BLAINE, Minn. – The Johnstown Tomahawks’ defense held strong and goaltender Drew Hotte stopped 34 shots en route to a 2-1 victory over the Shreveport (Louisiana) Mudbugs Saturday afternoon at the Schwan Super Rink.
The Tomahawks, for the third time in four days, scored the game’s first marker. A breakdown in the Mudbugs powerplay attack lead to a 2-1 chance for Johnstown and forward Joe Kile buried a shot past Shreveport goalie John Roberts.
Kile’s first goal of the season was assisted by returning forward Tiernan Seningen.
Hotte was the story of the rest of the first period. He made a series of solid saves to keep the score at 1-0 as the first period closed.
Shreveport would solved Hotte midway through the second period after Brendan Van Sweden roofed a shot over the glove side of the Tomahawks goaltender to tie the score at 1-1.
Steven Mather and Croix Evingson assisted on the score.
After a Mudbugs penalty, the Tomahawks power play unit clicked again for a goal at 16:16 of the second period.
Dalton Hunter netted his sixth goal of the season when a shot from the left circle went past Roberts. Filips Buncis and Zak Galambos picked up the assists.
The third period was full of quality chances for both sides.
Shreveport pressed in the latter stages of the period but Hotte and the Tomahawks defense held the fort to keep and set the score at 2-1.
Hotte, a first round draft pick of Johnstown in the 2016 NAHL Draft, earned his first win by stopping 34 of 35 Shreveport shots. He also picked up a save percentage of .971.
Roberts, in defeat, stopped 26 of 28 Johnstown shots.
Up next for the Tomahawks is a visit to the state of Alaska for a date with the defending Robertson Cup champions, the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Face-off for game one of the two-game series is set for Friday, Sept. 30 at 11:30 p.m. EST (7:30 p.m. AKT). Be sure to follow the Tomahawks social media accounts for updated action from Fairbanks.