The Johnstown Tomahawks fell in overtime to the New Jersey Titans by a final score of, 7-6 on Saturday night.
Just 30 seconds into the game, Ryan Flaherty opened the scoring with his eighth goal of the season, assisted by Tate Pecknold, giving the Tomahawks an early edge over the Titans. A little over eight minutes later, Sean Morgan added to the lead, making it 2-0 with an assist from Lukas Klemm. Shortly after, Flaherty struck again, netting his team-leading ninth goal to put the Tomahawks firmly in control at 3-0. However, the Titans rallied with two goals before the period ended, narrowing the gap to 3-2 in favor of the Tomahawks at the first intermission.
The action went back and forth between these longtime NAHL East Division rivals, both hungry for two critical points. Nine minutes into the second period, Hank Reed notched his second goal of the season, assisted by Andrew Cowgill, to give the Tomahawks a 4-3 lead. However, New Jersey responded quickly, tightening the scoreline to 4-3. The Tomahawks held onto their narrow lead as they headed into the locker room.
Just three minutes into the third period, the Titans quickly tied the game. But just 30 seconds later, Captain Dylan Shane reclaimed the Tomahawks’ lead with his third goal of the season, assisted by Nick White and Caden Olenczak. Near the halfway mark, the Titans evened it up again at five. Hank Reed then answered with his second goal of the game, assisted by Nick White, putting the Tomahawks back on top at 6-5. However, with just 22 seconds remaining in regulation, New Jersey tied the game at six.
Sixty minutes wasn’t enough to settle it, sending the Tomahawks and Titans into overtime. Ultimately, the Titans found the back of the net, clinching a 7-6 victory over the Johnstown Tomahawks. Tomahawks goaltender Daniel Heroux put in a strong performance, stopping 46 of 52 shots on goal.
The Johnstown Tomahawks will head to Massachusetts next weekend to face the Northeast Generals. Matchups will take place next Friday, November 1st at 3:30 PM and Saturday, November 2nd at 7 PM. Fans who can’t make the road trip can watch all the action live on NATV (nahltv.com.) The Tomahawks will return to 1ST Summit Arena to host the Northeast Generals for Military Appreciation Weekend on November 8th and 9th. Get your tickets now at www.johnstowntomahawks.com or stop by the Tomahawks main office, Monday – Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM. Keep up to date with your Johnstown Tomahawks by following us on our social media channels.