SEWELL, N.J. — The Philadelphia Rebels jumped out to a fast start but couldn’t hold off a relentless push from the Maryland Black Bears, falling 6-5 in a high-scoring matchup Friday night.
Philadelphia struck early and often, opening the scoring just over three minutes into the game when Jordan Brothers pulled off a slick toe-drag before sniping home his 17th goal of the season to make it 1-0. The Rebels doubled their lead shortly after on the power play, as Abzal Alibek found the back of the net to give Philadelphia a 2-0 advantage.
Maryland responded almost immediately, with Harrison Smith scoring just 14 seconds later to cut the deficit to 2-1.
The Rebels continued to press late in the first period. With just over four minutes remaining, Broxton Ingle extended the lead to 3-1. Less than two minutes later, Joe Stauber capitalized on a power-play opportunity, pushing the lead to 4-1 and capping off a dominant opening frame for Philadelphia.
However, momentum shifted dramatically in the second period as Maryland mounted a comeback. Ryan Franks got things started for the Black Bears before Brayden Wade struck twice to bring Maryland even. Owen Drury then gave the visitors their first lead of the night with a shorthanded goal, making it 5-4.
Philadelphia answered late in the period. With just 36 seconds remaining, Ryan Bunting converted on the power play to tie the game at 5-5, sending the teams into the second intermission deadlocked after a wild middle frame.
In the third period, Cole Peters delivered the decisive blow, scoring the go-ahead goal for Maryland as the Black Bears completed the comeback.
Despite the loss, the Rebels saw strong offensive contributions across the lineup. Five different players found the scoresheet, while Billy Sheridan added two assists. Stauber’s goal highlighted a productive night for the blue line, and Philadelphia’s power play proved effective, converting three times.
In net, Ilja Nikitins made 27 saves on 33 shots. As for Maryland’s Ryan Denes, he stopped 18 of the 23 shots he faced.
With the loss, the Rebels fall to 19-26-2-6 on the season and will look to bounce back as the two teams continue their weekend series on Saturday in Maryland. Puck drop is slated for 6:30 p.m.