown

Oct 12, 2012

Soo Eagles Complete Sweep of Johnstown

By Suzanne Grove

SAULT STE. MARIE, MI – The Sault Ste. Marie Eagles outshot the Tomahawks, 47-20, and capitalized on a power-play opportunity to snap a 1-1 tie in the second period, leading them to a 4-1 win on Saturday night at Pullar Stadium.

 

For the second consecutive night, Sault Ste. Marie (7-4-2) bested Johnstown (4-4-4), which failed to score on any of its five power-play opportunities and allowed a crucial power-play goal after a five-minute major to Cody Boyd for spearing at 13:53 of the second period. The Eagles’ Eric Rivard received a pass from Jared VanWormer and cut to the net from the bottom of the right-wing circle to put it behind Chris Truehl for what would ultimately be the game-winning goal.

 

During the second period, Sault Ste. Marie outshot the Tomahawks, 26-5, which marks the most shots allowed by an NAHL team in one period this season. After penalties to Boyd, Jordan Watt, and Cody Gylling, the Tomahawks spent 7:52 short-handed in the second period.

 

Only 52 seconds after Watt earned a minor penalty for tripping at 10:42, Gylling joined him in the box after receiving a call for cross-checking at 11:34, allowing the Eagles a 5-on-3 for 1:08. Johnstown was able to kill those penalties and was 5-for-5 on the penalty kill until Rivard scored. VanWormer had three assists in the game, marking the seventh straight game in which he earned at least one assist, the longest current NAHL streak.

 

The two teams remained scoreless until the second period when Watt scored on Zach Nagelvoort at 1:26. This marked the eighth time in the last nine games that the Tomahawks would light the lamp first. But the Eagles responded 2:39 later when Cody Von Rueden scored on a shot from the top of the left circle, tying the game at 1-1.

 

The Tomahawks would not score again in the game, instead giving up two more goals to the Eagles in the third period. Michael Covach threw a loose puck past Truehl at 4:04 for his sixth goal in as many games with Soo, and Michal Toman scored the final goal at 17:35.

 

Nagelvoort proved to be strong between the pipes for the Eagles throughout the game, stopping the Tomahawks from scoring on any of their five power-play chances. The Tomahawks play again Sunday in Flint, MI at 4:00 p.m. when they take on the Michigan Warriors and look to add to their singular point on their three-game road trip.