ODENTON – The Johnstown Tomahawks (7-6-2) were defeated by the Maryland Black Bears (14-1-1) by a final score of 5-2 in another dominating performance. Maryland was led by Tanner Duncan who recorded his third goal of the weekend. It was Alex Gomes and Charlie Zetterkvist providing the offense for the Hawks, scoring once each. Tomahawks goaltender Zack Ferris made 26 saves in the loss and Maryland goaltender Dom Gatto made 25 saves for the victory.
After dropping three straight to the powerhouse Maryland Black Bears, the Johnstown Tomahawks entered Saturday night looking to find some answers. Whatever game plan they had in place was quickly tested, as Maryland struck just 1:05 into the opening frame. Brayden Wade buried the early chance to give the Black Bears an immediate 1–0 advantage and once again put Johnstown on its heels. Despite the quick deficit, the Tomahawks didn’t fold and even had a pair of early power plays to try and even things up. However, they couldn’t capitalize on either opportunity — a costly missed chance against the East Division’s top team. As the period went on, Maryland continued to dictate the pace, applying steady pressure across all three zones. Tanner Duncan, who’s been red-hot all weekend, doubled the Black Bears’ lead with his third goal of the series with 6:37 left in the frame. Things nearly spiraled further when Emerson Marshall was sent off for delay of game just a minute later, though matching penalties kept play at even strength. Still, Maryland managed to tack on one more before the buzzer, as Josh Frenette found the back of the net late in the period to extend the lead to 3–0. It was a tough finish to another uphill opening frame for Johnstown, who once again found themselves chasing the game after 20 minutes. Shots on goal favored Maryland, 10–7.
There’s been something about the middle frame lately for the Tomahawks — every game during this recent stretch seems to bring a spike in physicality and penalties, and Saturday night was no different. The Tomahawks took the first penalty of the period just five minutes in, as Sean Leach was sent off for slashing. Fortunately, the penalty kill stood tall, keeping Maryland off the board. Shortly after, Johnstown went to the power play for the third time in the game, and this time they finally broke through. Alex Gomes jammed home a rebound on the doorstep to put the Tomahawks on the board, cutting the deficit to 3–1 with assists from Jack Genovese and Shane Chronowski. Not long after the goal, tempers flared following the media timeout, sparking a lengthy scrum that resulted in multiple penalties and nearly a ten-minute delay. When the dust settled, Maryland had a player ejected for tripping and slew-footing, while Johnstown picked up a pair of minors. After a brief Black Bears power play, the Tomahawks were handed a three-minute man advantage — a golden chance to make it a one-goal game. However, they couldn’t convert, and the momentum slipped away once again. Late in the period, Maryland extended the lead back to three when Jaden Secura found the back of the net just as a penalty expired, making it 4–1 heading into the second intermission. Through two periods, shots favored Maryland 25–14.
Johnstown entered the final 20 minutes needing an early spark to climb back into the game, and they were given a quick opportunity as Maryland took an interference penalty just a couple of minutes in. But instead of capitalizing, the Tomahawks were burned again — Maryland struck almost immediately after killing off the penalty to make it 5–1, essentially sealing the game with half a period still to play. Despite continued power play chances down the stretch, the Tomahawks struggled to generate much offensive pressure, even against Maryland’s backup goaltender Dom Gatto, who was making the start in net. With just under four minutes remaining, Charlie Zetterkvist provided a late bright spot, banking one in from a sharp angle to make it 5–2. Maryland found themselves back in the penalty box again in the closing minutes, but the clock ran out before Johnstown could mount any kind of comeback. The Tomahawks have now dropped five straight, four of those to the division-leading Black Bears. Final shots on goal favored Maryland, 31–27.
Your Johnstown Tomahawks will be back in action next weekend in Maine to take on the Nordiques for another pair of tough in-division showdowns. Puck drop for Friday’s contest will begin at 7:30PM. Get your tickets right now for the next home stand https://www.ticketmaster.com/johnstown-tomahawks-tickets/artist/1760594. Catch all of the action on NAHLTV and follow our social media accounts @tomahawkshockey to keep in the loop.
BY: DREW P. PFEIL