JOHNSTOWN, Penn. – Three unanswered goals were just enough for the Johnstown Tomahawks to get by the Titans by a 3-2 score.
Anthony Cusanelli’s 11th goal of the season opened the scoring with second effort. With the puck behind the net, Cusanelli was able to sneak his way out of the peripherals of Tomahawks goaltender Ryan Glander. The first shot was stopped, but the rebound came right back to Cusanelli, which allowed him to burry it.
However, the lead was short lived, when a redirection got past Jack Berry just 44 seconds later. Alex Alger threw it in front off a faceoff and Ryan Burr was able to get a stick on the puck in midair.
Then the Tomahawks took the lead on a two-on-two rush. Luke Lynch skated up the right wing with Casey Linkenheld and with a Titan defenseman bumping into him, Linkenheld was able to get his forehand shot on frame and through Berry’s legs.
Johnstown took the one-goal lead into the first intermission.
There wasn’t a penalty until just before the halfway mark. The first power play went to the Titans, but it was the Tomahawks that capitalized on the power play first. It was Kelly O’Brien who scored with a snap shot that beat Berry blocker-side.
Darren Brady replicated O’Brien’s goal with a snapper of his own that beat Glander blocker side on the power play. O’Brien’s goal turned out to be the game winner, however.
It looked like it would setup an action backed third period. However, the third period was scoreless and rather mild on the physicality side.