For much of the week leading up to Friday’s Montgomery Hockey Conference quarterfinal matchup between the Upper Montgomery Lightning and the unbeatable Churchill Bulldogs, the pundits had speculated about how non-competitive the matchup would be. Upper Montgomery was a prohibitive underdog against Churchill, with the matchup being the only quarterfinal game where no prognosticator gave the Lightning a shot to win. The Bulldogs had not lost a county or state playoff game in nine years. The Bulldogs have won eight of the past nine Maryland state championships. The only time Churchill was not state champion was during the recent COVID season when too many Bulldog student athletes were in quarantine and unavailable to play and Churchill was not permitted to compete in the state playoffs.
Conversely, Upper Montgomery won its first ever county playoff game last week. Overtime was needed to prevail against St. Johns who was seeded tenth out of the twelve teams to make the county playoffs. To say that Upper Montgomery was a prohibitive underdog against the Bulldogs was about as big an understatement as one could make. No worries, Upper Montgomery embraced the underdog role. An additional practice was added leading up to the game, with the coaching staff going so far as to conclude the practice session practicing shootout breakaway attempts.
All week calls flooded in from around the state wishing the Lightning luck and to provide strategic advice on how the Lightning should play the Bulldogs. The entire state outside of Churchill’s section of Potomac were rooting for the Lightning to do the unexpected. The advice would not be necessary. The Upper Montgomery coaching staff prepared a masterful game plan focused on utilizing a zone defensive shell. The student athletes implemented the game plan masterfully leading to the game playing out just the way Upper Montgomery needed it to go.
Churchill entered the game with an 8-3-1 record with all losses coming against either top seeded Walter Johnson or to private high school teams. In their last regular season game, Churchill had pummeled third seeded Quince Orchard 9-1. In early November in their regular season meeting against Upper Montgomery, Churchill had prevailed easily 8-2. What was unknown to Churchill was that Upper Montgomery was missing half the squad due to illness. Upper Montgomery was confident that if they could keep the score close, Churchill would get frustrated.
That is exactly what happened. Churchill with their six AAA student athletes took on an Upper Montgomery Lightning roster with zero AAA student athletes. Further damaging Upper Montgomery’s chances, the Lightning played without their third leading scorer, Ryan Jacobson who was out of town with his external travel team. Over the first eight minutes of game action, Upper Montgomery never threatened the offensive side of the ice. Content to sit back and thwart the Bulldogs attack, Upper Montgomery mucked up the neutral zone and forced the Bulldogs to dump the puck in deep into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone and chase in after the puck. Upper Montgomery regularly got to the puck first and simply cleared the zone.
Quick line changes ensured that the Lightning skaters did not tire and did not get caught on the ice for long shifts. With the talent and speed differential that Churchill possessed, the Lightning need to focus on every detail, play excellent positional defensive hockey, and be rewarded with some luck. The opening eight minutes of play included many faceoff stoppages for offsides or when a shot was directed on net, Lightning goalie Landon Bernard froze the puck. For Bernard, his goaltending performance would become the pinnacle of his high school career.
With seven minutes remaining in the first period, Upper Montgomery would earn the first powerplay of the game when Bulldogs depth defender Noah Gibbs was called for interference. Unfortunately for the Lightning, just twenty seconds later defender Andrew Botti was called for roughing ending the Lightning’s powerplay chance. With four on four hockey and all of the open ice, Upper Montgomery played the next couple of shifts as if they were killing a penalty instead of skating at even strength. With three minutes to go in the opening period, Churchill forward Allen Huebl was called for roughing. Upper Montgomery was unable to keep possession of the puck and often found itself defending in front of Bernard.
The first period would end scoreless, Bernard having made twelve saves and Bulldogs netminder Avery Schiff having turned away three harmless shot attempts. While Churchill had dominated possession and controlled the territorial play, the frustration of being tied after fifteen minutes of action was beginning to weigh on the Bulldogs.
The second period played out a bit more to Churchill’s liking. Even so, the Bulldogs frustration was apparent. There were several instances where the Churchill student athletes were yelling at each other. Throughout the second stanza, the Churchill coaching staff made no changes to their game plan to counter the Upper Montgomery defensive system.
Churchill continued to dominate puck possession to start the second period. Two minutes into the fame, the Bulldogs would jump in front. Churchill defender William Stanish sent an outlet pass from his own defensive zone to Joshua Wong streaking up the left wing. Wong skated into the Lightning defensive zone deep past the left circle as he was forced wide around the net. He overskated the puck leaving it for Churchill forward Asher Wang trailing the play. Wang continued around the net and scored on a wraparound past Bernards left leg pad and the near post. The goal energized the Bulldogs who continued to carry play over the first half of the second period.
Halfway through the second period the Lightning seemed to gain confidence as the score still remained Churchill 1 and Upper Montgomery 0. The Lightning began to generate some offensive looks and fire some rubber at Churchill’s netminder Schiff. With every offensive thrust that failed to result in a goal, Churchill seemed to play more and more tight, trying to make the perfect play. With four minutes remaining in the second period Upper Montgomery would face their defining moment in the contest.
With Lightning captain and stalwart senior defender George Benedick in the penalty box for hooking, Churchill went to the powerplay. Halfway through the advantage, another top Lightning defender, Botti, was called for high sticking. Arguably the top two Lightning defenders were in the penalty box and Churchill had a five on three powerplay advantage for 54 seconds late in the second period. Rising to the challenge, Upper Montgomery killed off both the five on three disadvantage and then also the five on four portion of Churchill’s powerplay. Bernard made two outstanding saves during Churchill’s extended powerplays. Failing to score while playing with the additional skater further inflamed the Churchill student athletes who began slamming the doors to the bench area when coming off the ice and loudly criticizing one another. Shots on goal in the second period were Churchill with twelve for a two period total of 24. Upper Montgomery was able to register seven shots on goal for a two period total of ten.
A wild scene developed between the second and third periods. As word of the Churchill / Upper Montgomery score filtered throughout Rockville Ice Arena, spectators unattached to either team began pouring into the stands and filling the standing room only portions of the rink. What had begun as a partisan Churchill crowd quickly changed into a rowdy group of several hundred pro Lightning supporters equal in number to the Churchill fan base.
Churchill’s inability to separate from Upper Montgomery on the scoreboard began to affect the Bulldogs performance and self control on the ice. One minute into the third period, Upper Montgomery had a golden opportunity when Churchill star forward Zachary Silver was called for interference. The Lightning were unable to score, but playing with the extra skater early in the period seemed to restrict the Churchill dominance. Upper Montgomery was finally able to skate forward with puck possession while Churchill was forced to defend.
After Upper Montgomery came up empty on their early third period powerplay, the Lightning had another important penalty kill when Benedick was called for roughing with nine minutes remaining in the game. Churchill’s lack of adaptation to Upper Montgomery’s playing style allowed Upper Montgomery to begin to take more chances and counterpunch the Churchill rushes up ice. Benedick’s penalty was the result of an aggressive step up in the neutral zone as the Lightning had begun to play with more aggression. While Churchill was on the powerplay, Wang took a lazy tripping penalty in the offensive zone. While playing four on four, Upper Montgomery was able to begin controlling play. Just after Benedick returned to the ice, Churchill defender Dalton Esko-Himmelfarb took a slashing penalty.
Suddenly, with just under seven minutes remaining in the game, Upper Montgomery had a five on three powerplay advantage of its own. The rink was loud with the crowd cheering on the Lightning hoping to see the green and gold score the tying goal. Pandemonium would course through the rink at the exact second that Wang’s penalty expired. From the left corner of the net besides Schiff, Churchill’s defense cleared the puck. Lightning forward Hunter Cameron, last week’s overtime hero, picked up the puck in his own defensive zone to the right of Bernard. Cameron’s long stretch pass up ice was knocked out of mid-air by Upper Montgomery’s leading scorer, Chris Hassett near the offensive blue line. Hassett stickhandled to the middle of the slot from the right wing board avoiding the Bulldog penalty killers. Upon reaching the slot he unleashed a low backhand shot against the grain toward the near post. The change of direction of the shot fooled Shiff, with the puck passing by Schiff’s glove hand and over the goal line. One second earlier and the Lightning would have remained on the powerplay. But, because Wang’s two minute penalty had exactly ended both he and Esko-Himmelfarb were both set free from the penalty box.
Upper Montgomery clearly had all of the momentum and played like the better team over the last six minutes of regulation. With just over four minutes left in regulation, Churchill forward Daniel McNelis was called for high sticking. It was a marginal call that put Upper Montgomery back to the powerplay with a chance to take the lead. Thirty seconds later, Botti was called for his third penalty of the game, this time for roughing. More four on four action. Then, Churchill forward Brook Chapman was called for interference. A break for the Lightning as the contact was not worthy of a penalty, much less in a tie playoff game with three minutes remaining.
With the boisterous crowd urging them on, the Lightning had a four on three powerplay, which turned into four on four play for thirty seconds, and then back to a 45 second powerplay once Botti was released from the penalty box. Upper Montgomery had one good flurry while playing with the extra skater, but was unable to capitalize. Play was back to five on five action for the last 55 seconds of regulation. Bernard made a final good save at the end of the third period to keep the game tied at one entering overtime. Upper Montgomery was controlling longer stretches of play and even outshot Churchill eleven to ten in the third period.
High school overtime is played three on three just like professional hockey. The building was electric. As the other games in the rink concluded, the standing room became flooded with an overflow of bodies. Many spectators watched from the upper floors of the rink. For the entire overtime session Churchill had at least two AAA skaters on the ice at all times. Upper Montgomery countered with its best effort of the game and had the better of the chances in the overtime session. One bang, bang play on a two on one rush between Hassett and Lightning forward Nathan Cassel nearly won the game in sudden fashion. Hassett’s pass across the slot area was just out of Cassel’s reach and Schiff got her right toe on the puck to kick it aside with fifteen seconds remaining in overtime. Bernard had to make just one save in overtime. It was a tough one at the buzzer from a sharp angle from the bottom of the right faceoff circle.
On to the five round shootout both teams went. As the home team, Churchill chose for Upper Montgomery to shoot first.
Lightning forward Hunter Cameron was up first. He deked and went backhand. Schiff pushed over and made a glove save.
Up first for the Bulldogs was Joshua Potenti. He skated in and went forehand high past Bernard’s glove to put Churchill up 1-0 in the shootout.
In round two, Cassel skated in wide down the left wing. He deked backhand, short side and the wrapped the puck onto his forehand sliding the puck past Schiff’s pads to even the score at 1-1.
For Churchill in round two Silver was stoned by Bernard who made a left pad save on a hard low shot.
In round three, Hassett the Lightning’s leading scorer was up next. He got too deep skating in on Schiff and was left with just a backhand chance at the net. Although he elevated the puck, Schiff made what she made seem like a routine blocker save.
With an opportunity to retake the lead, McNelis skated in at Bernard with speed. His forehand shot was blockered away by Bernard. The shootout was tied after three rounds at 1-1. Bernard was hanging tough making two saves against Churchill’s AAA level skaters.
In round four, Jacobson’s absence was really felt. Upper Montgomery’s fourth shooter was team captain and senior defender, Benedick. Benedick, not known for his offensive firepower, came in on Schiff and chose to shoot from the bottom middle of the slot. He fired wide of the net.
Churchill’s fourth shooter was Qin Lai. He came in and make a quick deke and was able to elevate the puck over Bernard’s blocker.
Entering the fifth and final shootout round down 2-1, the Lightning needed to score to remain in the contest. Brandon Bernard had all the pressure to keep the shootout going. He made a forehand, backhand deke and had Schiff completely out of the play before sliding the puck across the goal line into the back of the wide open entire goal.
With the shootout tied at 2-2 and moving to the bottom of the fifth round, Churchill turned to Samuel Strand. Strand skated in straight at Bernard. He waited very late until he was a few feet from the net positioning his body to wind up and take a slap shot from just feet in front of Bernard. The force of the shot was enough to power the puck through Bernard’s body and into the net.
As the puck hit the net, the Bulldogs spilled over the boards to mob Strand along the far side boards in front of their student section. With the victory, Churchill was back in the state playoffs looking to defend their state championship(s). For Upper Montgomery it was crushing devastation. To have been so, so close and to have done what no other program had done in nine seasons, the Lightning student athletes were left completely numb.
The manner in which Churchill celebrated and the comments from the other programs about how good the Upper Montgomery program had become was of little consolation in the moment. That Upper Montgomery was able to compete with and go toe to toe with a team the caliber of Churchill shows where the program is headed. One additional powerplay goal, a couple of feet at the end of overtime, one additional shootout goal, that is how close the Lightning were to the greatest upset in the history of Maryland high school hockey. And that is why the loss was so devastatingly painful.
#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!
Game Notes:
- Churchill outshot Upper Montgomery 35-24 for the game.
- Upper Montgomery will lament going one for seven on the powerplay. Upper Montgomery had two late third period powerplay opportunities with a chance to take the lead late in regulation.
- The much maligned Upper Montgomery penalty kill was a perfect five for five against the Bulldogs.
- Landon Bernard stopped 34 of 35 shots. He is currently leading the Maryland state high school hockey playoff goalie rankings in save percentage .966, and goals against average 0.98.
- After fifteen years with no overtime games, Upper Montgomery has now played in back to back overtime games. The program’s overtime record stands at 1-0-1.
- Officially the game is recorded as a tie with Churchill advancing to the state playoffs by way of a shootout. The tie is the first ever game where Upper Montgomery has not lost to Churchill. Previously, the closest the Lightning have played Churchill was to a four goal loss (twice).
- With the shootout loss, the Lightning will maintain their position in the top fifteen in the Maryland state public high school ice hockey rankings. The team will also remain in the top 25 overall when the private high schools are included.
- Upper Montgomery will now await the seeding of the Montgomery Hockey Conference Division Two playoff tournament. Opening games of the quarterfinal round begin next Friday night at rinks located throughout the county.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Landon Bernard—Upper Montgomery Goalie—34 Saves, .971 Save Percentage, 1 Goal Against, Shootout Loss
Second Star—Asher Wang—Churchill Forward—1 Goal
Third Star—Chris Hassett—Upper Montgomery Center–-1 Goal