The Johnstown Tomahawks scored three, third period goals – two of them :28 seconds apart- en route to a 4 – 3 win over the visiting Rebels to split the weekend series between the teams. The Rebels won the season series against Johnstown four games to two.
Hudson Weber-Stewart, Ryan Bunting and Charles Panchisin scored for Philadelphia. Bunting’s goal ties him for the team lead with 16 in which five of them have come against the Tomahawks this season.
Despite the loss, it was an evenly matched game.
Johnstown’s Jack Genovese scored his first goal of the game just 2:28 into the opening period. The Tomahawks’ Ryan Flaherty brought the puck into the offensive zone along the far side boards and went behind the Rebels net where he stopped and sent the puck to Sam Blanton on his left. Blanton took a sharp angle shot from the goal line that was saved by Rebels netminder Owen Crudale but the rebound came right out to Genovese in the slot and Genovese wristed the puck past Crudale and into the back of the net.
Just 1:15 later, Weber-Stewart evened the score at one. Weber-Stewart brought the puck into the offensive zone along the far side boards and sent a bounce pass off the wall to Bryce Strand in the slot. Strand turned towards the net and took a shot that was saved by Johnstown netminder Nick Avakyan who made a successive save on Brayton Frick but the rebound came out to Weber-Stewart in the slot and Weber-Steward shot the biscuit over Avakyan’s blocker side for Weber-Stewart’s third goal of the year.
Bunting gave the Rebels a 2 – 1 lead with 8:03 remaining in the first. Playing four-on-four hockey, Ryan Vaites brought the puck up through center ice and into the offensive zone. As he gained the line, he passed the biscuit to Billy Sheridan on his right. As Sheridan reached the top of the near side faceoff circle, he made a cross-ice pass to Bunting in the slot and Bunting took a shot that was saved by Avakyan but the rebound came right back to Bunting who lifted the puck up and over the fallen netminder.
After a scoreless second period, Genovese’s second goal of the game tied it at two just 3:53 into the third period. Johnstown’s Dylan Shane picked up the loose puck behind his own net and sent an outlet pass to Blanton along the far side boards at center ice. Blanton made a quick pass to Genovese breaking through the neutral zone. As Genovese gained the line, he took a low line shot that handcuffed Crudale and the puck beat the Rebels netminder long side for Genovese’s fifth goal of the season.
The Rebels regained the lead at 9:41 of the third period from last night’s shootout star Charles Panchisin. After Crudale make a point-blank save on Johnstown’s Hank Reed, the deep rebound came out to Caesar Björk in his own slot. Björk turned to his left skated through center ice and into the offensive zone. As Björk reached the left-side of the near side faceoff circle, he made a backhanded pass to Panshisin who took a one-timer that beat Avakyan blocker side for Panchsin’s eleventh goal of the season.
The Tomahawks then would score two goals just twenty-eight seconds apart to tie the game and complete the comeback beginning with 7:51 left in the game. Johnstown’s Andrew Cowgill intercepted Panchisin’s outlet pass at the near side half wall in the Rebels zone and cut towards the top of the faceoff circle. Cowgill took a shot that founds its way through a screen and past Crudale to even the score at three.
Just twenty-eight seconds later, Johnstown’s Flaherty scored the game winner. Sheridan picked up the loose puck in his own slot and cut towards his left. As he skated up the ice, he went to make an outlet pass but it was intercepted by Flaherty at the top of the point by in the Rebels zone. Flaherty took a shot on net that caught Crudale off-guard and the puck went past the surprised the Rebels netminder and into the back of the net to close out the scoring and make it a 4 – 3 game.
Crudale stopped 30 of 34 shots while Avakyan turned aside 27 of 30. Click HERE for the complete box score.
The Rebels will be on the road again next weekend when they travel to Canton, MA where they’ll play a two-game series against the Northeast Generals for the last time this season.
