SEWELL, N.J. — The Philadelphia Rebels return to action Tuesday morning as they travel to Maryland to take on the Black Bears. Puck drop is scheduled for 11 a.m.
Philadelphia enters the contest with an 11-8-1-0 record following a 3-1 road victory over the New Jersey Titans on Saturday. Jeremy Lowe stopped 33 of 34 shots, while Cam Wilson, Zach Greenlund and Justin Vlassis each found the back of the net to help the Rebels earn a split of their home-and-home series.
Tuesday’s contest marks the first meeting between the two teams since opening weekend, when Maryland swept a two-game series against Philadelphia.
Paxton Couture and Timmy Donohue are tied for the team lead with 16 points apiece. Couture has recorded five goals and 11 assists through 20 games, while Donohue has tallied five goals and 11 assists in 18 contests. Cam Wilson follows with 15 points, while Dylan Moran leads Philadelphia with eight goals this season.
Between the pipes, Benjamin Varsa ranks 20th among NAHL goaltenders with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. Varsa has recorded five victories and two shutouts in nine appearances this season, while Lowe enters Tuesday’s matchup coming off a 33-save performance against New Jersey.
Maryland enters the matchup led offensively by Brayden Wade, who has recorded 21 points in 19 games. Matthew Shpungin follows with 17 points, while Tanner Terranova has contributed 16 points through 18 contests. Defenseman Vincent Glos has also been a key contributor offensively, ranking seventh among NAHL defensemen with 15 points in 17 games.
The Black Bears have also received strong goaltending from Michael Iliff and Cole Werthman, who both rank among the league’s top 15 in goals-against average. Iliff ranks 10th with a 2.01 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage and eight wins, while Werthman ranks 13th with a 2.13 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.
Special teams could play a significant role in Tuesday’s matchup. Maryland enters the contest ranked 13th in the NAHL on the power play, converting at 20.3%, while Philadelphia ranks 32nd at 12.2%.
The Black Bears also hold an advantage on the penalty kill, ranking eighth in the league at 87%, compared to the Rebels, who rank 23rd at 79.1%. However, Philadelphia is coming off a strong penalty-killing performance Saturday, successfully killing off all eight New Jersey power-play opportunities.
The Rebels will look to build on Saturday’s road victory and earn their first win of the season against Maryland when the puck drops at 11 a.m. Tuesday.