The Upper Montgomery Lightning began defense of their junior varsity championship with a shutout victory over the DC Stars. The game was played at historic Fort Dupont Ice Arena in downtown Washington, DC. Playing without several key student athletes, Upper Montgomery controlled play throughout the game and clamped down in the third period to help Landon Bernard notch his first career high school shutout in the victory. Five Lightning student athletes made their team debuts in the win.
The first period started off slowly. Both teams were feeling their way through the period. While the Stars had played one game earlier in the season, a tie versus Rockville/Magruder, it was the season opener for Upper Montgomery. For the Lightning the slow start could be chalked up to a combination of continuously changing offensive lines and taking quick shifts to stay fresh throughout the game. Just over halfway through the period, Upper Montgomery would strike first.
Henry Honacki collected the puck in the neutral zone and backhanded the puck off the side boards to TJ Gottesman standing near the offensive blue line. Gottesman made an aggressive move with the puck into the middle of the ice at the Stars blue line. Just as he moved inside the blue line, the Stars defense took the body on Gottesman and the puck flittered away into the high slot. Patrick Sell had moved up from his left defense position to join the rush. Sell got to the loose puck first and quickly fired a wrist shot that went mid-height glove side on Stars starting netminder Gabriel Sokol. For Sell it was his first career high school tally.
Playing with the lead for the second half of the first period, the Lightning stifled the neutral zone creating many turnovers which negated much of the DC Stars offensive game. Shots on goal in the first period were Upper Montgomery seven and the DC Stars four.
The second period was far more entertaining and far more offensive. Upper Montgomery fired eleven shots on goal and the DC Stars had ten shots on Bernard, including a few sequences in tight where Bernard also made saves on the rebound chances. Henry Honacki had multiple breakaway chances and just could not get a puck to go past Sokol. With five minutes to go in the middle period, the Lightning would stretch the lead to 2-0.
After a defensive zone faceoff to the left of Bernard, the puck squirted over to the bottom of the right circle in the Lightning defensive zone. Jake Roth cleared the puck up ice forcefully and apparently close enough to the Stars defense that icing was immediately waived off. Stephen Shkeda and Adam Levine outraced the Stars defense back to the puck which was now sitting below the goal line to the right of Stars backup netminder Anton Tracy. Shkeda collected the puck and swung around the net going left to right while Levine when to the top of the crease and stopped. Shkeda maneuvered around the backtracking Stars defense and centered the puck to Levine. Levine wasted no time and fired a low wrist shot between Tracy’s leg pad and the near post. Going back to last season, it was the third straight junior varsity game in which Levine has scored.
The third period was controlled by the Lightning. The Stars struggled to gain possession of the puck and generate any offense. The Lightning had several chances to extend the lead but couldn’t find the back of the net. Most of the third period was played in the Stars defensive zone or in the neutral zone. The Stars generated just one shot on goal in the third period as they tried to claw back into the game. However, the Lightning’s collective team defensive effort and intensity prevented the home team from mounting any sort of a comeback. A good win to start the season and a well deserved victory for the effort that the Lightning junior varsity put forth.
Game Notes:
- The Lightning outshot the Stars 30-15 for the game.
- Landon Bernard posted his first career high school shutout.
- Patrick Sell scored his first carrier high school goal.
- The Lightning penalty kill was a perfect three for three in the game.
- The Lightning held the Stars to one shot on goal in the third period.
- The Lightning junior varsity next return to action on Monday, November 7 at 3:00 pm against Glenelg at Columbia Ice Rink.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Henry Honacki—Upper Montgomery Center—1 Assist
Second Star—Stephen Shkeda—Upper Montgomery Center—1 Assist
Third Star—Landon Bernard—Upper Montgomery Goalie–15 Save Shutout Victory