The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity traveled to Frederick this past Wednesday evening for a game against Frederick County’s junior varsity team. The very entertaining non-conference game had a little bit of everything before ending in a 5-5 tie. There were highlight real goals, end-to-end action, hard hits, great saves, lots of powerplays, and several firsts. The Lightning junior varsity’s record is now 2-4-2 with three conference games upcoming in January before the junior varsity playoffs commence in February.
The game started slowly with only one shot on goal by each team in the first seven minutes of action. Then, the game erupted. At 7:15 of the first period, Frederick County would open the scoring. Frederick County forward Nick Cangemi gathered the puck in the high slot and fired a wrist shot past Lightning netminder Landon Bernard near his body glove side. Off the ensuring faceoff Upper Montgomery iced the puck. The Lightning lost the defensive zone draw. Thomas O’Brien collected the puck and shot toward the net. The puck hit traffic in front and did not get through to Bernard. Instead, the puck bounced to Raymie Caiola alone in front. Another wrist shot, this time high glove side, put Frederick County in front 2-0. For Frederick County, it was goals on two of their first three shots of the game.
The lead would not last long, however. Right after scoring, Caiola took a tripping penalty putting the Lightning on the powerplay for what would be the first of their eight powerplay opportunities in the contest. From the defensive zone, Stephen Shkeda lofted the puck high in the air to clear the zone. The puck bounded up ice and Brandon Bernard outraced the Frederick County defense to the puck. He skated in alone on a breakaway, faking Frederick County netminder Conner Langston out of the play, and he slid a forehand shot into the vacant left side of the net. For the Lightning it was their first powerplay goal of the season. The Lightning would tie the score two and a half minutes later. Josh Nadler took control of the puck at center ice along the right wing boards. He skated the puck into the Frederick County defensive zone and around the net. As he rounded the goal, he centered the puck to Branson Hughes whose quick release beat Langston five hole for his first career high school goal. The Lightning kept up the pressure and had a flurry of chances as the first period drew to a close. At the first period buzzer, Greg Felder took a cross checking penalty in a scrum behind the Frederick County net.
The Frederick County powerplay at the beginning of the second period was short lived as Trent Wivell took a roughing penalty to even up the number of skaters on the ice. Just after Wivell’s penalty ended, Brandon Bernard would score again on an impressive individual effort. Two Frederick County skaters were in the far left wing corner beginning to retrieve the puck and start a breakout from their defensive zone. Bernard went in hard on the forecheck. He fought for puck possession and split the Frederick County defenders. Taking the puck directly toward the net, he beat Langston short side with a wrist shot for his second goal of the game and put Upper Montgomery up 3-2. Unfortunately, the Lightning would only have the lead for three minutes. Off of a faceoff to the left of Landon Bernard, Frederick County won the draw cleanly over to Cangemi who was curling to the top of the faceoff circle from his left wing position. Before getting into the slot, he fired a wrist shot high glove side past Bernard to even the game at three.
The next four minutes were played physically with both Adam Levine and Bradley Cupples on the receiving end of big hits. The physicality seemed to get Frederick County too energized as they began running around taking unnecessary and undisciplined penalties. First, Kobe Meitzler went to the penalty box for cross checking. Then, while nearing the end of the penalty kill, Wivell went back to the penalty box for roughing putting the Lightning on an eight second 5-3 advantage. In Lightning quick fashion, it would take only two seconds for Upper Montgomery to cash in and reclaim the lead. Off the faceoff, Brandon Bernard won the draw directly to Felder who was unguarded in the slot. Felder reacted quickly and fired a wrist shot five hole for his first career high school goal. Over the final minutes of the second period, the Lightning would remain on the powerplay as Jack McCoy was called for cross checking away from the play. The Lightning were unable to capitalize and could not expand on their 4-3 lead.
Just after McCoy’s penalty ended at the beginning of the third period, Cangemi was called for roughing continuing the parade of Frederick County student athletes to the penalty box. The Lightning powerplay was cut short when Cupples was called for cross checking thirty seconds later. Beginning with the four-on-four play, Frederick County turned up the pressure. Even though they failed to score, the momentum had clearly shifted. The volume of shots on Landon Bernard increased substantially (19 in the period) and he made several strong saves to keep the Lightning in front. With just under five minutes left in the game, a point shot by Aaron Eng was deflected. The puck popped up and into the crease area where Caiola was standing alone. The shot beat Landon Bernard high glove side once again to knot the game at 4-4.
The tie game would not last long. Thirty seconds after the Frederick County goal, Upper Montgomery would again re-take the lead. Brandon Bernard took control of the puck behind the Frederick County net. He passed the puck to Cupples at the left point. Cupples’ shot deflected wide of the net into the right corner besides Langston. The puck was retrieved by Adarsh Nair along the goal line. Nair turned and fired the puck toward the net. The puck hit Langston in the left shoulder and popped high in the air. As if in slow motion, the puck fell back toward the netminder hitting Langston along the backside and bounding into the net behind him. The Lightning again had the lead, this time at 5-4.
With 3:36 left in the game, the Lightning went on their seventh powerplay of the night when Meitzler was again called for cross checking. Unable to clear the puck from their defensive zone multiple times with the extra skater advantage, disaster stuck when Wivell collected the puck down low and fired at Landon Bernard. Bernard made the initial save, but the rebound went right back to Wivell who scored a shorthanded goal on the second chance between Bernard’s body and the right post. The Lightning still had 55 seconds remaining on the powerplay which they would fail to convert. With 1:10 left in the game, the Lightning would be given yet another powerplay when Wivell went back to the penalty box for the third time in the game, this time for cross checking. With a golden opportunity to win the game with a late powerplay goal, the Lightning never tested Langston as they were unable to get a shot on net and settled for the tie.
Game Notes:
- Brandon Bernard’s four point night was the most points ever scored by a Lightning student athlete in a junior varsity game.
- For the fourth time in eight games, the Lightning gave up a goal in the last three minutes of the game to either tie or make the game a one goal nailbiter.
- The Lightning were outshot by Frederick County 36-19.
- The Lightning penalty kill did not allow a powerplay goal and is now 21-23 on the season, 91.3%.
- The Lightning junior varsity powerplay finally broke through scoring both a powerplay goal as well as a 5-3 powerplay goal. The team was 2-8 on the powerplay in the game. The powerplay is now 2-26 on the season 7.7%.
- The Lightning will be looking to bounce back into the win column when they return to action on Monday, January 17th at 4:15pm against Rockville at Cabin John Ice Rink.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Brandon Bernard—Upper Montgomery Center—2 goals, 2 assists
Second Star—Nick Cangemi—Frederick County Forward–-2 goals
Third Star—Raymie Caiola—Frederick County Forward—2 goals