Tomahawks Fall to Falcons, Close Season with 4-3 Loss
April 11, 2014 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Johnstown Tomahawks News Release
The Johnstown Tomahawks faced the same situation Friday night at the Cambria County War Memorial as they did nearly a year ago when the Port Huron Fighting Falcons last came to Johnstown for an NAHL playoff series. They needed a win to extend the best-of-five North Division Semi-Finals series - and their season - for one more game.
Unfortunately for the Tomahawks, the attack of the Falcons proved too much for the Tomahawks as they fell 4-3, bringing their second season in franchise history to a sudden halt.
The game followed a script similar to Game 1 of the series, as Port Huron jumped to an early 2-0 lead on goals from John Hall and Noah Batis. Hall's score came at 6:06 of the first period, when he directed a pass from Austin Romzek past Tomahawks goaltender Brett Young. Batis added to the lead at 8:00, taking a Bryan Yim pass and unleashing a fluttering wrist shot that found its way past Young.
Johnstown' Brandon Reinholz responded with a powerplay goal at 10:53, when he tipped a pass from Jordan Watt into the net and past Fighting Falcons goaltender Max Milosek. Mitch Hall also assisted on the play, Reinholz's second goal of the playoffs.
Port Huron raised the lead to 3-1 at 15:13, when Alex Archibald added a powerplay goal of his own as Johnstown's Dakoda Menslage was serving a two-minute interference penalty.
Matt Meier brought the Tomahawks back within one before the close of the opening period, sniping a laser from the high slot past Milosek's shoulder at 16:26.
The second period continued the intense play, but yielded only one goal as Port Huron's Bryan Yim contributed another powerplay goal at 8:41. Yim took a cross-ice one-time pass from Vito Aluia and rifled it past Young, giving the Falcons a 4-2 lead they would carry into the final period.
The Tomahawks brought goaltender Alex Okicki in to start the third period, giving the netminder his first game action since sustaining an injury on a game-clinching save March 23. His first support came at 4:11, when Dakoda Menslage received a Shane Bednard pass and fought through a scrum in front of the net to jam the puck past Milosek.
Despite a furious pace during the remainder of the period, Johnstown was unable to add the tying goal, losing the game 4-3 and falling in the series 3-0.
The Tomahawks were 2-for-6 on the powerplay, while Port Huron scored on 2 of 7 man-advantage opportunities.
In goal, Young stopped 15 of 19 Port Huron shots in the loss. Milosek made 28 saves on 31 shots in the win.
Port Huron will advance to the next round of the playoffs to face the winner of the Michigan-Janesville series. The Tomahawks, meanwhile, close the books on their season.
North American Hockey League Stories from April 11, 2014
- Austin Grabs 2-1 Series Lead in Minot - Austin Bruins
- Tomahawks Fall to Falcons, Close Season with 4-3 Loss - Johnstown Tomahawks
- Farmer, Reisinger score in season-ending loss for Wichita Falls - Wichita Falls Wildcats
- First Round Series Shifts to Johnstown for Game Three - Port Huron Fighting Falcons
- Jacks Alum Hellebuyck Wins Richter Award as Nation's Top Goalie - Odessa Jackalopes
- NCAA Frozen Four Profile - Chill Grad Connor - Coulee Region Chill
- Our House - Minot Minotauros
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