Maryland picked up two big points against New Jersey this past weekend to put themselves in firm control of their own destiny when it comes to the 2025 Robertson Cup Playoffs. One win in their last two games against the Johnstown Tomahawks (or one regulation loss by the Maine Nordiques) will see them clinch the East Division’s second seed and a bye through the play-in round of the postseason. Maryland enters this weekend with a 34-16-7 record and 75 points, while their opponents, the Johnstown Tomahawk,s sit at 30-22-5 with 65 points and fifth in the East Division.
Maryland and New Jersey squared off this past weekend with important playoff points on the line. The two teams played like this was the case in a low-scoring, but close and physical weekend set. Game one saw the two teams exchange two goals apiece in the first period, with the Titans gaining leads of 1-0 and 2-1. However, Maryland forwards Owen Drury and Matthew Croxall were there to tie the game both times for the Black Bears to see a 2-2 score heading into the second period. New Jersey grabbed the lead early to make it 3-2, only for Maryland forward and captain Tyler Stern to tie the game at 3-3 later in the period. There was no score in the third period and the game went into overtime and then a shootout, where the Titans were able to edge past the Black Bears, outscoring Maryland 1-0 in the skills competition to win the game 4-3. Night two saw the Black Bears striking late in the first period with a goal from forward Luke Janus and the Titans responding late in the second period with a goal from Ryan Novo on the power play for a 1-1 score for the only goals in regulation. The game once again went into overtime, where New Jersey won the game when forward Owen Leahy threw the puck in front of the Maryland net and it went off a Black Bear player’s skate for a 2-1 Titans win. Despite the losses, Maryland goaltender Ryan Denes played very well, turning aside 36 of 40 shots he saw this weekend.
The Johnstown Tomahawks had a statement series last weekend, going up to New York and sweeping the East Division leader, the Rochester Jr. Americans, in convincing fashion. Johnstown started the scoring in the second period with a goal from forward Charlie Zetterkvist to make it 1-0. Rochester tied the game early in the third, but two late goals by Tomahawks forwards Cullen Emery and Hank Reed sealed the 3-1 victory for Johnstown. Tomahawks goaltender Nick Avakyan made 27 saves in the win. Johnstown followed that up with a big 6-2 win the next night. Forward Ryan Flaherty got the Tomahawks on the board in the first before the Jr. Americans tied the game less than a minute later to make it 1-1. Johnstown forward Adam Ondris recaptured the lead for the Tomahawks in the final minute of the first period, making the score 2-1. In the second period, Johnstown took control with three Tomahawk goals from forwards Nick White, Adam Csabi, and Charlie Zetterkvist to increase their lead to 5-1. Johnstown forward Cullen Emery made it 6-1 in the third before Rochester finally was able to solve Avakyan again to make the score 6-2, but it was too little too late for the Jr. Americans.
Maryland has a 2-3-1 record against Johnstown through six games this season, including a 0-1-1 record at 1st Summit Arena. The Black Bears haven’t been to Johnstown since mid-November when Johnstown came out on top 5-3 and 4-3 in overtime. A few weeks later, the Tomahawks visited Maryland for a two-game set with each team winning a game apiece by the score of 4-1. These two teams most recently met in early February at Piney Orchard Ice Arena, with Johnstown winning game one 5-3 before Maryland took the second game 3-2. Despite early struggles, the Black Bears have played increasingly stronger against the Tomahawks every series they meet.
Players to Watch:
Nick Avakyan (G, JTN): Avakyan has found recent success heading into the final weekend of the regular season, going 4-2-0 in his last six starts, yielding two or fewer tallies in all four wins, including a 43 save 2-0 shutout win over Danbury in March. Along with his strong record in his last six games, Avakyan is 1-0-0 against Maryland, turning aside 26 shots in a 4-1 win on November 30th.
Dylan Gordon (D, MYD): Gordon has been a huge contributor from the blue line with strong play on both ends. His 23 assists on the season are the sixth most on the Black Bears, accompanying great defensive instinct and smooth skating skills, helping Maryland transition from defense to offense with clean breakouts. Gordon has three points in his last five games.
Maryland and Johnstown square off at 1st Summit Arena on Friday, April 4th, at 7:30 p.m. ET, and Saturday, April 5th, 7:00 p.m. ET. All games can be streamed on NAHLTV.