By Ed Sheets
In front of a sellout crowd of 3,759 on New Year’s Eve, the Johnstown Tomahawks defeated the Michigan Warriors 4-1. The win earns the Tomahawks the two-game sweep, extending their lead over the Warriors to four points.
Jordan Watt got the Tomahawks on the board first, scoring a power-play goal at 16:35. The goal was Watt’s team-leading fifth power-play goal of the season. Dakoda Menslage added the assist for the second straight night.
Joe Drabin made it 2-0, scoring from in front of goaltender Dillon Kelley with 16 seconds remaining in the second period. Matthew Meier and Shane Bednard each added assists on the goal.
Michigan cut the Tomahawks lead to one, when Jon Farkas scored between the legs of Alex Okicki 1:47 into the third period. The Tomahawks got the goal back, when Matthew Meier fired a shot over the right shoulder of Kelley at 13:47. Meier set the final score on a two-on-one pass from Bednard at 17:32.
Okicki earned the win, stopping 28 of 29 shots. Kelley took the loss, stopping 28 of 32 shots. The Tomahawks went 1-for-7 on the power play, while going a perfect 4-for-4 on the penalty kill.
The Tomahawks head on the road for a seven-game road trip, starting on Friday in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. They return home to the War Memorial to take on the Warriors Jan. 24 & 25. The game on the 24th features a Jason Spence bobblehead giveaway to the first 1,500 fans. For more information, or to purchase tickets, visit www.johnstowntomahawks.com, stop by the War Memorial Box Office, or call 814-536-4625.