Johnstown at Janesville
Saturday March 29th
8 p.m. EST
Last Night
The Johnstown Tomahawks battled hard, but the Janesville Jets scored three third period goals to earn a 5-3 victory on Friday night at the Janesville Ice Arena. The Tomahawks clinched a Robertson Cup Playoff spot before the final buzzer sounded in Janesville, as the Soo Eagles eliminated the Springfield Jr. Blues with a 2-1 victory.
Evan Feno got the Jets on the board first, scoring a power-play goal at 11:05 of the first period. Jordan Himley and Ian Janco each added assists on the goal. Casey Linkenheld got the Tomahawks on the board later in the period, scoring at 14:42. Shane Cuckovich and Matthew Meier each earned assists on Linkenheld’s third goal of the season.
Jordan Watt gave the Tomahawks their first lead of the game at 12:48 of the second period. Watt now has four goals in his last five games. Feno tied the game at two with his second power-play goal of the game at 17:58. Himley and Kyle Patava earned assists on the goal.
In the third period, Tyler Basham gave the Tomahawks a 3-2 lead at 2:46. Tanner Barnes added the assist on Basham’s sixth goal of the season. Basham also extended his point-scoring streak to four games (2G-2A). Patava tied the game at 9:55, before Drew Callin gave Janesville the lead at 16:39. Himley set the final score with an empty-net goal at 19:20. Brock Kautz earned the win, stopping 27 of 30 shots. Brett Young took the loss, allowing four goals on 26 shots. The Tomahawks went 0-for-4 on the power play, while the Jets went 2-for-4.
The Tomahawks will take on the Port Huron Fighting Falcons, while the Jets will take on the Michigan Warriors in the first round of the Robertson Cup playoffs.
North Division Update
Port Huron and Soo each earned divisional wins last night, with Port Huron defeating Michigan 3-0 and Soo defeating Springfield 2-1. The Tomahawks and Fighting Falcons are both locked into their spots for the postseason, with the Warriors holding a two-point edge over the Jets for second place.
Key Stats
- For the second straight year, the Tomahawks clinched their playoff berth on the road. Last season the team clinched their first postseason berth in Kalamazoo.
- Casey Linkenheld has four points (2G-2A) in his last four games.
- Robin Hoglund has seven points (4G-3A) in his last five games.
- The Tomahawks are 8-5-0 when tied after two periods this season.