The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity smashed the Richard Montgomery Rockets Friday evening easing to an 8-0 win. The victory was the third consecutive season that the Lightning junior varsity opened the season with a shutout victory. The team also extended the junior varsity program record regular season undefeated streak to fifteen consecutive games (12-0-3). It was a wonderful way to begin the 2024 – 2025 season as the schedule is expected to get much tougher immediately on Wednesday evening when Upper Montgomery takes on top junior varsity foe Wootton.
The game with the Rockets opened with each team a little tentative feeling out the other. Both squads had early powerplay chances that fizzled. Upper Montgomery went on the powerplay one minute into the contest when Rockets defender Ryan Jones was called for a tripping penalty. The Rockets killed off the Lightning’s powerplay and then earned a powerplay of their own. Four and a half minutes into the contest Upper Montgomery ninth grade forward Siddy Bhasin was called for a hooking minor penalty. The Lightning penalty killers controlled the Rockets who had a hard time entering the Upper Montgomery defensive zone.
After its successful penalty kill, the Lightning began to assert more control of the pace of play. It took a few more minutes but Upper Montgomery stuck first on sophomore Jake Hudson’s first career high school goal. Hudson won the faceoff from the right faceoff circle in the offensive zone. It was a clean win that went to his brother, ninth grade defender Luke Hudson at the right point. Luke Hudson swung the puck over his left to his defensive partner sophomore Miles Wendland. From the top of the left faceoff circle Wendland fired at Richard Montgomery goalie Thomas Richardson (making his first ever appearance in a high school game). Wendland’s shot was blocked in front by the Rockets defense with the puck squirting to the left wing boards near the goal line. Wendland raced in reaching the puck first, and he flung the puck toward the slot. His pass was right on the money as he found Jake Hudson at the back right post with inside position on the Richard Montgomery defense. Hudson deftly smacked the puck as it was on the move through the crease past Richardson’s legs.
With forty five seconds remaining in the first period, Hudson would tally his second goal of the evening. Lightning ninth grade defender Matthew Rivera had the puck in his own defensive zone. His defensive zone outlet pass found Hudson at center ice. Hudson entered the Rockets defensive zone and shot from well beyond the top of the right faceoff circle. His long range shot eluded Richardson’s right toe to extend the Lightning’s lead to 2-0. Shots on goal in the first period favored the Rockets, with Upper Montgomery ninth grade netminder Porter Stutsrim-Lyons making saves on all nine shots on goal he faced. Upper Montgomery only fired six shots at Richardson.
Upper Montgomery began to overwhelm the Rockets during the second period. Bhasin was called for his second minor penalty of the game when he was called for a tripping penalty at center ice. Upper Montgomery again easily killed off the penalty. Ten seconds after he returned to the ice, Bhasin scored his first career high school goal to put Upper Montgomery up by three. Lightning ninth grade defender Lillian Robbins had the puck behind her own net. She rimmed the puck around the boards on the right wing to Upper Montgomery junior forward Jason Woodman. Woodman controlled the puck and exited the defensive zone with a nice pass to fellow forward ninth grader Max Israfilbek in the neutral zone. Israfilbek skated into the Rockets defensive zone to the right faceoff circle. From the faceoff dot he whipped a wrist shot high on Richardson. Richardson made a chest save and the puck dropped to his feet. Bhasin jammed in the rebound from just outside the goal line and around Richardson’s feet before the goalie could react.
Halfway through the period, Wendland was whistled for a cross checking penalty. As with the earlier middle period Lightning penalty kill, just after the penalty time expired, the Lightning cashed in with a goal. Robbins took possession of the puck on the right wing along her defensive blue line. She sent a bank pass off the boards up to Lightning newcomer, sophomore forward Mason Jagoz. Jagoz took two strides into the Rockets defensive zone and poked the puck over to Lightning ninth grade forward Decklin Hughes. Hughes positioned his body so that when the puck approached, he was able to rocket a slap shot from ten feet in front of the net past Richardson going low along the ice into the open side of the net. It continued a theme of Lightning student athletes scoring their first career high school goals.
Two minutes later the game was essentially over when Upper Montgomery sophomore forward Aiden Zheng increased the Lightning’s lead to 5-0. A puck battle in the right corner of the Lightning’s defensive zone was won by Zheng. He sprang up ice and fired down the opposite left side of the ice. When he reached the top of the left faceoff circle, he jump stopped allowing the trailing Richard Montgomery defenders to continue past him. Zheng then fired a low shot from the top of the left faceoff circle that went along the ice and through Richardson’s five hole.
A minute and a half later, Lightning senior forward AJ Marks extended the lead to 6-0. Rivera took control of the puck along his defensive blue line on the left side of the ice. He skated diagonally up ice to the right wing. At center ice he passed the puck up to Marks further ahead on the right wing. Marks entered the offensive zone on the right wing pushing the puck into the right corner. A shoulder check shed the Rockets defender and Marks stepped toward the net with the puck. From just in front he fired a quick shot past Richardson’s feet and into the net. The second period ended with Upper Montgomery on top 6-0 although shots on goal were fifteen to fourteen in favor of Richard Montgomery. The six goal bulge meant that the upcoming third period was played with running time.
A minute into the third period, Robbins would score the first goal of her high school career. Off of a faceoff in the left faceoff circle in the Lightning’s defensive zone, Jake Hudson playing back on defense sent the puck around the boards and down the ice along the right wing. The Richard Montgomery defender won the puck battle under pressure from Jagoz. However, Jagoz was able to get his stick on the clearing attempt slowing the puck enough as it traveled up the boards. Robbins was able to swoop in and send the puck toward the net from above the right faceoff circle. Robbins’ shot from the boards found its way past Richardson near side along the ice.
With ten minutes left in the game, Richard Montgomery forward Bennett Parisi was called for a roughing penalty. The Lightning pulled back and used their full compliment of skaters with the extra skater advantage and the large lead and still almost put in another goal. After the Rockets successful penalty kill all that remained was the final score with the outcome clearly in hand. The Lightning added one more goal with four minutes left when Zheng scored his second goal of the game. A Richard Montgomery misplay entering the Lightning’s defensive zone began the scoring sequence. After the puck was fumbled, the Rockets shot it behind the Upper Montgomery net. The puck traveled around to the right wing boards in the defensive zone where it was picked up by Bhasin. Bhasin shoved a pass a few feet toward the middle of the ice where it was picked up by Zheng at the center of the defensive blue line. Zheng outskated the Rockets defense down the ice. He pulled up at the left faceoff circle and fired a wrist shot past the right side of Richardson’s body to conclude the scoring.
With the game not in doubt, the Lightning spent the last four minutes of play protecting Stutsrim-Lyons and working to secure a shutout for the ninth grade goalie. It was a nice way to start the season. The schedule will get stiffer from here on out starting with one of the county’s top junior varsity teams in Wootton. The teams collide on Wednesday evening in what may turn into a preview of a Mid-January junior varsity playoff matchup.
Game Notes:
- Shots on goal for the game were even with Richard Montgomery firing 22 shots at Upper Montgomery goalie Porter Stutsrim-Lyons and Upper Montgomery countering with 21 shots on Richard Montgomery goalie Thomas Richardson.
- Upper Montgomery had four students score their first career high school goals; Jake Hudson, Siddy Bhasin, Decklin Hughes, and Lillian Robbins.
- Upper Montgomery goalie Porter Stutsrim-Lyons had a shutout in his first career high school game.
- Each Lightning skater who participated in Friday’s game registered at least one point.
- It was the third straight season that the Lightning junior varsity started the season with a shutout victory.
- Upper Montgomery killed off all four Richard Montgomery powerplay opportunities running the programs’ streak to 31 straight penalty kills.
- Over the past three regular seasons, Upper Montgomery’s junior varsity program has runs its unbeaten streak to fifteen games, 12-0-3.
- Upper Montgomery junior varsity returns to action this Wednesday against the Wootton Patriots. Game time is 6:30 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Jake Hudson—Upper Montgomery Forward—2 Goals
Second Star—Aiden Zheng—Upper Montgomery Forward—2 Goals
Third Star—Porter Stutsrim-Lyons—Upper Montgomery Goalie—22 Save Shutout Victory