Photo: Tami Knopsnyder
Tomahawks Earn Fourth Straight Road Victory
WENATCHEE, Wash. — Jordan Watt scored his eighth goal of the season 53 seconds into overtime Friday night as the Johnstown Tomahawks began a four-game Western swing with a 4-3 victory over Wenatchee.
Andrew McDonald scored two goals, including Johnstown's first short-handed goal of the season, to help the Tomahawks to their fifth straight victory and first overtime win.
It also ran Johnstown's road unbeaten streak to six games (5-0-1) and left the Tomahawks four points out of first place in the North Division pending the result of Jamestown's late game in Fresno.
Goaltender Chris Truehl made 34 saves for Johnstown, while Jacob Barber scored all three goals for Wenatchee, which has lost only five games all season.
Barber, who had three goals on the season prior to Friday, recorded his hat trick by scoring on Wenatchee's first shot of the third period to tie the game, 3-3.
But the Tomahawks buckled down defensively at that point, allowing only five more shots in the third period to send the game to overtime.
That's where defenseman Jesse Kessler set up Watt's game-winner on the Tomahawks' only shot of overtime.
Forward Cobi Smith-Mass, who suffered a shoulder injury Sept. 30, returned to the Johnstown lineup Friday after a two-month absence.
The Tomahawks jumped out to a quick lead when McDonald scored his fourth goal of the season, beating goaltender Robert Nichols at 2:05 of the first period. Johnstown dominated the opening 10 minutes of the game, outshooting Wenatchee, 11-5.
But Barber beat Truehl at 11:51 to tie the game, getting his fourth goal of the season and setting the stage for a strong finish to the period for the Wild. They outshot Johnstown, 10-2, over the final 10 minutes.
Barber scored his second goal of the game at 1:59 of the second period to give Wenatchee its first lead, with linemate Chris Kerr picking up his second assist. The Wild had the first eight shots of the second period.
But the Tomahawks' penalty killers then played a key role. They killed off a tripping penalty to Zach Wallace just moments after falling behind, and at 11:12 McDonald scored Johnstown's first short-handed goal of the season to tie the game with Brandon Reinholz in the box for elbowing.
Just 2:25 later, captain Mitch Kontny scored his team-leading 12th goal of the season to put the Tomahawks back on top, 3-2. That pushed his scoring streak to nine games (7-4-11) and gave Kontny goals in four straight, and despite being outshot, 15-8, in the second period, Johnstown took a one-goal lead into the third.