Donovan Ott’s goal twenty seconds into overtime gave the Johnstown Tomahawks a 2 – 1 victory over the visiting Aston Rebels. It was the eighth game out of nine this season that the margin of victory was one goal between these two teams.
The loss now leaves the Rebels with a nine point lead over the second place Tomahawks with eight games remaining in the season.
Like all the other games between these two teams it was playoff hockey. It was very fast paced with tight checking and even had two fisticuffs.
Johnstown’s Nick Bruce was called for interference with 9:46 left in the first to put the Rebels on the power play. With time about to expire with the extra attacker, Aaron Maguyon was able to give the Rebels their only lead of the game. Maguyon brought the puck to the far side faceoff circle inside the Tomahawks zone. He sent a cross ice pass to Dom Garcia who took a one-timer that was saved by Drew Hotte but the put deflected off his glove and went behind the net. Garcia sent a pass behind the net to Maguyon who passed it out front to Carter Woolley. Woolley took a shot that was saved by Hotte but Maguyon tapped in the rebound to give the Rebels a 1 – 0 lead with 7:46 left in the opening period. It was Maguyon’s ninth goal on the season.
Johnstown would tie the game at one with four minutes remaining in the opening period. Mitchell Hale brought the puck out of his zone and head manned the puck up to Bruce in the neutral zone. Bruce cut to his right and went around Rebels’ defenseman Justin Smith and took a shot that beat Jack Leavy long side for his nineteenth goal on the season.
After no scoring in the second and with time winding down in the third with the score still tied, Rebels forward Evgeny Yakovlev was called for spearing and received a game misconduct with 4:46 remaining in regulation forcing the Rebels to finish the game down a man. As the siren sounded to end the third period, the Tomahawks would start the overtime on the power play.
As time expired on the Rebels penalty, Johnstown’s Andrew Quetell had the puck at the top of the point. He passed it to his left to Bruce. Bruce sent a cross-ice pass that was redirected by Ott passed Leavy to give the Tomahawks a 2 – 1 win just twenty seconds into the extra period.
It was the Rebels second straight overtime loss.
Leavy would stop 18 of 20 shots while Hotte turned aside 16 of 17. Click here for the box score.
These two teams meet again tonight at 7:00pm.
Photo Credit: The Rebels would like to sincerely thank Phil Andraychak for providing photos from last night’s game. As always, he does an amazing job!
