JOHNSTOWN, PA –After going down 2-0 early in Saturday night’s game, the Johnstown Tomahawks battled back to within one. Unfortunately, they were unable to pull even, as the Michigan Warriors picked up the 6-4 victory in a physical game at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena.
The Tomahawks now hold a one point lead over the Warriors for the fourth and final North Division playoff spot.
The Warriors took an early 2-0 lead as Colin Horton scored at 4:38 and Shane Cuckovich scored at 6:49.
The Tomahawks got on the board later in the period, as Tanner Barnes crashed the net and scored at 14:14. Alex Alger and Lane Valimont each added assists on the goal.
Just 28 seconds later, Horton regained the two-goal advantage for the Warriors, with Joshua Shellman and Ryan Dougherty adding assists on the goal.
Luke Lynch pulled the Tomahawks back within one, scoring his 12th goal of the season at 15:11. Josh Bowes added the assist on the goal.
Former Tomahawk Garrison Sanipass made it a 4-1 game, scoring with 1:12 remaining in the first period.
Early in the second period, Alex Berardinelli took advantage of a rebound from Tyler Groat, scoring at 3:56. Dalton Skelly also added an assist on the goal.
Alger made it a 5-3 game, scoring a shorthanded goal at 16:37. Alger now has 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) in a point streak that has now reached eight games.
On the night that the movie Slap Shot was celebrated, the Tomahawks and Warriors commemorated the occasion with a fight behind the Johnstown net at 16:52. After the dust settled, six players made their way to the penalty box.
Alger pulled the Tomahawks back within one in the third period, as his shot from inside the faceoff circles made it through the legs of Ryan Wischow and into the net at 7:01.
Michigan killed the chances of a Tomahawks comeback late in the third period, as Sanipass scored an empty net goal at 19:25.
The Tomahawks travel to Keystone on Wednesday night, before welcoming Soo to the War Memorial for a three-game series next weekend. Face-off is set for 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1 p.m. on Sunday. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.johnstowntomahawks.com or call 1-800-745-3000.