The Maryland Black Bears have been in the midst of a four-week road trip where they have gone 3-3-0 through their first three sets of games. Their final stop on this road trip will be in Danbury, CT, where the Hat Tricks will play host to the reigning Robertson Cup Champions. Maryland continues to hold first place in the East Division with a 12-4-1 record and 25 points, while Danbury sits at seventh place in the division with a 7-8-2 record and 16 points. The last time these two teams met was in a best-of-five East Division Semi-Final series in the 2026 Robertson Cup Playoffs that the Black Bears won in three straight games.
Maryland split their series with the Elmira Aviators this past weekend, marking the fourth consecutive series the Black Bears have split and the second involving the Aviators in that stretch. Maryland couldn’t get the offense going in game one, with a first period power play goal from forward Lucas Salvatore being their lone goal in a 4-1 loss. Cole Werthman made 24 saves in the loss. Night two was a much more well-rounded display. The Black Bears scored three goals in the second period, coming from defenseman J.P. Saddy and forwards Ajay Rai and Lucas Salvatore for a 3-0 lead. The Aviators fought back with a goal in the second period and a goal in the first few minutes of the third period to cut the deficit to 3-2. However, a third period goal from forward and captain Brady Anes secured a 4-2 win for Maryland. Michael Iliff made 28 saves in the win.
Danbury had a rough start to the season, starting off 3-6-0. However, the Hat Tricks have rallied to get points in six of their last eight games, with a 4-2-2 stretch. This past weekend, Danbury split a home-and-home set of games with the Northeast Generals. Game one at Danbury Ice Arena saw the Hat Tricks win 5-2. The score was 2-2 through 40 minutes, with Danbury getting goals from forwards Nick Petkovich and Tucker Mears. Danbury erupted for three goals in the third period from forwards Tristan Konobelj, Deimantis Sulinskas, and Joseph Krausfeldt to earn a 5-2 win. Goaltender Charlie Mistretta made 60 saves in the win. Game two at Canton Ice House was another high-scoring affair that started out well for the Hat Tricks. Forwards William Cronberger, Gus Rabe, and Brent Beswick put Danbury up 3-0 in the first half of the first period. Northeast responded by scoring the next eight goals to take a commanding 8-3 lead. Petkovich scored in the game’s final minutes to make the final score 8-4.
The Hat Tricks’ offense, despite the split, has been strong, scoring at least four goals in the last three games. Despite this, Danbury still has the second-lowest-scoring offense in the East Division with 53 goals for. The Hat Tricks’ defense has struggled this season, allowing the most goals in the division with 63 goals against.
Players to Watch:
Lucas Salvatore (F, MYD): Salvatore had a big weekend against Elmira, scoring a goal in each of Maryland’s two games. This includes a game-winning goal in the Black Bears’ 4-2 win over the Aviators this past Saturday. Throughout the season, Salvatore has done an excellent job generating chances, recording at least one shot in seven of his eight games, including four multi-shot games. He has scored three goals this season.
Brent Beswick (F, DAN): Beswick has been a big part of Danbury’s resurgence after a rough first nine games. He has 12 points in his last eight games, including a six-game point streak that has seen Beswick score four goals and nine points. He recorded a goal and two assists against the Generals last weekend. He leads his team in points with 24 points in 17 games and is tied for team lead in assists with defenseman Zach Buffone with 13.
Maryland and Danbury will take the ice on Friday, November 6th, at 3:30 p.m. ET, and Saturday, November 7th, at 3:00 p.m. ET at Danbury Ice Arena. All games can be streamed on NATV.