LEWISTON — After the first six shooters couldn’t find the back of the net, Maine Nordiques defenseman Sterling Wolters stepped to center ice.

He then skated in and scored the lone shootout goal in the Maine Nordiques’ 4-3 victory over the Johnstown Tomahawks in an NAHL East Division contest at The Colisee on Saturday night.

“We have had two shootouts this season — one of them tonight. I went last time and did the same move, but it hit the post,” Wolters said. “I wasn’t going to let that happen again.”

Wolters likes to post different drills and skills on Instagram and said his game-winning goal will be hitting the ‘Gram soon.

“I will probably give it a story post and it will probably get its own post by itself,” Wolters said.

The third-place Nordiques (27-16-3, 57 points) took two of three games from the fifth-place Tomahawks (22-20-4, 48 points) this weekend.

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“The takeaway from this week is we have a family that can work through adversity, that can take a low moment, turn it around into a high moment,” Maine Nordiques coach Matt Pinchevsky said.

Jackson Foddrill struck before the two-minute mark of the first period with his first goal of the season on a shot in front of the crease. Linemate Laurent Trepanier and defenseman Seth Murch had the assists.

“A lot of weight coming off the shoulders,” Foddrill said of getting his first goal of the season. “I kind of gotten the monkey off the back, and hopefully more to come.”

Oliver Genest potted his 16th tally of the season with five and a half minutes remaining in the opening frame, extending Maine’s lead to 2-0. Aidan Coupe and Kellen Murphy had the helpers.

Johnny Ulicny got Johnstown on the board just past the four-minute mark of the second period when he unleashed a shot from the high slot.

“If you look at our team, we spread (the scoring out) a good amount,” Johnstown coach Mike Letizia said. “Johnny Ulicny — who scored the first goal — had an outstanding weekend. Will Lawrence has been a great player for us, all the little things.”

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Lawrence, who scored Thursday to force overtime in the game the Nordiques won, lit the lamp 10 minutes after Ulicny’s goal to tie the game 2-2 for Johnstown. Lawrence scored on a breakaway after receiving a pass from Anthony Galante.

Foddrill potted his second goal right off an offensive zone faceoff, giving the Nordiques a 3-2 lead at 1:49 into the third period.

“His role has kind of evolved,” Pinchevsky said of Foddrill, the team’s youngest player. “Coming out of Tier I AAA, he was depended upon for a lot of production, and I feel like junior hockey is that category of development where you have to get outside yourself a little bit, get a little bit uncomfortable, and even struggle a little bit to come out from the other side as a different player. He’s evolving big time.”

Pinchevsky said Foddrill is developing a more physical style of play.

The Nordiques did a good job of staying out of the box in the first two periods, but they got in penalty trouble in the middle of the third. Maine killed off Trepanier’s holding call but couldn’t kill Sterling Wolters’ trip.

Will Moore used a Nordiques player as a screen, and his shot from the middle of the ice beat Nordiques goalie Kael DePape (37 saves) over his left shoulder to tie the game 3-3 with 8:49 remaining in the third period.

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“I feel it was good resolve, being down two and we gave it all in the second there,” Letizia said. “They scored an early one in the third and we stuck with it and struck on the power play.”

In overtime, it was back and forth. The Nordiques did have a late power play but couldn’t get the puck past Tomahawks goalie Adam Johnson (35 saves).

The Nordiques were 0 for 5 on the man-advantage and the Tomahawks were 1 for 3.

Maine heads on the road to take on the Philadelphia Rebels next Friday and Saturday.


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