JOHNSTOWN – The Johnstown Tomahawks defeated the Maryland Black Bears in overtime by a score of 4-3 on Saturday night in Johnstown, PA to complete the home-series sweep.
Saturday’s contest opened in a much more evenly contested manner than the night before, with each team generating their fair share of scoring chances and opportunities. It took nearly 19 minutes to see the first goal of the contest, and once again, Maryland struck first – just as they did the night before. The Tomahawks found themselves in a situation they’ve become all too familiar with this season, heading to the locker room trailing after 20 minutes. Maryland continued to pepper the Tomahawks netminder Zack Ferris and took a 16-8 shot advantage along with their 1-0 lead to the intermission.
Needing a jolt of energy to get themselves onto the scoreboard and into the game, the Tomahawks earned themselves another chance on the power-play early in the 2nd period, but they weren’t able to generate much of anything offensively. It seemed like Maryland used the penalty-kill momentum to their advantage as they proceeded to put on an all-around clinic for much of the 2nd period, holding the Tomahawks to just four shots on goal in the frame. Maryland would end up adding two goals in the period as well, giving them a commanding 3-0 lead with just under three minutes to play in the 2nd. Better late than never, the Tomahawks found the back of the net with a goal from Sam Blanton off of a couple sweet assists from Cullen Emery and Dylan Shane with a minute left to play in the period.
A stressful third period began in almost the same style as the first two, with Maryland seeming to have control of the outcome of the game. However, ten minutes into the period, the Tomahawks gave the crowd at 1st Summit Arena something to get out of their seats for with a slick power-play goal from Tate Pecknold. So, once again the Tomahawks found themselves just one shot away from tying the game up and made the seemingly impossible, possible again on Saturday night, squaring up the game at 3-3 with just over five minutes to go in regulation. Adam Ondris was responsible for the tying goal with some help from his linemates Cullen Emery and Sam Blanton who found themselves scattered all over the scoresheet in this one, combining for 8 points. The tense atmosphere in Johnstown was destined for even more theatrics, as the game headed for overtime.
Per usual, the NAHL 3on3 Overtime scenario tends to favor the most exciting parts of hockey and showcases tons of great scoring chances for both teams and big saves, but it was Adam Ondris who broke the tie for good in this one and scored the thrilling overtime winner. The Johnstown Tomahawks continue to prove they are becoming a force to be reckoned with in the NAHL East Division, continuously overcoming early deficits in games but not letting it take their focus off of the game and the end result.
The Tomahawks return to action next weekend on Friday, November 22nd at 7:00PM for a road series against the Elmira Aviators. Head to our website, www.johnstowntomahawks.com and secure your seats now! As always stay up to date with your Johnstown Tomahawks by following us on our social media pages. Fans can watch all the action live on NATV (nahltv.com.)
By DREW P. PFEIL | drew@johnstowntomahawks.com