BLAINE, MN– After a goal-filled affair in the first game, the Maryland Black Bears faced a much different game on Friday afternoon against the Shreveport Mudbugs. A very tight game overall went into overtime and then a shootout, as Maryland falls 3-2 in the shootout loss.
Things didn’t start as quick for the Black Bears in this second game, but the offense began their pressure towards the Shreveport net towards the middle of the frame. At the other end, Ryan Denes made a couple big stops against Shreveport right after a Black Bears power play to keep the sheet clean in the early going. The forecheck for Maryland was starting to get going, which led to the first goal for the Black Bears with Cole Peters jumping down from the point and connecting at the side of the net off a pass behind the net to make it 1-0 for Maryland. The lead was short-lived, as Shreveport would answer 2:30 later with William-Alexis Tremblay connected on a rebound that snuck past Denes to tie it up. The Black Bears had a couple of tough turnovers in their own end, but Denes shook off the goal-against to keep the Black Bears tied up heading into the first intermission.
Maryland started the second with the power play, but couldn’t find the back of the net. While the pressure kept up, the Black Bears got into penalty trouble towards the middle of the frame, but the penalty kill was able to make sure Shreveport couldn’t get set-up and killed off the penalties easily. Shreveport was able to break the forecheck of the Black Bears and get a break, but Denes was steady to the task and able to keep the score tied up at one through 40 minutes.
The special teams started the period again, but the Black Bears couldn’t connect with the clean sheet of ice. In fact, Maryland had three power plays in the first half of the frame, but couldn’t find the back of the net in them. It wasn’t until the end of their third power play when Sam Osei snuck down from the point and got a great pass from Josh Frenette to put it home to make it 2-1 for Maryland. However, the Black Bears got dinged for back-to-back penalties after the goal. They were able to kill the first penalty, but Shreveport pulled their goalie during their second attempt and Jacob Stock redirected a point shot to tie the game up again, which is how regulation would end.
Maryland had some chances in the extra frame, but were dinged with a penalty late in the frame. Denes came up big on the penalty kill to keep the game going and push it to a shootout. In the shootout, Maryland scored in the third round with Jaden Sikura going five-hole, but Shreveport answered to push it into extra rounds, where Duke Ehrhard got the winner for Shreveport, leaving Maryland with only a point.
NOTES: Maryland outshot Shreveport 28-22…Denes registered 20 saves….Maryland was 0-for-8 on the power play and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.
The Black Bears have one more game at the Showcase, as they take on the defending Robertson Cup champion Bismarck Bobcats at 1:15 PM ET at the Super Rinks.
Clutch And Crab Hockey 