SEWELL, NJ– Even this late into the season, the Maryland Black Bears are seeing new opponents, as they traveled up to play the Philadelphia Rebels. A pair of three-goal third periods were the determining factor on the weekend, with each team rallying late and splitting the weekend. 

FRIDAY DECEMBER 1st, 2023: BLACK BEARS (4) at Philadelphia (5): The first period provided some solid chances for Maryland thanks to two early power plays, but the woes with the extra skater continued, as they went 0-for-2 early in the game. Past the midway point is when Maryland would cash in, as Jeremi Tremblay found a loose puck in front of the net around a mass of humanity to notch home his 14th of the season. The Black Bears would get into some penalty trouble, but the penalty kill stood firm and were able to create offensive chances while killing off the penalty. Luke Janus would get into the goal column with his third of the year on a hard wrister to give the Black Bears a 2-0 lead. Owen Lepak was solid in net in the first, not getting tested much, but shutting down top chances thrown at him. 

Penalties haunted the Black Bears at the start of the second, with Philadelphia cashing in on their power play as Charles Panchisin netted his sixth in a scrum to cut the Black Bears lead in half. Less than a minute later, however, Maryland gets the two-goal lead back from Riley Ruh redirecting an Evan Sofikits shot to the back of the net to make it 3-1. After killing off a big two-man disadvantage, Adam Schankula netted his 10th of the year by throwing it on net and fooling Lukas Furseth to make it 4-1, which would be the last shot Furseth would see on the night. Philadelphia netted on after the goalie change with Max Marquette scoring on a breakaway to make it 4-2. Philadelphia tried some trickery getting behind the defense, but the backcheck and Lepak made sure it stayed a Black Bears two-goal lead going into the intermission. 

Philadelphia came out fast in the third, taking only 3:49 to get a goal with Josh Galizia putting home his second of the year to make it 4-3. Some friendly fire on Maryland as Julian Brown banked a shot from behind the net off a Black Bear defender to tie the game up for Philadelphia. The Black Bears looked to break their power play drought, but instead ended up giving up a penalty shot to Philadelphia, but Lepak was on his mark to keep the game tied. At the end of that same penalty, however, Philadelphia grabbed the lead with Marquette batting a pass out of mid-air to put the home team up 5-4. Maryland had plenty of chances to grab the lead back, but could not find the back of the net behind Jack Fialoff and drop the first game of the weekend 5-4. 

SATURDAY DECEMBER 2nd, 2023: BLACK BEARS (3) at Philadelphia (1): Philadelphia came out with a purpose, putting the Black Bears on their heels a bit in the first. While Maryland did have some chances, they couldn’t sustain time in the offensive zone. Philadelphia struck first four-on-four as Paddy Fortune redirected a shot in front that alluded Colin Ronan and gave the home team the lead. Maryland tried to counterattack, but deflected passes and shots frustrated the Black Bears, as they went into the intermission down by one. 

The second period had some back-and-forth with both squads working the rush, but Ronan and Jack Fialoff stood tall in net to keep things as they were. Philadelphia commanded the play in the first part of the period, while Maryland got their legs under them in the second half. It was still 1-0 going into the second intermission. 

Maryland started out quick with the power play, as Jesse Horacek netted the team’s first power play goal in a month with a hammer from the dot to tie the game up at one. The Black Bears kept the pressure on and put plenty of pucks on net before getting the go-ahead goal from Riley Ruh, who found a loose puck in front out of a scrum to make it 2-1. Philadelphia tried to response, but Ronan and the defense kept all the attacks at bay before Jeremi Tremblay netted his 15th into an open goal to give Maryland the 3-1 victory and a split for the weekend. 

These two teams will meet again next weekend, this time at Piney Orchard. It’ll be the last homestand of 2023, so go to Tickets.MarylandBlackBears.com to get your spot to cheer on the Black Bears to end their 2023 portion of the schedule.