Green Mountain (2-9, 2-4 NAC) got on the scoreboard first with an unassisted goal from the team's leading scorer Brendan McKenna who potted his 22nd goal of the season at the 13:41 mark of the first quarter.
Johnson (2-8, 2-5 NAC) responded less than two minutes later when Andrew Neddo notched his 13th
of the season.
The Eagles got a boost from the return of Dominic Wright as he joined the attack after missing a few games on the sidelines. He regained the lead with his fourth of the year also on an unassisted effort. Nick Parson's sixth of the year from McKenna and McKenna's second of the game extended the Eagles lead to 4-1 with 3:14 to play in the opening period.
The Eagles could have posted an even larger lead between the first and second quarters but they hit the post four times, including two hit pipes by Chris Surdam.
The Badgers took advantage of an offside penalty against GMC early in the second quarter to cut the deficit to 4-2 on the strength of another Neddo goal. The hosts then whittled the lead down to one when Isaiah Leraeu recorded his 10th goal of the season. Mason Phillips' goal for Johnson knotted the game at 4-4 with his 13th of the year at the 4:30 mark of the second quarter.
Just over a minute later, Jefferson Lawler tallied his fifth of the season to give the Badgers their first lead of the game. The hosts made it five-straight goals as they scored on a man-up situation when Rhys Keenhold popped in his third of the season to extend the lead to 6-4 at the half.
GMC opened up the scoring in the third quarter the same way it had in the first quarter with an unassisted goal from McKenna to bring the Eagles within one at 6-5 at the 12:50 mark. McKenna would then tie the game on a man-up situation converting a feed from David Gerken.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Johnson regained its two-goal lead, 8-6, with goals from Leraeu and Phillips. The hosts added three more to extend the lead to 11-6 with 12:15 left in the final period.
Green Mountain failed to lie down, however, and pumped in three-straight goals as McKenna, Nate Laymon and Parsons each tickled the twine to bring the score to 11-9 with five minutes remaining in the game. The Eagles, trying desperately to make up the final two goals, were over anxious with their play and were called for a few untimely penalties late in the game stopping their momentum.
Jay Palmisano made 13 saves to pick up his second win of the season, while Arun Falk made 10 saves in the loss.
GMC will host Husson on Saturday at 3:30 p.m in its next game, while Johnson will travel to Castleton to play the Spartans on Saturday at 7 p.m.
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