The Johnstown Tomahawks will get back on the (much shorter) road this weekend as they travel to Elmira, NY to take on the Aviators. After what should have been a galvanizing win last weekend on Friday, the Hawks really need to use the momentum in their favor and find a way to jump up anywhere past 6th place in the East, a place where they have been stuck for nearly two straight months now. Elmira comes in having lost four-straight games and will look to get their season back on track with still 20+ games to play.
A LOOK BACK AT LAST SEASON
The Aviators are one of the NAHL’s newest teams with last year being their inaugural season. Struggles tend to be expected with a new team, especially in a league as competitive as the NAHL, and that’s exactly what the Aviators endured through their organization’s first 59 games. The team finished with a record of 21-34-4 and at the end of the regular season, found themselves in 9th place in the East Division. The Tomahawks had a pretty successful season last year but ultimately had their season come to a close in a heartbreaking playoff series versus the Rochester Jr. Americans.
Last year the Tomahawks and Aviators faced off six times, which is standard for most in-division matchups. The Tomahawks were rather successful versus the league’s then newest team, winning the season series 4-1-1. The first four games were played in Elmira while the last two were inside the 1ST SUMMIT ARENA in Johnstown, just as the last preview featured versus the Rebels. The majority of the six games were played at incredibly high levels of excitement. with four games finishing as one-goal games (two that reached overtime/shootout). Elmira had the largest victory, winning by four goals (7-3) at home in the early part of the season in the middle of October. The last three games of the series were one goal games, with the last one resulting in a Tomahawks shootout loss.
OCT 12TH – 3-2 W IN ELMIRA
OCT 13TH – 7-3 L IN ELMIRA
NOV 22ND – 4-1 W IN ELMIRA
NOV 23RD – 3-2 OTW IN ELMIRA
MAR 7TH – 4-3 W IN JOHNSTOWN
MAR 8TH – 3-2 SOL IN JOHNSTOWN
2025-2026 SEASON SERIES SO FAR
NOV 14TH – 2-1 W IN JOHNSTOWN (1-0 JTN)
NOV 15TH – 4-3 W IN JOHNSTOWN (2-0 JTN)
JAN 16TH – TBD AT ELMIRA
JAN 17TH – TBD AT ELMIRA
FEB 13TH – TBD IN JOHNSTOWN
FEB 14TH – TBD IN JOHNSTOWN
2025-2026 KEYS TO THE MATCHUP
- Tomahawks come into action winners of their last game in a dramatic comeback after starting the game with a 3-0 deficit after the 1st period.
- The Aviators have struggled to begin the season and sit near the bottom of the East Division (9th), and currently sit eight points behind the Tomahawks.
- The Tomahawks currently have the fourth lowest goals scored in the East with just 103 through their first 35 games (2.94G/GP) but have only surrendered 113, good for a -10 differential.
- The Aviators have allowed the most goals in the East thus far at a whopping 139 through 35 games (3.86G/GP) and are one of just three teams to have scored under 100 goals (94)
- Johnstown is still led by their captain Nick Jarmain who is still firing above a pt/game pace through his first 35 games with 39 (22G, 17A).
- The Aviators are led offensively by Matt Maglio who has recorded 29pts through 35 games (11G, 18A).
GOALIE MATCHUP
JTN
- Ferris: 7-8-4-2 | 2.85GAA | .908 SV%
- Oleksiienko: 6-3-0-0 | 3.20GAA | .911 SV%
ELM
- McKenna: 6-8-4-1 | 3.20GAA | .912 SV%
- Oleksiienko: 5-5-2-0 | 3.79GAA | .906 SV%
Despite the eight-point lead over the Aviators heading into the weekend, with a lack of focus and the inability to handle their business against a struggling team, that number could be cut to just four come Sunday. Puck drop for both Friday and Saturday’s showdowns will take place at 7:00PM at LECOM Events Center in Elmira, NY. Make sure to tune into NATV so you don’t miss any of the action!
BY: DREW P. PFEIL