Photo by Tami Knopsnyder
Tomahawks Continue Road Dominance with 3-2 Win in Port Huron
By Suzanne Grove
PORT HURON, MICH. – The Tomahawks scored two power-play goals three minutes apart in the second period and Mike Sandor broke a tie with 4:25 to play as Johnstown beat Port Huron, 3-2, Friday night.
Sandor scored the game-winning goal, his first since Oct. 27 at Kalamazoo, unassisted in a highlight-reel play. Near the Port Huron blue line, Sandor swatted the puck out of the air, toe-dragged around a defenseman, and put the puck past Port Huron goaltender Max Milosek.
The Tomahawks have won three straight road games and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 road games. The victory keeps Johnstown just five points out of first place in the North Division.
With Andrew McDonald in the penalty box for slashing, the Fighting Falcons (15-13-2) capitalized on their third power-play opportunity of the game with 2:23 left in the first period when Nick Horne scored on Tomahawks goaltender Chris Truehl. Truehl, who was back in net for the first time since the team’s Dec. 1 loss in Wenatchee, earned his sixth win with 17 saves.
Despite outshooting Port Huron 12-7, the Tomahawks (16-8-6) could not find the net before the final whistle of the first period.
Nearly half of the second period elapsed before the Tomahawks scored two power-play goals to take the 2-1 lead. Tomahawk Connor Wright put a shot past Milosek to make the score 1-1. Using the momentum, Jordan Watt scored his 11th of the season exactly three minutes later with assists by Wright and McDonald.
Jonathan Kopacka’s goal tied the score at 2-2 with 10 minutes remaining in the third period, but Sandor’s third goal of the season would make the Tomahawks victorious and improve their road record to 8-4-4. Johnstown is now 35-for-157 (22.3 percent) on the season with Friday night’s two power-play goals.
The game marked the first meeting between the two teams since Johnstown opened its season in Port Huron with two games on Sept. 8 and 9, emerging from the weekend with one point following an overtime loss.
Casey Nelson, who leads all defenseman in the league with 106 shots, was responsible for seven of the Tomahawks 38 shots Friday. Wright, who had a two-point night, and Brandon Reinholz also contributed to the offensive effort with five shots each.
The two teams will faceoff again Saturday night at 7 p.m.