The visiting Maryland Black Bears scored three unanswered third period goals en route to a 3 – 1 over the Rebels to split the weekend series between the teams.
Paddy Fortune opened the game’s scoring with 5:10 remaining in the first period to give the Rebels a 1 – 0 lead. Playing 4 on 4 hockey, Fortune picked up the loose puck just outside the offensive zone by the near side boards. As he gained the line, he passed the biscuit to Ryan Bunting on his right. Bunting skated towards the far side corner and back along the circle and sent a cross-ice pass to Ryan Vaites at the top of the faceoff circle. Vaites stepped up and took a wrist shot that was redirected out front by Fortune and past Maryland goaltender Colin Ronan to make it start to rain teddy bears.
Fortune’s fourth goal of the season erupted the well over 500 fans in attendance to begin throwing teddy bears onto the ice for the Rebels first annual teddy bear toss. Close to 400 bears were collected and donated to the Gloucester County Toys for Tots.
After a scoreless middle stanza, Maryland tied the contest just fourteen seconds into the third period. The Black Bears opened the third with a 5 on 3 advantage. After Max Marquette’s penalty expired just seven seconds in to make it 5 on 4 play, Maryland then scored their first powerplay goal of the weekend. The Black Bears’ Luke Amell started it at the top of the near side faceoff circle and sent a pass into Artem Shchipanov in the slot. Shchipanov took a shot that was saved by Jack Fialkoff, but the rebound came out to Jesse Horacek, who was to the left of Fialkoff, and Horacek snuck the puck just inside the post and into the back of the net for Horacek’s tenth goal of the season.
With the Black Bears pressuring in the offensive zone, Horacek had the puck behind the Rebels net and made a centering pass out front to Riley Ruh who took a quick shot that beat Fialkoff to give Maryland a 2 – 1 lead.
Maryland’s Jeremi Tremblay scored an empty net goal with nine seconds remaining in the game to make it 3 – 1 and close out the scoring.
Fialkoff stopped 39 of 41 shots while Ronan turned aside 36 of 37. Click HERE for the complete box score.
These teams will meet again next week at the Piney Orchard Arena in Odenton, MD for a two-game series where both Rebels’ two wins against the Black Bears last year occurred.
