Strong First Period Help Black Bears Win 12th Straight

MIDDLETOWN, NJ– In the last regular season match-up between these two teams, the Maryland Black Bears travelled to face the New Jersey Titans in a St. Patrick’s Day tilt. After a big first period, the Black Bears battled off adversity to take the victory 5-3

It didn’t take Maryland long to get on the board, as Ryan Franks drove hard to the net and tucked in his 26th of the season only 54 seconds into the game to make it 1-0 Maryland. The Black Bears kept their sustained pressure offensively, which paid off, as Tanner Duncan notched his 28th goal of the season off a solid give-and-go with Harrison Smith down low to make it 2-0. Maryland got the only penalty of the period, but the penalty kill did their job and cashed in short-handed, as Owen Drury collected an errant pass by New Jersey and netted his 15th of the season on a breakaway to make it 3-0 for Maryland. 

The Black Bears would go on the penalty kill early it the second, which they were able to kill off, but just after it expired, New Jersey would strike with Nathan Walsh making it 3-1 early on. The Black Bears would get a power play in the middle of the frame, but it would be New Jersey who would score with Skrogen Schrott would break in and put a wrister past Dom Gatto to make it a one-goal game. Maryland would get another power play after the media timeout and needed only 10 seconds before Ryan Franks would tip a Tanner Duncan one-timer to give Maryland the two-goal advantage once again. 

It took five minutes into the frame, but New Jersey would cut the lead to one as Eduard Gubeladze would throw a shot through traffic that got redirected by a Maryland defender to make it 4-3. It took Maryland almost 15 minutes into the frame to get their first shot on goal. They would get into a little penalty trouble in the middle part, but the PK was solid, as usual, for the Black Bears. With the extra attacker late, the Black Bears pinned the puck against the boards and when they were able to clear it, moved the puck in the offensive zone and it got to Drury for his second of the night to seal the deal 

The Black Bears have a home-and-home weekend ahead, as they’ll travel to Sewell, New Jersey on Friday before heading back to the friendly confines of Piney Orchard on Saturday night.