The visiting Johnstown Tomahawks scored two, first period goals less then a minute apart en route to a 7 – 1 win over the Titans 7 – 1 last night in the first of this weekend’s two game series.
Johnstown opened the scoring at 8:26 into the first period. With the Tomahawks setting up play in the offensive’s zone, Johnstown’s Dustin Geregach took a shot for the far side point that found its way through a screen that hit the post and the rebound went to the left of Titans netminder Andrew Takacs where it was picked up by Johnstown’s Zach Murray. Murray lifted the puck up and over the fallen Takacs and into the open net to give the Tomahawks a 1 – 0 lead.
Less then a minute later, Johnstown doubled their lead on a goal Takacs wish he could have back. With play in their own zone, the Tomahawks’ Jake Black picked up the loose puck at the top of his own far side faceoff circle and entered the neutral zone on a two-on-one with Jacob Badal. As Black reached center ice, he made a cross-ice pass to Badal. As Badal reached the bottom of the near side faceoff circle, he took a sharp angle shot that beat Takacs short side for his third goal of the year.
Black made it 3 – 0 just two minutes into the second period then Ryan Vellucci made it 4 – 0. Takacs was replaced by Ben Charette between the pipes immediately following the Vellucci goal. Johnny Ulicny scored with 6:58 remaining in the middle stanza to make it 5 – 0 Johnstown.
The Titans did get on the board just thirty-four seconds into the third period. Tyler Sanborn took a shot from the top of the slot that deflected by Coleman Nee and the puck was picked up by Brendan Dumas behind the Tomahawks net. Dumas passed the puck back to Anthony Mollica at the far side point and the Hudsonville, MI native took a clapper that beat Johnstown’s netminder Sal Evola to make it a 5 – 1 game.
Black and Carson Galin closed out the scoring for Johnstown to make it 7 – 1.
Takacs and Charette combined to stop 31 of 38 shots while Evola turned aside 35 of 36. Click here for the box score.
The two teams will meet for the final game of this two game series tonight at 7:00PM at the Middletown Sports Complex.