Maryland’s start to the 2025-2026 NAHL season has been about as good as it can get. The Black Bears currently have the most wins in the NAHL (24), most regulation wins (22), and most goals for (132). The team’s 24-3-3 record has them at 51 points, sitting at first in the East Division with a 13 point lead on the second place Maine Nordiques. Maryland has one final test before it rests up for the new year against the Northeast Generals, who sit at fourth in the East Division with a 15-10-3 record and 33 points. 

The Maryland Black Bears hosted the Elmira Aviators and secured three of a possible four points from the two game set. Night one saw the Black Bears get off to a hot start with two highlight reel goals from forward Harrison Smith for a 2-0 lead. However, in the second half of that second period, Maryland would allow four goals in a span of 5:29, leading to the Black Bears making a goaltending change by putting in Dom Gatto in place of Ryan Denes. Maryland would go on to tie the game in the third period with a pair of goals from forward Ryan Franks, the second of which tied the game with 3:59 to go by deflecting a point shot five-hole from the slot for a 4-4 tie. However, the Aviators won the game in overtime by the score of 5-4. The following night, the Black Bears got revenge in a big way. Franks scored his third goal of the weekend early in the first period off a rebound to make it 1-0. Forward Tanner Duncan scored on a two-on-one rush to make it 2-0 before a rebound goal on the power play by forward Jaden Sikura made it 3-0. Dom Gatto would turn aside all 13 shots he faced to secure a 3-0 win for Maryland.

The Generals are returning to Canton Ice House riding a two game win streak after a pair of wins against the Philadelphia Rebels. Forward Spencer Herch broke the scoring open on Friday night with a first period goal, only to see the Rebels tie the game less than three minutes later to make the score 1-1. Northeast would regain the lead in the second period thanks to a power play goal from Kody Moyer before a third period goal by Philadelphia tied the game 2-2. The game would be tied after both regulation and overtime, leading to a shootout. It would get to the seventh round scoreless before Generals’ defenseman Vinny Ipri won the game with the shootout’s lone goal, making the final 3-2 Northeast. The Generals started the scoring again on night two with a pair of second period goals from forwards Braydon Hudtloff and Kyle Murray for a 2-0 lead. The Rebels responded with a goal in the third, but could not beat Northeast goaltender Keagin Wilson a second time as the Generals won 2-1. 

This is the first time these two teams have played each other this season. Last season, Maryland went 6-0-0 against Northeast, scoring four or more goals in all six games.

Players to Watch:

Ryan Franks (F, MYD): Ryan Franks has been unstoppable as of late. He is currently riding an eight game point streak where he has scored eight goals and 13 points. This past weekend against Elmira, Franks recorded three goals and an assist.

Alec Hall (F, NTE): Hall is the Generals’ leading goal scorer with 14 and is in a three-way tie for first place in points alongside forwards Braydon Hudtloff and Kody Moyer with 27. In his last five games, Hall has two goals and five points.

Maryland and Northeast will take the ice on Friday, December 12th, at 7:30 p.m. ET, and Saturday, December 13th, at 7:00 p.m. ET, at Canton Ice House. All games can be streamed on NATV.