The Johnstown Tomahawks secured a 4-3 overtime win Saturday afternoon on the final day of the NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota.
The Tomahawks got the first power play opportunity of the game 5:56 in, then ended up in the penalty box themselves not long after. Both teams went back to full strength with the game remaining scoreless. With 2:36 remaining in the 1st, TJ Koufis (Palatine, IL) was sent to the box for tripping. Tomahawks netminder Sam Evola (Rochester, MI) was hard at work on the penalty kill, making a sequence of saves, without his stick. Anchorage however did find the back of the net on the power play with a goal from Drake Albers. The Wolverines took the 1-0 lead into the intermission.
Johnstown responded exactly how they wanted to, scoring two goals in just 1:15 in the early stages of the 2nd period, quickly taking the lead and switching the momentum in the game early. The two goals were scored by forwards Stephen Kyrkostas (Selden, NY) and Jake Black (Pomfret, CT). After back-and-forth penalties in the remainder of the period, the Tomahawks maintained their 2-1 lead going into the 3rd period.
Anchorage tied things back up 8:28 into the period with a goal from Collin Pederson. Then, with 1:52 remaining in regulation, Talon Sigurdson gave the Wolverines the go-ahead goal, making it 3-2. Immediately after, the Tomahawks pulled Evola for an extra-attacker. Jacob Badal (Flushing, MI) tied the game back up, forcing the game into overtime. With only 24 seconds to go in the five-minute overtime period, forward Johnny Ulicny (Windsor, ON) taps in the puck giving the Tomahawks the 4-3 win to close out the NAHL Showcase.
The Tomahawks head back east to begin division play next weekend against the Northeast Generals in Attleboro, Massachusetts Friday, September 24 and Saturday, September 25. Then, the Tomahawks host the Maryland Black Bears Saturday, October 2 for the home opener of the 10th anniversary season. More information on individual tickets will be released this upcoming week.
BOX SCORE:
1st period:
(18:59) ANCHORAGE – Drake Albers (2) from Tyler Braccini (1)
2nd period:
(5:23) JOHNSTOWN – Stephen Kyrkostas (1) from Holt Oliphant (3) Billy Simms (1)
(6:48) JOHNSTOWN – Jake Black (2) from Ethan Perrault (1) Mack Oliphant (1)
3rd period:
(8:28) ANCHORAGE – Collin Pederson (1) from Danny Reis (1)
(18:08) ANCHORAGE – Talon Sigurdson (4) from Tyler Braccini (2)
(18:53) JOHNSTOWN – Jacob Badal (2) from Billy Simms (2)
Overtime:
(4:36) JOHNSTOWN – Johnny Ulicny (1) from Mack Oliphant (2)