Friday evening’s game against BCC was the start of a tough four game stretch for the Upper Montgomery Lightning. Judging by the result, a convincing 7-2 BCC victory in which the Barons were in control from the beginning of the contest, the next three games may be similarly difficult if the Upper Montgomery defense and goaltending does not quickly improve. The loss continues the Lightning’s winless start to the season, now at 0-5, and which could easily grow with Mount St. Joseph’s, second ranked Walter Johnson, and top ranked Churchill upcoming over the next three games.
The Lightning coaches knew that this game was going to be difficult. In addition to the highly talented opponent, Upper Montgomery was going to be missing leading scorer Chris Hassett, super talented defender Andrew Botti who is still out with an upper body injury, and the squad would also be missing Ryan Jacobson. Both Hassett and Jacobson separately would be missing the game traveling with their external travel team being out-of-town.
The shorthanded Lightning put forth a decent effort to start the game. The team packed in tight defensively and made it difficult for the Barons to get many quality looks on Upper Montgomery’s netminder, Landon Bernard. The effect of the packed in defensive style was that the team barely mustered quality scoring chances of their own. The Lightning registered just four shots on goal in the first period with none of the shots on net threatening to beat BCC goalie Vivienne Boyle.
BCC would jump to an early 1-0 lead off of an unfortunate bounce. An Upper Montgomery turnover on the side wall went to BCC forward Aleksander Talty. Talty fired from the left faceoff circle. His shot was blocked by the Upper Montgomery defense and the puck ricocheted through the slot right onto the stick of BCC forward Evan Williams. Bernard went down too early and from the bottom of the right faceoff circle Williams flipped the puck over the prone goaltender.
Midway through the first period, Upper Montgomery went on the powerplay for the first time when Barons’ defender Danny Loughlin was called for roughing. As has been the case the entire season, the Lightning failed to convert with the extra skater, and on this opportunity they failed to generate any offensive threat. But, with Upper Montgomery focusing almost entirely on defense, the score was still very competitive with BCC only leading by one goal with two minutes remaining in the first period.
However, with less than two minutes remaining in the first period, Loughlin sent the puck down the boards into the left corner. Upper Montgomery’s defense sent the puck around the net from defender to defender. The upcoming outlet pass to breakout of the defensive zone was deflected back toward the Lightning goal directly onto the stick of Williams once again. Williams curled into the right circle and fired high far side past an unsuspecting Bernard. Even though the Lightning had been outplayed, it was two bad deflections that led directly to both Barons’ goals.
Early in the second period BCC would end the competitive portion of the game. Barons’ defender Collin Eccles while spinning and falling in the neutral zone pushed the puck to Barons’ forward Peter Lanpher. Lanpher traveled down the left wing into the Lightning defensive zone. He then left a drop pass for Eccles’ defensive partner Grady Jiggens. From between the top of the left faceoff circle and the blue line, Jiggens let loose with a wrist shot high glove side that bounced out of Bernard’s glove over his body and into the net. It was a deflating goal that sucked the energy out of the Lightning bench. The remainder of the game took on the feel of a scrimmage lacking in intensity, with Upper Montgomery running around all over the ice just trying to get the puck outside of their defensive zone.
Showing how dominant BCC was in the period, the shots on goal were tilted in favor of the Barons eighteen to five. Upper Montgomery was under siege while killing a tripping penalty assessed to Henry Honacki. With under four minutes to go in the middle frame, Barons center Matthew Duffy would score an unassisted goal to enlarge the Barons lead to 4-0. BCC dumped the puck into the Lightning defensive zone. Lightning defender, senior co-captain Hunter Cameron cleared the puck back out to center ice. Duffy picked up the puck and came back into the Lightning defensive zone. He faked around an Upper Montgomery defender and lifted a backhander over Bernard’s blocker and right shoulder short side high. As the period mercifully neared its conclusion, high scoring Lightning forward Nathan Cassel was given a ten minute misconduct penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Fifteen seconds into the third period Duffy struck again. He won the opening faceoff back and over to Eccles on the left wing side of the ice. Eccles playing this shift at forward passed the puck along the blue line over to Sebastian Harrison on the right side of the ice. Harrison sent the puck back to left along the blue line to Jiggens. Jiggens hit Eccles in the center of the neutral zone with a pass. Eccles skated down the left wing and left a drop pass for Duffy in the left faceoff circle. Duffy ripped a wicked wrist shot just under the crossbar high blocker side past Bernard who had little chance on the play.
Thirty seconds later BCC went up 6-0. The Barons exited their defensive zone along the right wing. Lanpher passed the puck up to Harrison who sent it back to Lanpher. Lanpher skated through the neutral zone and into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. Lanpher found Eccles all alone in the slot after a missed Lightning defensive assignment. Eccles had a clean look at the net and beat Bernard far side past his stick and blocker.
Halfway through the final stanza, Upper Montgomery took back to back penalties. First Cameron was called for tripping and then Lightning forward Philip Shkeda was called for roughing. Just prior to Cameron’s penalty expiring, BCC scored a five on three goal powerplay goal. Duffy won a faceoff in the left circle back to the Eccles at the mid point along the blue line. Skating to the right faceoff circle, Eccles unloaded a shot that was saved by Bernard’s leg pads. Talty retrieved the puck along the left wing boards and sent it up to Duffy who was now stationed at the center mid point along the blue line. Duffy’s low wrist shot through traffic went in along the ice stick side to the far corner of the net for his hat trick goal.
With four and a half minutes left in the game, Upper Montgomery would spoil Boyle’s shutout bid. Shkeda collected a rebound of a BCC shot in his right defensive corner. He skated the length of the ice up the left wing boards deep into the offensive zone. He fired a wrist shot from a bad angle that was saved by Boyle. The rebound was pushed behind the net. A bad BCC clearing attempt was kept in at the left point by Lightning defender Brady Berkhammer. Berkhammer passed the puck to Shkeda in the slot. Shkeda skated to his right into the right faceoff circle where he lifted a backhander toward the net which was deflected by a backchecking BCC forward up over Boyle’s glove into the top right corner of the net.
The Lightning would close out the scoring with just over a minute left in the game. Berkhammer blocked a BCC shot and swatted the puck over to Lightning forward Bradley Cupples. Cupples exited the Lightning defensive zone and skated down the left wing into the offensive zone. Cupples’ attempted pass back over to Berkhammer at the right point hit a leg and laid in the high slot. Lightning senior Olivia Robbins was trailing the play and she collected the loose puck. Robbins patiently waited for a screen to develop in front of the net before shooting. Her low shot stick side beat Boyle for her first goal of the season.
Game Notes:
- Upper Montgomery gave up three more goals in the third period. The team now has a minus thirteen goal differential in the third period over the first five games of the season.
- Upper Montgomery was badly outshot by BCC 43-14, getting dominated over the final two periods of play, 33-10.
- Since getting its first ever points in a tie against BCC last season, the Barons have won the next two games by scores of 8-2 and 7-2.
- Upper Montgomery again looks to secure its first win of the season when the team returns to action on Wednesday afternoon, taking on private school powerhouse Mount St. Joseph’s. Game time is 4:00 pm at Laurel Ice Gardens. This will be the first ever meeting between the programs.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Matthew Duffy—BCC Center—3 Goals
Second Star—Evan Williams—BCC Forward—2 Goals
Third Star—Collin Eccles—BCC Defense—1 Goal, 3 Assists