After a 3-1 loss to the Rochester Jr. Americans in their season opener, the Maryland Black Bears have rebounded with three straight wins, outscoring opponents 11-3 during the streak. Following a dominant weekend sweep of the Elmira Aviators, Maryland now heads to Blaine, Minnesota, for the NAHL Showcase, where they’ll face the Chippewa Steel, Shreveport Mudbugs, and defending Robertson Cup champions, the Bismarck Bobcats.
Maryland made a strong statement over the weekend against the Elmira Aviators, showcasing their scoring depth, defensive capabilities, and strong goaltending. Game one saw Black Bears’ goaltender Ryan Denes stop all 17 shots he faced in a 3-0 win. Maryland forward and captain Owen Drury opened the scoring on a first-period power play. A physical third period saw Logan Deuling drop the gloves with Elmira’s Greg Johnson before Brayden Wade and Petr Pavalec sealed the victory with late goals.
Game two saw Elmira strike first with a power play goal from Max Campbell, but Maryland responded with six unanswered goals in a dominant 6-2 win. Trey Hinton tied it up just over a minute later in the first, finishing a two-on-none with forward Harrison Smith. Forward Jaden Sikura followed with two goals — his first of the season on a rebound and a power play one-timer — while defenseman Cole Peters added a first-period tally to make it 4-1. Forward Lachlan Bommer added a second period goal to make it 5-1. Soktratis Markarian scored from the high slot for Maryland’s sixth, ending Elmira goalie Max Larsson’s night after allowing six goals on 17 shots being replaced by Vladimir Pechenin. Campbell added a late goal for Elmira, but Black Bears netminder Dilans Birkans made 20 saves in his Maryland debut to seal a 6-2 win.
Maryland opens the NAHL Showcase on Thursday, September 25th, against the Chippewa Steel, who sit sixth in the Midwest Division with a 1-2-0 record. Chippewa’s lone win came in a 4-0 shutout over Kenai River, backed by standout goalie Alex Reedy, who holds a 1-0-0 record with a 1.51 GAA and .953 save percentage. Offensively, the Steel are led by forward Connor Jalbert, who is tied for second in the NAHL in points (6) and leads the league in assists (6).
On Friday, September 26th, the Black Bears will face the Shreveport Mudbugs, who currently sit eighth in the South Division with a 1-3-0 record. Shreveport has scored eight goals while allowing a division-high 15. Forward Carter McKay leads the team in scoring with two goals and three assists for five points. Goaltender Tyler Hodges earned the Mudbugs’ lone win, making 22 saves in a 4-3 victory over the Oklahoma Warriors.
Maryland wraps up the NAHL Showcase against the reigning league champion Bismarck Bobcats, who hold a 1-1-0 record and sit fifth in the Central Division with six goals for and against. Forwards Gianni Divita, Mark Evans, and Charlie Kresl lead the team with two points each (one goal, one assist). Goaltender Nils Roberts Maurins earned Bismarck’s lone win, stopping 22 of 23 shots in a 2-1 victory.
Maryland Players to Watch:
Harrison Smith (F): Smith returned to Maryland’s line-up this past weekend and made an instant impact after leading the team in assists (43) and points (52) during the 2024-25 season. While he didn’t record a point in his return game, he was noticeable when using his speed and playmaking abilities to generate offensive chances. During his second game, he posted four assists in the Black Bears’ 6-2 win.
Daniel Johnson (D): Johnson performed very well during the early goings of this season, using his speed to help Maryland transition to defense to offense. He made smart plays in the defensive zone while jumping in and helping the offense when he saw a chance. Johnson has recorded an assist in each of the last three games.
Ryan Denes (G): Denes has come out of the gate with stellar performances, posting a 2-0-0 record with a .500 goals against average, a .974 save percentage, and a shutout. All these stats lead the NAHL in the respective categories. He has shown good positioning and rebound control in his two starts.
The Black Bears take on the Chippewa Steel on Thursday, September 25th, at 5:30 p.m. ET, the Shreveport Mudbugs on Friday, September 26th, at 12:45 p.m. ET, and the Bismarck Bobcats on Saturday, September 27th, at 1:15 p.m. ET. All games can be streamed on NATV.
