The first Tomahawks Cup begins tonight at the War Memorial with a pair of match-ups featuring local rivals. The tournament features four of the original high school hockey teams in this area, as Bishop McCort and Westmont Hilltop of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League take on Greater Johnstown and Richland of the Laurel Mountain Hockey League. The doors open at the War Memorial this afternoon at 4 p.m.
In the first game, the Trojans and Crimson Crushers resume their rivalry on the ice at 5 p.m. The Trojans come into the game after beating Bishop Guilfoyle last Wednesday in Altoona. Greater Johnstown jumped out to a 2-0 lead as Nick Farrell and Devin Smith scored at 6:10 and 8:10 of the first period. After Bishop Guilfoyle pulled within one, Smith scored his second goal of the game 3:33 into the third period. Victor Flores set the final score at 4-2 with a goal at 10:42. Bo Sheriff earned the win, stopping 23 of 25 shots.
The Crimson Crusher play their first game since they defeated Serra Catholic 1-0 on January 16. Connor Bunn scored the Crimson Crusher’s goal at 14:41 of the first period. Conner Hagins and Daniel Formica added assists on the goal. Boston Bradley stopped all 27 shots in the win.
In the nightcap, Richland and Westmont Hilltop meet at 7 p.m. The Hilltoppers come into the game after defeating South Park 9-1 on Wedneday night. After a scoreless first period, the Hilltoppers scored five second period goals, including two by Michael Lamison. Lamison got the hat trick goal 10 seconds into the third period to make it a 6-1 game. They would add three more goals to set the final at 9-1. Six Hilltoppers had multiple points in the game, including Lamison with four and Adam McQuillan with three. Sebastian Ragno stopped 18 of 19 shots in the win.
The Rams host the Crimson Crushers for the first time since they defeated Central Cambria 5-2 on Thursday night. Richland scored the first five goals, with Jason Edsall scoring three of the goals and adding two asists. Andrew Murtha and Bryce Bostian also scored goals. Central Cambria scored twice in the third period, but the Rams shut the door for the victory. Garrett Wingard stopped all 17 shots he faced through two periods, earning the win. Landon Benyack stopped 7 of 9 shots in the third period for the Rams.
The winners of tonight’s game advance to tomorrow night’s game at 7:30 p.m. The losing teams will meet in the consolation game tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m. For more information on the Tomahawks Cup click on Tomahawks Cup under the Community Tab.