TOMHAWKS HANDLE MT. KINGS FOR SECOND STRAIGHT 7-4 VICTORY

Mar 28, 2026

JOHNSTOWN – The Johnstown Tomahawks (24-23-9) defeated the New Hampshire Mountain Kings (22-26-8) by a score of 7-4 on an exciting Friday night in New Hampshire. The Tomahawks were led by two goal nights from Sean Leetch and Domeniks Domokejevs and got a nice showing from Zack Ferris between the pipes, making 25 saves in the victory.

 
The home-and-home series shifted to New Hampshire on Friday night as the Tomahawks kicked off their final four games of the regular season—and their third straight matchup against the Mountain Kings. With crucial points on the line and a chance to eliminate New Hampshire from playoff contention, the opening minutes featured steady back-and-forth action with minimal whistles. Just past the five-minute mark, former Tomahawk Jaden Johnson was whistled for delay of game, sending the Hawks to an early power play. They capitalized quickly, as Sean Leetch netted his eighth of the season off assists from Emerson Marshall and Jack Sullivan to give the Tomahawks a 1-0 lead. The Hawks kept the momentum rolling offensively, carrying over from the previous weekend. Just 1:42 later, Jack Genovese extended the lead to 2-0 with a goal assisted by Conor Griffin and Domeniks Domokejevs. However, the Mountain Kings responded almost immediately, showing why they remain in the playoff hunt. Just 40 seconds after Genovese’s tally, Mikhail Cherepanov finished a two-on-one rush to cut the deficit to 2-1. After the fast start, the Tomahawks looked to tighten things up defensively, but New Hampshire continued to push. Aidan Petroff—who has been a consistent problem for the Hawks—struck again, scoring his fourth goal in three games against Johnstown to tie the contest at 2 with just under five minutes remaining in the period. Late in the frame, New Hampshire took another penalty, sending the Tomahawks back to the power play with just 10 seconds left. It proved to be more than enough time. Just seven seconds into the advantage, Sean Leetch struck again for his second goal of the period—his ninth of the season—off another set of assists from Sullivan and Marshall, giving the Hawks a 3-2 lead heading into the intermission despite being outshot 11-8.
 

After an action-packed first period, the momentum carried right into the second, as the Tomahawks continued to find offense with ease. Dominic Domokejevs stayed hot, recording his fifth goal of the season—and second in as many games—early in the frame to extend the Hawks’ lead to 4-2. Jack Genovese and Nick Matelkin each picked up assists on the play, as Johnstown began to take control. Midway through the period, the game saw a brief stretch of special teams action, with penalties assessed to Kirby Perler for Johnstown and Thomas Malowski for New Hampshire just minutes apart. Despite the opportunities, neither side was able to convert on the man advantage. Shortly after the Tomahawks’ power play expired and just before the halfway point of the period, Domokejevs struck again. He buried his second goal of the night—marking his first two-goal game as a Tomahawk—once again assisted by Genovese and Metelkin, pushing the lead to 5-2. As the season winds down, depth scoring has been something the Hawks have looked to establish—and they found more of it late in the period. With just under three minutes remaining, Evan Kensey netted his second goal of the season, becoming the third depth contributor to score in the period and extending the lead to 6-2. Alex Gomes added his fifth assist of the year on the play. After 40 minutes, the Tomahawks held a commanding four-goal advantage, though they still trailed in shots, 19-17. Entering the third period with a four-goal lead, the Tomahawks’ objective was simple—find a way to secure two points. However, New Hampshire made things interesting almost immediately.

Just 22 seconds into the period, Alex Gelhar netted his 10th of the season to cut the deficit to 6-3, giving the Mountain Kings life with nearly a full period still to play.The intensity picked up from there, carrying over some of the edge seen in last weekend’s matchup. Emotions boiled over at times, leading to a set of matching minors about four minutes after the goal, though neither side capitalized during four-on-four play. The Tomahawks later earned a power play opportunity, looking to grab their third man-advantage goal of the night. But just 50 seconds in, Charlie Zetterkvist was sent off for hooking, returning the teams to four-on-four once again. Still, neither side could find the back of the net, and the score remained 6-3 approaching the midway point. With 9:15 to play, New Hampshire’s Ronnie Hill was penalized for hooking, presenting a prime opportunity for the Hawks to put the game out of reach. Instead, the Mountain Kings struck shorthanded just 20 seconds into the power play, as Cole Roenick tallied his ninth of the season to make it a 6-4 game. Despite the late push and a tense stretch that threatened to turn into a collapse, the Tomahawks held their ground. With 3:20 remaining, New Hampshire pulled its goaltender while shorthanded in an attempt to close the gap, but it backfired. Jack Sullivan capitalized with an empty-net power play goal—his fourth goal in the last two games—to seal the 7-4 victory. The Tomahawks secured a crucial two points, finishing the night just behind in shots on goal, 29-28.

BY: DREW P. PFEIL