With an experienced and deep roster, the Upper Montgomery Lightning scheduled several games against private school opposition this season. The growth of the program has elevated to a level where the mid-range private school teams are willing to play Upper Montgomery thinking that they would use the games against the Lightning as early season tune up games. On the other hand, the Lightning fully expect to compete with and beat the private school teams. Tuesday’s game was an evenly matched contest until late in the game. The Lightning’s short bench (Hunter Cameron missed the game) and the debilitating season opening injury to top defender Andrew Botti both contributed to a late game collapse allowing the Falcons to skate away with a hard fought 6-3 victory.
Upper Montgomery had jump right from the outset of the game, peppering Falcons netminder Zach Stone with eighteen shots on goal in the period. The attack zone pressure broke down the Falcons defense on several occasions with the first defensive breakdown leading to Upper Montgomery’s initial goal of the game just three and a half minutes in. A faceoff in the Lightning’s defensive zone to the right of Upper Montgomery netminder Landon Bernard was cleared out of the zone by Good Counsel all the way to their own defensive end of the ice. Dual pressure was applied by Lightning forwards Nathan Cassel and Adam Levine. The Falcons defender played the puck under duress and simply dumped the puck out of the defensive zone.
With Cassel and Levine both curling to exit the zone and get back onside, Lightning co-captain, senior center Chris Hassett took possession of the puck rushing up ice at full speed. He entered the zone onside skating down the center left hand side of the slot. Hassett made a move to his right pulling the puck back to his forehand. Now in the right faceoff circle he uncorked a wrist shot low to the glove hand of Stone and past the Falcons netminder giving Upper Montgomery the lead. The unassisted goal was the Lightning’s active career scoring leader’s first goal of the season.
At the eight minute mark of the first period, Lightning defender Owen Robbins was called for hooking. While on the powerplay, Good Counsel evened the score. Falcons defender Nick Krauze skated the puck down the right wing into the offensive zone. He stopped and passed the puck back to Good Counsel forward Billy Harrison covering at the right point. Harrison sent the puck to the half wall to Colby Bluestein as he interchanged with the other Falcons defender. With motion drawing the focus of the Lightning penalty killers, Bluestein sent the puck to the Falcons Parker Jones at center point. Jones wound up and unleashed a slap shot from the top of the zone just inside the blue line. The low shot went past Bernard to his glove side.
The tying goal seemed to energize Good Counsel. The Falcons effort increased with extended periods of play in the Lightning defensive zone over the next couple of shifts. With just under five minutes remaining in the period, a Lightning clear and slow line change led to Good Counsel’s second goal. Krauze retrieved the Upper Montgomery dump in and skated around the net to the right wing side wall. He layered the puck to Falcons forward Kiptoo Soi. Soi bumped the puck forward to Harrison. Harrison carried the puck up the right wing into the Lightning’s defensive zone. He continued into the lower portion of the right faceoff circle where he returned the puck to Soi cutting down the slot. Soi’s snap shot was saved by Bernard. The rebound went back to Soi and his follow up forehand attempt beat Bernard stick side.
Now down two to one, Upper Montgomery would respond two minutes later. Lightning forward Ryan Jacobson who was playing defense in this game because of Botti’s injury and Cameron’s unavailability stepped forward in the neutral zone to snatch the puck. He rocketed down the right wing avoiding one attempted check and then fought through two other Falcons skaters. He stepped around the Falcons left defender and shot to the far side past Stone’s blocker and stick. It was the Lightning’s second unassisted goal of the game and evened the score at two.
The Falcons would charge right back. Soi collected the Lightning’s attempted dump in inside the right faceoff circle in his defensive zone. He spilt the oncoming two Lightning forwards and skated all the way into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. Soi jump cut inside to the inner edge of the right faceoff circle, and while doing so shot far side low past Bernard’s blocker and stick for his second goal of the period, an unassisted tally. The wildly entertaining first period came to a close with five total goals and thirty total shots on goal.
Upper Montgomery dominated the second period firing fourteen shots on net at Good Counsel’s second netminder Connor Buss. With play heavily concentrated in the Falcons zone for extended shifts, Bernard had a relatively easy fifteen minutes of action only needing to make three saves. Upper Montgomery’s pressure paid off with the tying tally with five and a half minutes left in the second period.
Bernard made a stick save on a routine Falcons shot from long range. Lightning center Bradley Cupples played the puck from the slot area out of danger to the right wing boards. Cassel was in position by the boards, and he sent a backhand pass to the middle of the ice to Brandon Bernard steaking out of the defensive zone. Cassel’s excellent pass sent Bernard in on a breakaway. Bernard made a move to his backhand and slid the puck around Buss. The puck hit the far post, caromed back into the goalie’s backside, and nestled over the goal line to tie the score at three. Upper Montgomery’s push extended until the horn ended play during the middle stanza. A break that was a welcome reset for the Falcons and brought with it a stern talking to by the Good Counsel coaching staff.
An unfortunate misplay four minutes into the third period led to Good Counsel reclaiming the lead. With an offensive zone faceoff in the right faceoff circle in the Falcons defensive zone, Hassett won the draw to the boards to Levine. Levine sent the puck back to the point to young Lightning defender Cole Howerton. Howerton’s attempted cross ice pass to his fellow defender was cut off by Harrison. With the Lightning offside defender backing up ready to shoot a one timer, and with the Lightning forwards headed toward the net to hunt down a rebound, Harrison was off on a breakaway from his own blue line. Harrison made a head fake as he neared Bernard and fired a shot past Bearnard’s glove at close range.
Two and a half minutes later Harrison would extend the Falcons lead. A bad pinch at the blue line by Upper Montgomery led to another odd skater rush up the ice for Good Counsel. Krauze came away from the boards with the puck. His pass to Harrison was knocked by the pinching Lightning blueliner to Soi. Harrison fired up ice and joined Soi on the rush. Soi carried the puck deep into the offensive zone where this time he returned the favor and fed Harrison in the slot. Harrison’s backhand shot was foiled by a nice stick save made by Bernard, who then could not recover to prevent Harrison’s second attempt from sneaking past him to widen the Good Counsel lead to five to three.
With just under five minutes remaining in the game, Robbins was called for a very soft hit from behind. In private school play, this is a five minute major penalty with no game misconduct or suspension. But, the major penalty meant that Upper Montgomery would play the remainder of regulation shorthanded, thwarting any realistic attempt at a comeback. Upper Montgomery did a decent job killing the first three minutes of the major penalty. Then, off a rewind in the neutral zone, Harrison kicked the puck up to Falcons forward Gavin Senko. Senko picked up the puck and skated down the right wing. He found Soi open in the slot. Soi’s first shot was blocked by Jacobson, but rebounded right back to him. Without striding, Soi fired for a second time into the empty side of the net, vacated when Bernard began tracking the first shot. It was a hat-trick for Soi and completed a third period in which Good Counsel outscored Upper Montgomery by three goals.
The game showed Upper Montgomery that it can compete with the private school teams. It also illustrated some of the flaws that the Lightning will need to shore up as the team progresses through the initial portion of the season. Defensively, there are too many odd skater chances created by the Lightning trying to do too much. There is no need to take unnecessary chances and give the opposition prime odd skater rushes. Without the full team in attendance at any game so far this year, the core skaters are not receiving enough rest to be effective late in games. The extra minutes played by the top skaters has led to tired and sloppy play late in games. The Lightning’s opponents are capitalizing on these plays. If these issues do not get fixed immediately, it will be a long season.
Game Notes:
- Upper Montgomery gave up three goals in the third period. The team now has a minus ten goal differential in the third period over the first three games of the season.
- Upper Montgomery outshot the Falcons 42-31 for the game with a lopsided advantage in the second period, 14-3.
- Upper Montgomery had no powerplays in the game.
- The Upper Montgomery penalty kill was pierced for goals on both Good Counsel powerplays.
- Upper Montgomery defender Owen Robbins was assessed a major for hitting from behind in the third period. The penalty occurred against a private school team using the private league high school rules. Thus, Robbins will not face supplemental discipline for the penalty.
- Good Counsel played each of their three goalies for one period in the game.
- Upper Montgomery returns to action next Tuesday evening, Halloween night, taking on the Sherwood Warriors. Game time is 6:30 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Billy Harrison—Good Counsel Forward—2 Goals, 3 Assists
Second Star—Kiptoo Soi—Good Counsel Forward—3 Goals, 1 Assist
Third Star—Ryan Jacobson—Upper Montgomery Forward—1 Goal