The Binghamton Black Bears (1-0) defeated the
Topeka Scarecrows (0-1) in Topeka on Wednesday
night to take game 1 of the Commissioner's Cup quarterfinals by the
score of 4-3. The Binghamton Black Bears came out with a clear edge
to start Game 1, capitalizing early and controlling the pace for
much of the opening frame. A familiar name helped swing momentum in
Binghamton’s favor, as Steven Klinck was sent to
the box for roughing Jacob Shankar at 8:34. The Black Bears
wasted little time making Topeka pay. At 9:18, Mac Jansen
opened the scoring on the power play, finishing a well-worked
sequence with assists from CJ Stubbs and Ivan Bondarenko
to give Binghamton a 1-0 lead. The Black Bears kept pushing, and
later in the period, Nick Swain extended the lead
with a strong individual effort. On a two-on-one rush, Swain opted
to shoot rather than pass, beating Topeka netminder Sammy
Bernard at 14:06 to make it 2-0. The goal stood unassisted
and highlighted Binghamton’s aggressive offensive mindset early.
Topeka had a chance to respond after Scott Ramaekers was called for
cross-checking at 15:56, but Binghamton’s penalty kill—ranked best
in the league during the regular season—held firm to preserve the
two-goal advantage. Behind 11 shots on goal and steady play in net
from Dominik Tmej, the Black Bears carried a 2-0
lead into the first intermission, firmly in control of Game 1.
The second period saw a more physical and penalty-filled stretch
of play, but the Binghamton Black Bears continued to capitalize when
it mattered most. Early in the frame, Binghamton was forced to lean
on its penalty kill as Kyle Stephan (2:24) and
Zac Sirota (10:19) were both sent to the box.
However, just like in the opening period, the Black Bears’
league-best penalty kill stood tall, shutting down Topeka’s
opportunities and maintaining the two-goal cushion. Momentum swung
back in Binghamton’s favor late in the period when Connor
Nagy was called for boarding Austin D’Orazio
at 13:22. The Black Bears’ power play unit made Topeka pay once
again. At 14:57, CJ Stubbs extended the lead to
3-0, finishing off a strong passing sequence from Ivan
Bondarenko and Austin D’Orazio for
Binghamton’s second power play goal of the night. The Scarecrows
were given another late opportunity when Kyle Stephan
picked up his second penalty of the period for hooking at 19:12, but
Binghamton held firm defensively to close out the frame. Shots in
the period were even at 9-9, but the Black Bears maintained control
on the scoreboard, carrying a commanding 3-0 lead into the third
period behind timely special teams play and disciplined defense.
The Black Bears looked to put the game out of reach early in the
third—and did just that thanks to another dominant showing from
their power play. With both Cory Checco (2:55) and
Connor Lind (3:46) sent to the box for hooking, Binghamton
was awarded a lengthy five-on-three opportunity. The league’s top
unit didn’t miss. At 4:51, CJ Stubbs buried his
second power play goal of the night, finishing a setup from
Ivan Bondarenko and Austin D’Orazio to
extend the lead to 4-0. However, the Scarecrows responded quickly
while still down a man. Just 42 seconds later, at 5:33,
Steven Klinck capitalized
on a shorthanded opportunity, ringing a shot off the post and in for
an unassisted goal to get Topeka on the board and cut the deficit to
4-1. Klinck wasn’t done there. With 4:37 remaining, he struck again
at 15:23, finishing a play from Cameron Clark and
Gordon Whalen to bring the Scarecrows within two
and shift some late momentum. The pressure continued to build late,
and with just 36 seconds remaining, Trevor Lord made things
interesting, scoring at 19:24 off a feed from Trevor Grasby
and TJ Sneath to make it a one-goal game at 4-3.
Despite the late push, the Black Bears held on to secure the Game 1
victory. Binghamton outshot Topeka 15-6 in the third period and
35-22 overall, controlling much of the play despite the late scare.
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