The Johnstown Tomahawks defeated the Philadelphia Rebels by a final score of, 7-5 on Friday night.
The opening period kicked off with a fiery start as Will Moore, reigning NAHL East Division Star of the Week, ignited the scoreboard for the Tomahawks with a goal, courtesy of assists from Justin Rapp and Sean Morgan. Barely a minute later, Chase Sandhu scored a goal of his own, assisted by Lukas Klemm, pushing the Tomahawks ahead 2-0. Their momentum continued as Will Lawrence secured another goal, widening the gap to 3-0 in favor of the Johnstown Tomahawks. However, the Philadelphia Rebels dampened the Tomahawks’ spirits by netting two unanswered goals, bringing the score to a tight 3-2 by the end of the first period.
The second period commenced with Hank Reed notching his first goal as a Tomahawk, assisted by Hayes Hundley, extending the Tomahawks’ lead to 4-2. However, the Philadelphia Rebels mounted a comeback, scoring three unanswered goals to seize a 5-4 lead over the Johnstown Tomahawks. Zack Ferris took over goaltending duties halfway through the period. Nonetheless, Dylan Shane leveled the playing field with a goal, assisted by Chase Sandhu and Taybor Aldrich, tying the game at five. As the second period concluded, the Johnstown Tomahawks and Philadelphia Rebels headed to the locker room deadlocked at five.
The third period unfolded as a fierce contest, with both teams vying for two crucial points in a battle between the Keystone State rivals. The goaltenders for both sides proved to be formidable, repelling every scoring opportunity in the tightly contested match. However, with just over a minute left on the clock, Will Lawrence broke the deadlock with his second goal of the evening, assisted by Hayes Hundley. Then, with thirty seconds remaining, Lawrence completed a Hat Trick by scoring his third goal of the night, with assists from Zach Aben and Justin Gibson, securing victory for the Johnstown Tomahawks over the Philadelphia Rebels with a final score of 7-5.
The Johnstown Tomahawks will face the Philadelphia Rebels for game two of the weekend series tomorrow night at 7:30 PM. Catch all the action live exclusively on NAHLTV. As always stay up to date with your Johnstown Tomahawks by following our social media channels.