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Black Bears Open Championship Defense with 5-2 Win Over Watertown on Banner Raising Night October 10, 2026 | ||
Posted by: Bob Howard Credit: BinghamtonHockey.net | ||
10-10-2026 – by Bob Howard - BinghamtonHockey.net
The Binghamton Black Bears opened their 2026-27 season Saturday night at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena, defeating the Watertown Wolves 5-2 in front of a sellout crowd of 4,893 fans. The night marked the third consecutive Banner Raising Ceremony Night for the Black Bears, celebrating their third straight Commissioner’s Cup championship, and the third consecutive time Watertown served as the opponent for the occasion. With the latest championship banner raised to the rafters, the Black Bears turned their attention to the task ahead: defending their title and pursuing a fourth consecutive championship. Binghamton got the season started on the right foot, using a productive power play and a strong second period to secure the victory. First Period: Black Bears Strike Twice on the Power PlayThe Black Bears wasted little time establishing themselves offensively, taking advantage of the power play to build an early lead. At 10:56, CJ Stubbs opened the scoring with a power-play goal, assisted by Ivan Bondarenko and Scott Ramaekers, giving Binghamton a 1-0 advantage. The Black Bears struck again at 14:11 when Chance Gorman converted another power-play opportunity, with Sam Dabrowski and Andrew Logar picking up the assists to extend the lead to 2-0. Binghamton's special teams were clicking, but the opening period also featured plenty of penalties and physical play. Watertown's Jake Shultz was assessed a high-sticking minor at 10:24, while Binghamton's Dan Wieber and Watertown's Donovan Powell were each handed unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties during the same stoppage. The Wolves continued to look for opportunities to get back into the game, and their persistence paid off at the most critical moment of the period. With just one second remaining on the clock, Donovan Powell scored a power-play goal, assisted by Matthew O'Shaughnessy, cutting the Black Bears' lead to 2-1 heading into the first intermission. After surrendering the late goal, Binghamton still carried a one-goal advantage into the second period, having scored twice with the man advantage. Second Period: Bondarenko Takes OverThe second period belonged to Ivan Bondarenko, who scored twice on the power play to give the Black Bears some breathing room. At 6:31, Bondarenko found the back of the net with the man advantage, assisted by Scott Ramaekers and Chance Gorman, restoring Binghamton's two-goal lead at 3-1. The Black Bears continued to pressure Watertown and made the most of another opportunity late in the period. With only eight seconds remaining before the second intermission, Bondarenko struck again on the power play at 19:52. Sam Dabrowski and CJ Stubbs recorded the assists, giving Bondarenko his second goal of the night and pushing the Black Bears' lead to 4-1. The late marker capped a productive middle frame for Binghamton, which scored twice without allowing a goal. Watertown took only two penalties in the period, but the Wolves could not slow down the Black Bears' power play. The teams headed to the dressing rooms with Binghamton firmly in control, holding a three-goal advantage after 40 minutes. There was also a change in net for Watertown during the intermission. Nolan Egbert, making his return to Binghamton, was replaced after the second period by rookie goaltender Samuel Zgiet for the final 20 minutes. Third Period: Black Bears Finish the JobBinghamton added another goal early in the third period to further strengthen its hold on the game. At 10:04, Chance Gorman scored his second goal of the night, assisted by Nick Cyprian and Sam Dabrowski, putting the Black Bears ahead 5-1. Gorman's second marker gave Binghamton a four-goal cushion and capped a productive night for the forward, who finished with two goals and an assist. The third period became increasingly chippy, with several penalties handed out at 10:51. Watertown's Matthew O'Shaughnessy received an unsportsmanlike-conduct minor, while Binghamton's Scott Ramaekers was called for holding. Andrew Logar was assessed an unsportsmanlike-conduct minor and a 10-minute misconduct during the same sequence. Watertown capitalized on the ensuing power-play opportunity at 11:33 when Jake Shultz scored, with Donovan Powell earning the assist. The goal brought the Wolves within three at 5-2, but the Black Bears maintained control through the remainder of the period to secure the season-opening victory. The third period ended with each team scoring once, and Binghamton closed out the night with a three-goal win in front of its home crowd. Goaltending Dominik Tmej played all 60 minutes for Binghamton, stopping 15 of the 17 shots he faced to earn the win. Egbert faced a heavy workload through the first two periods, turning aside 38 of 42 shots before being replaced by Zgiet. The rookie stopped 15 of the 16 shots he faced in the third period, giving Watertown a .938 save percentage in his relief appearance. Black Bears Start the Season with a StatementThe Black Bears opened their championship defense with a 5-2 win, powered by four power-play goals and a two-goal performance from both Bondarenko and Gorman. Bondarenko finished with two goals and an assist, while Gorman recorded two goals and an assist of his own. Stubbs contributed a goal and an assist, and Dabrowski also had a productive night with three assists on Binghamton's scoring plays. For the third consecutive season, the Black Bears raised a Commissioner’s Cup banner in front of their home fans, and for the third consecutive banner-raising night, the Watertown Wolves were the visitors. The ceremony celebrated what Binghamton had accomplished over the previous season, but the opening-night victory served as a reminder that the Black Bears have their sights set on what comes next. The banner is in place, the season is underway, and Binghamton has begun its pursuit of a fourth straight championship with a win. |
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