Johnstown comeback highlights exciting Thursday
Keystone 3 @ Johnstown 4 (SO) – A late goal by Casey Linkenheld in the waning moments of the third, and a shootout goal by Trevor Recktenwald helped the Johnstown Tomahawks defeat the Keystone Ice Miners 4-3 on Thursday morning at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena. The Ice Miners would strike first, as Michael Maiden scored 4:19 into the first period. Matt Jones and Niko Coffman each added assists on the early goal. The Ice Miners added another goal late in the first period, as Jones scored with 1:03 remaining on the clock. Maiden and LordAnthony Grissom earned the assists on the goal. Faced with a two-goal deficit, the Tomahawks would go to work with less than five minutes left in the second period, as Tanner Barnes tallied his seventh of the season. Andrew Romano and Filips Buncis earned the assist on the goal. Johnstown tied the game less than two minutes later, as Alex Jaeckle fired a wrist shot past Ice Miners goaltender Nick Kossoff. Recktenwald and Linkenheld picked up assists on the power-play goal. Joey Sofo regained the lead for the Ice Miners early in the third period, scoring on a backhanded shot past the skate of Kossoff. Alex Archibald and Garrett Hallford each added assist on the goal. With goalie Ryan Bednard pulled, Johnstown pushed the pace and peppered Kossoff during the final minute of play. Linkenheld eventually corralled a rebound in the slot and fired it into the net to tie the game at three with six seconds remaining in regulation. Overtime would not bring goals for either squad so both teams moved onto the shootout. Recktenwald scored the lone shootout goal, scoring on a shot past the right pad of Kossoff. Boxscore
Coulee Region 3 @ MN Wilderness 5 – The Wilderness used a balanced scoring attack and got a big game from Niklas Lehtimaki as they picked up a 5-3 home win over the Chill, increasing their division lead back to three points. After Kevin Shand had scored first for the Chill Lehtimaki scored the next three Wilderness goals in the 1st period 2nd periods to put Minnesota ahead 3-2 after two periods. All of Lehtimaki’s goals were even strength. Adam Lovick had scored early in the 2nd period to give Coulee Region their second lead of the game at 2-1, but Lehtimaki gave the Wilderness a lead they would never lose. Goals from Brett Heikkila and Tyler Cline in the 3rd period cemented the win. Richard Zehnal had the other goal for the Chill. Boxscore
Topeka 2 @ Wenatchee 1 – Topeka goalie Matej Tomek was outstanding once again between the pipes for the RoadRunners as the NHL prospect made 30 saves to lead the division-leading RoadRunners to a 2-1 road win in Wenatchee on Thursday. The RoadRunners were bolstered by a strong start, which included 1st period goals from newly acquired JB Baker, who scored his first goal in a RoadRunners uniform and a power play goal from Tyler Irvine. The Wild scored their only goal of the game early in the 2nd period as August Von Ungern-Sternberg lit the lamp for his 5th goal of the season, but it would be all Tomek and the RoadRunners would allow. Zach Quinn picked up the loss in goal for Wenatchee, making seven saves. Michael Bullion stopped all 17 shots he saw in a relief appearance. Boxscore
Lone Star 2 @ Rio Grande Valley 3 (SO) – The Killer Bees helped their playoff chances in the South as the clawed back from a 2-0 deficit and ultimately picked up the valuable two points in a 3-2 shootout home win over Lone Star. After a scoreless 1st period, things were looking good for the visiting Brahmas as goals in the 2nd period from Anton Santesson and Caleb Thompson less than two minutes apart put the Brahmas ahead 2-0. The Killer Bees would come back to tie the game with a 2nd period tally from Anthony Croston and a goal late in the 3rd period from Dallas Gerads. In the shootout, Stathis Soumelidis was the only one of 14 combined shooters to score as Rio Grande Valley earned the extra point. Ben Johansson picked up the win making 10 saves, while TJ Black made 24 saves in the loss. Boxscore
