JOHNSTOWN – The Johnstown Tomahawks (17-15-6) were defeated handily by the Rochester Jr. Americans (25-10-0) by a score of 5-0 on a chilly Friday night in Johnstown. The Jr. Americans were led by Owen King who recorded two goals, one coming whilst shorthanded and the other just two seconds after being shorthanded. Zack Ferris manned the cage for the Hawks through 40-minutes but was replaced by call-up 16-year old goaltender Ryan Lombardo after taking part in his second goalie fight of the season at the buzzer of the 2nd period. Florian Wade and Jensen Carlstrom shared the shutout win for the Jr. Amerks and Lombardo bounced back well after allowing the first shot he faced in his debut, turning aside 12 of 14 shots in the third period.
The Johnstown Tomahawks returned to home ice facing a daunting challenge in the rival Rochester Jr. Americans, a team that had won 20 of its last 24 games and nine of its previous 10 since the clubs last met back in October. It was going to be a significant test for the Tomahawks and one that could serve as a measuring stick for how the remainder of the season might unfold. Zack Ferris got the start between the pipes for Johnstown and was expected to see both games of the weekend, as rookie goaltender Nikita Oleksiienko continues to recover from a concussion. The opening period featured comparable shot totals and plenty of back-and-forth action, but Rochester controlled much of the puck possession and dictated the pace, particularly in the Tomahawks’ defensive zone. Just over seven minutes in, the Jr. Americans broke the deadlock when Konnor Powell put on a dazzling individual effort. Taking a pass at the Tomahawks’ blue line, Powell walked past a defender and went forehand-backhand before roofing a shot over Ferris’ right pad to make it 1–0. Johnstown had received the game’s first power play shortly before the Rochester goal, but as has been the case on too many occasions this season, a missed opportunity with the man advantage was followed by surrendering the game’s opening tally. After one period, Rochester held a slim 10–9 edge in shots on goal, with Ferris turning aside some quality chances and the Jr. Americans ringing two shots off the post.
Although they were outplayed in the opening period, the Tomahawks entered the second frame still within striking distance in what remained a one-goal game. That margin didn’t last long, however, as Johnstown got off to a rough start and was sent to the penalty box just over five minutes in, giving Rochester its first power-play opportunity of the night. The Tomahawks’ penalty kill did a great job of keeping everything to the outside once Rochester set up and successfully killed it off. Johnstown then earned its second power play shortly after the Nick Metelkin penalty expired, but just two seconds after the advantage ended, Rochester seized the momentum. Rochester forward Owen King jumped on a loose puck for a partial breakaway and slid it just over the right pad of Ferris to extend the lead to 2–0. Rochester continued to press and struck again with just over three minutes remaining in the period, as Colin Dustin squeaked a shot through Ferris to make it 3–0, draining a lot of the life out of the building and the Tomahawks’ bench. Tensions began to boil over late in the period following several borderline shots after the whistle from Rochester. At the buzzer, a blatant post-whistle slap shot onto Ferris sparked a scrum in the corner. Ferris left his crease and became involved with a Rochester forward, and in classic goalie code fashion, Rochester netminder Florian Wade skated the length of the ice, dropped his gear, and engaged with Ferris immediately. The result was Johnstown’s second goalie fight in just a few short months, igniting the crowd but further complicating things for a Tomahawks team that’s already trailing by three goals and that is without their regular backup, Nikita Oleksiienko. As expected, both Ferris and Wade (ROC) were assessed five-minute majors for fighting along with game misconducts and will likely face suspensions for tonight’s showdown. Despite the fireworks, Rochester remained firmly in control, holding a 26–18 edge in shots on goal after two periods.
The dust settled as the third period began, with Rochester picking up the additional instigator penalty from the goalie fight, giving Johnstown a power play to start the final frame and a slim chance to get themselves back into the game. Instead, it was Rochester’s penalty kill that delivered the early dagger. The Jr. Americans disrupted the Tomahawks’ zone entry and quickly transitioned the puck, springing Owen King on a breakaway where he slid a shorthanded goal through the five-hole of 16-year-old rookie Ryan Lombardo, who was making his NAHL debut. Thrown into a quite the rare and difficult situation, Lombardo—who plays for the Pittsburgh Predators 16U AAA program and had started a game earlier that morning—settled in nicely after the goal, making several sharp blocker saves and showed strong compete in the blue paint. However, with just over 10 minutes remaining, Rochester struck again. After Lombardo made an outstanding initial save, Stone Rolston buried the rebound to make it 5–0 and effectively put the game out of reach. The remainder of the third period was marked by nonstop chippiness, as seven penalties were assessed over the final 10 minutes, setting the stage for an emotional Saturday night rematch between these two rivals. Final shots in the third favored Rochester 14–6, giving the Junior Americans a 40–24 advantage for the game.