ABERDEEN, Md. — The Maryland Black Bears used a strong second period to pull away from the Philadelphia Rebels, earning a 5-3 win on Saturday night.
Maryland opened the scoring in the first period on the power play, as William Esterbrooks capitalized to give the Black Bears a 1-0 lead.
The Black Bears extended their advantage early in the second when Joshua Frenette made it 2-0. Philadelphia responded just over two minutes later, as Brayton Frick cut the deficit to 2-1 and gave the Rebels some momentum.
That momentum was short-lived. Maryland struck twice late in the second period, with Trey Hinton and Ryan Franks both finding the back of the net to push the lead to 4-1 heading into the third.
The Rebels attempted to rally early in the final frame. Defenseman Mikey Conlon scored less than three minutes into the period to bring Philadelphia within two at 4-2.
However, Maryland answered midway through the third, as Liam Doherty restored the three-goal cushion at 5-2.
Philadelphia refused to go away quietly. Less than two minutes later, Abzal Alibek scored shorthanded to cut the deficit to 5-3, but the Rebels were unable to complete the comeback.
Despite being outshot 27-17, Maryland made the most of its opportunities, while Philadelphia struggled to generate sustained offensive pressure.
Frick led the Rebels with a three-point night (one goal, two assists), while Conlon and Alibek each added a goal. Billy Sheridan, Gavin Callahan, and Dylan Moran each recorded assists.
In goal, Ben Varsa made 15 saves on 19 shots before Ilja Nikitins stopped five of six in relief.
With the loss, Philadelphia falls to 19-27-2-6 on the season, while Maryland continues to lead the East Division with a 46-5-3-1 record.