Johnstown at Springfield
Saturday March 15th
8:05 p.m. EST
Last Night
Last Night, the Tomahawks and Jr. Blues battled for three periods, eventually ending up in a shootout. After six rounds, the Jr. Blues earned the 3-2 win and the extra point.. The Tomahawks point keeps them in third place, tied with Janesville.
Igor Vladykovskii got the Jr. Blues on the board first, scoring an unassisted goal 15:14 into the first period. Casey Linkenheld tied the game 1:51 into the second period with his first goal of the season. Jordan Watt and Shane Bednard added assists on the goal. Less than two minutes later, Springfield regained the lead on a Lester Lancaster goal. Mike Severson was credited with the assist
on the goal.
Bednard tied the game at 15:59 of the third period, firing a shot over the glove of Springfield goaltender Tyger Howat. Dakoda Menslage and Mitch Hall each added assists on Bednard’s 19th goal of the season. After a scoreless overtime period, the teams went to a shootout where Springfield outscored the Tomahawks 3-2. Zach Wallace and Mitch Hall scored for the Tomahawks, while Alex Baskakov, Logan Wendling, and Trevor Stone scored for the Jr. Blues.
Howat earned the win, stopping 36 of 38 shots and four of six in the shootout. Alex Okicki took the loss stopping 46 of 48 shots in regulation and three of six in the shootout. Johnstown went 1-for-4 on the power play, and a perfect 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
The Tomahawks return home for Fan Appreciation Weekend, taking on the Soo Eagles next Friday, Saturday and Sunday. They conclude the regular season with a pair of games at Janesville the following weekend.
North Division Update
In the other north division game last night, the Janesville Jets defeated the Michigan Warriors 6-3. The two teams battle again tonight while Soo begins a two-game series at Port Huron.
Key Stats
Shane Bednard has 12 points (5G-7A) in six games against Springfield this season.
Springfield goaltender Tyger Howat is 2-0-1 in four starts for the Jr. Blues
The Tomahawks are 6-3 in shootouts this season
Mitch Hall, Shane Bednard, and Matthew Meier each have 20+ points in road games this
season.