Maine Nordiques goaltender Carter Richardson nearly recorded his second shutout of the weekend.

But a goal by former Twin City Thunder forward Sam Stitz was enough for the Maryland Black Bears to pick up a 1-0 win in Game 2 of the NAHL East Division Final at Piney Orchard Ice Arena in Odenton, Maryland, on Saturday night.

“It deflected. It was a wacky one,” Maine Nordiques coach Nick Skerlick coach said of the goal Richardson let in. “I will tell you after that, he played 10 minutes of lights-out hockey. Two breakaway saves in the second period this weekend and he made another one in the third. I think he saw less volume tonight. But he gave us a chance to win.”

Richardson, the first-year goalie, made 36 saves in the loss.

Owen Lepak made 30 saves for his first shutout of the postseason. He had three during the regular season.

“This is going to be a goalie duel, or at least the start of the series is a goalie duel,” Skerlick said.

The best-of-five series is now tied at a game apiece. Maine defeated Maryland 2-0 in Game 1 on Friday night.

The Nordiques power play struggled Saturday, going 0-for-4 on the man advantage while the Black Bears went 0-for-2.

“We will look at the video (to see) if we can sneak one or two in,” Skerlick said. “The team that wins the series is the team that’s going to win the power play game. I really feel that way. I should say the special teams game, is what I really should say. Right now, both teams are 0-for-6 on the power play.”

Stitz, who played for the Thunder in the 2021-22 season, is in his second season with the Black Bears. The Air Force commit scored nearly six minutes into the first period. Trayce Johnson had the lone assist.

The series shifts to The Colisee in Lewiston on Friday night for Game 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Game 4 on Saturday at 2 p.m. It will be a quick turnaround for a potential Game 5, which is scheduled for Sunday, May 12, at 7 p.m. in Odenton if the series gets that far.

“We came down here as a staff and as a group talking about getting one and we just got that,” Skerlick said. “Now, we have a chance to win Game 3 on home ice and see where things fall in Game 4. But we are focused on Friday night at 7:30.”

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After Maryland baseball defeated Rutgers on Friday in game one of its three-game weekend series, they played the remaining two games on Saturday due to potential weather issues on Sunday.

In a pitcher’s duel in game one, the Terps went 0-7 with runners in scoring position and lost, 2-1, forcing a game two rubber match, which Maryland won, 6-4.

Maryland has won consecutive Big Ten series as it heads into the bye week.

Maryland loses the pitching duel in game one, 2-1

Joey McMannis got the nod from head coach Matt Swope in the first game of the day. The right-hander started his outing with three consecutive scoreless innings, working out of two jams.

Maryland tallied the first run of the game in the second inning, when Rutgers’ Donovan Zsak walked Elijah Lambros with the bases loaded.

McMannis found himself in trouble in the fourth inning, as Johnny Volpe blasted a two-run single, giving Rutgers the lead. McMannis was subsequently pulled for Evan Smith.

On the afternoon, McMannis gave up six hits, two earned runs and four walks, while striking out four batters, in 3 ⅔ innings. Despite a solid showing, it was an earned loss for the freshman.

Smith had a phenomenal performance out of the pen, notching 4 ⅓ scoreless innings, giving up two hits and walking one batter. He also totaled three strikeouts, worked two 1-2-3 innings and only allowed three total base runners.

Zsak, Sonny Fauci and Joe Mazza were exceptional on the mound for the Scarlet Knights. Combined, they gave up just five hits, one run and five walks. As well, seven Terps struck out in game one.

Despite numerous opportunities, the Terps faltered by stranding eight runners on base. While Rutgers also struggled, leaving 10 runners on base, it was Maryland’s inability to capitalize in crucial moments that proved costly. In the fifth inning, the Terps found themselves with the bases loaded and no outs, but a strikeout, infield fly and groundout in succession dashed their hopes of scoring multiple runs in game one.

Maryland puts up two three-run innings to win game two, 6-4

Logan Koester and the Scarlet Knights’ Jake Marshall got game two started, trading scoreless innings through the first three frames, with the Terps failing to earn a base runner.

Marshall simmered down in the fourth inning, though. He allowed two singles, and then proceeded to throw two passed balls during Brayden Martin’s at-bat, which allowed Eddie and Chris Hacopian to score. Martin finished the at-bat with an RBI single to drive in Sam Hojnar.

On the other side, Tony Santa Maria hit a solo home run, cutting Maryland’s lead to just two in the bottom of the fourth.

Rutgers tied the game up in the fifth inning, as Volpe continued his big day with a two-run double.

But Maryland snatched the lead right back sixth inning, as Sam Portnoy hit Devin Russell with a pitch to force in a run. Then, Elijah Lambros reinstated the three-run lead with a two-run double.

Koester pitched six innings for the first time in six weeks, looking like his early-season self. He gave up three earned runs on seven hits and struck out two batters.

Logan Berrier took the mound in the seventh inning and immediately gave up a run, as Cameron Love scored on a balk. Berrier redeemed himself in the final two innings, though, ending each inning after just three batters to secure the game and series.

Three things to know

1. Stellar pitching. Maryland only used four pitchers in two games on Saturday. McMannis, Smith, Koester and Berrier gave up a combined six runs in 18 innings.

2. Second straight Big Ten series win. After splitting the doubleheader, Maryland earned its second straight Big Ten series win after losing its previous four.

3. Varying offensive performances. Maryland was 0-7 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base in game one, as the Terps only scored one run. Game two was a different story, though, as the Terps posted two three-run innings.

More than 16,000 pounds of beef has been recalled over potential E. coli contamination from Walmart stores including locations in Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced the recall of meat products produced by Cargill Meat Solutions, a Hazelton, Pennsylvania, company. The raw ground beef items were produced on April 26-27 and shipped to stores nationwide.

Dozens of locations in Pennsylvania and Maryland are listed. No Delaware stores are on the list affected by the recall. A full list of stores that are subject to the recall can be found here.

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The products include ground beef and beef patty products. A list of potentially contaminated products and identifying markings can be found here.

A USDA press statement announcing the recall said there had been no confirmed reports of “adverse reactions” from the recalled products; however, federal officials are concerned that potentially contaminated beef subject to recall could be in peoples’ refrigerators or freezers. Products subject to the recall should be thrown away or returned to the place of purchase, according to the USDA statement.