The Johnstown Tomahawks suffered a 4-7 defeat against the Maine Nordiques in the opening game of the weekend series.
Maine opened the contest by securing the initial goal a mere two minutes and 50 seconds into the game. Nevertheless, Tomahawks Captain Zach Aben equalized with a power-play goal, assisted by Justin Gibson and Will Lawrence. Despite this effort, Maine went on to score three consecutive goals, leaving the Tomahawks trailing by three as they headed to the locker room.
In the second period, the Tomahawks exhibited a drastically different mentality. Zack Ferris entered the game to relieve goaltender Jacob Osborne. Whatever words Tomahawks head coach Mike Letizia imparted during the first intermission had a profound impact as the team transformed, displaying an impressive performance. The scoring spree commenced with a goal from Will Lawrence, assisted by Nick White and Zach Aben, narrowing the Nordiques’ lead. Within minutes, Nick White further closed the gap, making it a 3-4 game with a power-play goal off the face-off, assisted by Jaden Johnson. Despite Maine pulling their goaltender, Justin Rapp capitalized on the power-play opportunity, leveling the score at four with assists from Justin Gibson and Will Moore. As the final buzzer sounded, the period concluded with a tie, marked by the Tomahawks’ three unanswered goals.
The third period didn’t favor the Tomahawks, to say the least. Despite Tomahawks’ netminder Zack Ferris entering the game and excelling between the pipes, it ultimately wasn’t enough for the Tomahawks to mount a comeback. Maine regained the lead with seven minutes to go in regulation. After Ferris was pulled to add an extra skater, the Nordiques scored two empty-net goals to secure a 7-4 victory in game one.
Your Johnstown Tomahawks and Maine Nordiques will face off tomorrow night at 7:00 PM for game two of the weekend. Tune in for live coverage on NAHLTV. Stay connected with all things Johnstown Tomahawks by following us on social media for the latest updates!