BLAINE, MN– After a big sweep of Elmira, the Maryland Black Bears and the rest of the NAHL headed to Blaine, Minnesota for the annual NAHL Showcase at the NSC Super Rinks. The first challenger for Maryland was the Chippewa Steel, who beat Maryland in the 2021-22 Showcase. Maryland continued their offensive ways in this one, dominating Chippewa from pillar to post to open up their Showcase with a 9-3 win. The nine-goal output is a Black Bears franchise record for most goals in a single game.
The party got started 47 seconds in for the Black Bears, as captain Owen Drury opened up the scoring by hammering a centering feed home to make it 1-0 for Maryland early. Maryland kept the pressure on the Chippewa net, holding them without a shot for the first six minutes. The Black Bears would add to their lead with Jaden Sikura putting home a centering feed from Tanner Duncan to make it 2-0 Black Bears. Maryland would continue their onslaught of the Chippewa net, but would give up the next goal late into the period, as Jake Hutchen’s shot popped into the air and fooled Dilans Birkans to put Chippewa on the board. However, 22 seconds later, Drury answers with a redirect of a Cole Peters shot to make it 3-1 Maryland. The Black Bears would make it 4-1 only 30 seconds later, as Trey Hinton connected on a power play goal off a rebound to start his night off right. Only 16 seconds after that, the Black Bears connected again, as Sikura poked the puck off the stick of a Chippewa defender, redirecting it top shelf to make it 5-1. Maryland scored three goals in 46 seconds to go into the locker room up 5-1.
The second period was a little more muted, as the Black Bears didn’t control the pace in the offensive zone as much as the first period. The defense would be called on to help shut things down, as they kill off a penalty with not much being thrown at Birkans. It was until under three minutes left in the period when Harrison Smith would get his first of the season as he weaved his way into open ice and put home a pass from Hinton to make it 6-1. Chippewa would get one back, as a defensive turnover on a breakout allowed Kevin Lysohir to walk in and beat Birkans to make it 6-2 heading into the second intermission.
Chippewa would add another early in the third as Freeman Butler’s shot had enough spin on it to pop in the air and go behind Birkans after the initial save to make it 6-3. It was all Black Bears after that, as less than two minutes later, Hinton redirected a Liam Doherty shot into the net for his second of the game to make it 7-3. Maryland’s pressure would pay off against midway through the frame as Duncan would tip in a Mate Tardi shot to make it 8-3. With under two minutes remaining, the Black Bears would put up a nine-spot with Hinton completing his hat trick, one-timing home a Josh Frenette pass to make it 9-3, the eventual final score of the game.
NOTES: Hinton’s hat trick is 11th regular season hat trick in Black Bears franchise history and 12th overall…. Birkans made 14 saves in the win….eight Black Bears had multi-point games with Hinton, Smith, Drury, and Frenette having three points.
Maryland is back at it on Friday to take on the Shreveport Mudbugs at 12:45 PM ET, with all the action happening on NAHL TV.
Clutch And Crab Hockey 