Author: chucklevine

Junior Varsity Rockville Game Preview

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity will bring its undefeated record into Wednesday afternoon’s tilt with Rockville. Game time is 4:15 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink. Although the Rams are part of the Montgomery Hockey Conference, the game between the teams will be recorded as a non-conference matchup. Even so, the Lightning will need to use the same effort and teamwork that has led to their fast start to help propel Upper Montgomery to victory once again. After its most recent win over the BCC Barons, the Lightning will need to demonstrate that they can handle success. The team must continue to pile up victories throughout the middle portion of the regular season schedule.

The Lightning will be looking to once again play a complete game. Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg has authored two shutouts over his first three career games, all victories, and he will be looking to continue his strong play. Shterenberg’s statistics over the first three games of the season are an eye popping 0.67 goals against average and a .960 save percentage. Shterenberg was tested against BCC and another strong goaltending effort will bolster Upper Montgomery’s chances on Wednesday afternoon. In net for the Rams will be Alexander Crotzer-Scartascini. He has played in each game for the Rams posting a 5.40 goals against average and an .832 save percentage.

If Upper Montgomery brings the effort and hustle displayed against Whitman and BCC, the team should be in good shape. Offensively for the Lightning, Josh Nadler has led the way scoring in each of the first three games of the season. TJ Gottesman leads the team in points with four on two goals and two assists. Sean Levine has three points, and the depth scoring came through against the Barons with AJ Marks netting his first goal of the season and Aiden Zheng scoring his first career high school goal. Old Upper Montgomery friend Rowen Pierson leads the Rams in goals with two. Rockville has had difficulty scoring this season with only one goal in four games before their six goal explosion against Churchill in their last game.

On defense the Lightning’s experienced defenders are beginning to jell. Seniors Sean Levine and Jake Roth will see extensive action. Junior offensive minded defender Cole Howerton who has created many scoring chances will log heavy minutes once again. He will likely pair with hulking defensive defender Patrick Sell. Ninth grade defenders Miles Wendland and Avery Evans have bright futures with the program. Evans playing in her first game against BCC played very well. Wendland will play in all situations, and he has already been a frequent call up to play in varsity games this season.

Upper Montgomery will need to maintain focus throughout the entire game to put away the pesky Rams. This is something the team did not do very well against Northwest/Quince Orchard earlier this season when the Lightning played another opponent that did not match up with Upper Montgomery’s talent. Every game is an opportunity to shine and impress the coaching staff. Junior varsity student athletes need to demonstrate that they deserve additional ice time and call ups to participate in varsity game competition. Thus, each game, each shift, the student athletes need to play within the system and gain the coaching staff’s trust that they can contribute at the next level.

Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to extend their unbeaten record with a victory over the Rams. The Lightning will need to take charge early and grasp the momentum. Then, the team will need to continue playing a complete game to finish off what looks to be an inferior opponent. Shterenberg will need to remain sharp and not develop bad habits. If the Lightning wait around and play a loose style of hockey, the game will be closer than it needs to be.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

Varsity Sherwood Game Preview

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The start to the 2023 – 2024 high school hockey season has not gone as planned for the Upper Montgomery Lightning. With three consecutive losses to begin the season, the Lightning are at the exact same point they were last season. Upper Montgomery is now 0-3 after opening the season dropping close contests to highly regarded Whitman, a 3-1 defeat against the DC Stars, and falling 6-3 to private school non-conference foe Good Counsel this past Tuesday afternoon. In all three games, the third period has proven costly for Upper Montgomery as the team has been outscored 11-1 in the final stanza.

The major challenge this season for Upper Montgomery was going to be how to navigate all of the highly talented student athletes missing games when they were out-of-town with their external travel teams. When Andrew Botti went down injured playing with his external travel team, the Lightning’s depth on defense would be severely tested. Coupled with playing against all of the top teams in division one of the Montgomery Hockey Conference, the program knew there would be some challenging times throughout the season.

Two troubling trends developed over the first couple of games this season. One, a lack of goal scoring. Scoring three goals in the first two games is simply not acceptable for a squad as talented as the Lightning. Against Good Counsel, Upper Montgomery scored three times and fired 42 shots on goal. In the DC Stars game, 37 shots were put on goal and six additional shots clanged off the goal posts or the crossbar. Quality chances are there, the team must convert. The second issue is poor third periods. The Lightning had a minus seven goal differential in the third period as the team has tired throughout the first two games. Against Good Counsel, more student athletes were utilized throughout the game, but the team was still outscored by three goals in the third period. Upper Montgomery now has a putrid minus ten goal differential in the third period over just three games.

On Tuesday, Upper Montgomery will face Sherwood. Game time is 6:30 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink. Sherwood opened its season with a lopsided loss to Walter Johnson, one of the best teams in the state. Sherwood played with a forward in net as their goalie, but that only accentuated the final score and did not determine the game’s outcome.

Sherwood’s entire success revolves around Junior center Noi Jonasson, the most talented skater in all of the Montgomery Hockey Conference. With the last line change, the Upper Montgomery coaching staff will be looking for shut down matchups as Jonasson can single handedly beat any team. He scored five points on three goals and two assists last season against the Lightning in the team’s division two semifinal matchup. Running aside Jonasson will be senior forward Grayson Winckler. Winckler is a very good skater who has had success against the Lightning in prior games. The rest of the Warriors lineup is young but speedy, Aidan Cook (who scored the Warriors only goal against Walter Johnson), Oz Sacks, and Cameron Calandro have some offensive pop if left unguarded.

Several Lightning student athletes have begun playing much better then they did in the season opening contest against Whitman. Ryan Jacobson has played especially well moving back to play defense against the DC Stars and Good Counsel. He has scored in consecutive games, including an impressive end to end rush goal against the Falcons. However, he will miss the Sherwood game. Chris Hassett and Nathan Cassel will be relied upon to turn up the offense. Getting depth scoring will be paramount to the Lightning coming away with their first win of the season. Brandon Bernard, Philip Shkeda, Bradley Cupples, Olivia Robbins, and Henry Honacki must come through and find the back of net.

In net for Upper Montgomery will be senior Landon Bernard who will be looking to get back on the winning track after finishing last season so strongly. In net for Sherwood will be Samuel Hutt. Hutt will be making his season debut against the Lightning, and he will need to play well to give the Warriors a chance to pull off the upset.

For Upper Montgomery the game is critical to getting right mentally. The team needs to fight through the adversity it is facing at the beginning of the season. Earning a win against Sherwood would be a welcome boost for morale. Simply put, the Lightning need to get their first win of the season and play a complete game, dominating from the start and through the final whistle. The third period collapses must end immediately. All games are winnable games for the Lightning, but only if Upper Montgomery plays as a team and plays the right way. The experienced student athletes need to lead by example, play the system, and put the puck in the back of the net.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

Varsity Good Counsel Game Preview

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The start to the 2023 – 2024 high school hockey season has not gone as planned for the Upper Montgomery Lightning. With two consecutive losses to begin the season, the Lightning are at the exact same point they were last season. Upper Montgomery is now 0-2 after opening the season dropping close contests to highly regarded Whitman and a 3-1 defeat against the DC Stars this past Friday evening.

The major challenge this season for Upper Montgomery was going to be how to navigate all of the highly talented student athletes missing games when they were out-of-town with their external travel teams. When Andrew Botti went down injured playing with his external travel team, the Lightning’s depth on defense would be severely tested. Coupled with playing against all of the top teams in division one of the Montgomery Hockey Conference, the program knew there would be some challenging times throughout the season.

The Lightning were not pleased with their performance against Whitman. A tied game at the very end of the second period bottomed out after Whitman scored a goal with one second remaining in the period to take the lead. Versus the DC Stars, Upper Montgomery dominated with 37 shots on goal in addition to hitting the goal posts six times. Unfortunately, Anton Tracy played incredibly well and stood tall in net for the Stars leaving the Lightning on the wrong side of the result.

Two troubling trends have developed at the start of the season. One, a lack of goal scoring. Scoring three goals in two games is simply not acceptable for a squad as talented as the Lightning. The powerplay has not scored over the first two games of the season. Second, the team has a minus seven goal differential in the third period as the team has tired throughout the games. Getting contributions from up and down the lineup will take pressure off the top two lines and allow for sufficient rest on the bench between shifts. If Upper Montgomery’s scoring is centralized amongst only a few skaters, the coaching staff will be forced to constantly rely on those few top end offensive skaters. This is not a recipe for success as their performance will deteriorate as the game progresses.

On Tuesday, Upper Montgomery travels to face its first private school team in program history. The Lightning will face off against Good Counsel. Game time is 4:00 pm at Laurel Ice Gardens. The Falcons compete in the Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League and in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference. A win over the Falcons would provide a bit of fresh air while removing the frustration the student athletes are going through. A victory could springboard the team for the rest of the season, however, it will not be easy. Just because the Upper Montgomery roster looks good on paper, the team will need to rise to the challenge each week and grind out victories. The other programs in the Montgomery Hockey Conference and the private school teams on the Lightning’s schedule are not just going to allow Upper Montgomery to win. The team will have to earn everything. Upper Montgomery has fourteen varsity games remaining in the season so there is a long way to go before the county playoffs start.

Against the DC Stars several student athletes played much better than in the season opening game against Whitman. Ryan Jacobson played especially well moving back to play defense against the Stars. He also had the Lightning’s only goal in the game.

For Good Counsel, the game against Upper Montgomery is their season opener. The Falcons are looking to rebound from a tough 2022 – 2023 season where they finished with a 3-7 record. The Falcons offense was led by Michael Hilligoss who scored twelve goals in eight games, but he graduated high school last spring. Billy Harrison scored ten goals in ten games. Gavin Senko added six goals in ten games. Declan Gallagher and Nick Cubbage led Good Counsel in assists with eight and seven respectively.

In net for Upper Montgomery will be senior Landon Bernard looking to get back on the winning track after finishing last season so strongly. In net for Good Counsel is likely to be Grady Larrance. Larrance played in half the games last season for the Falcons, and he will be looking to improve statistically. Last season, the Good Counsel defense was shaky giving up five or more goals in eight of their ten contests.

For Upper Montgomery the game is critical to getting right mentally. The team needs to fight through the adversity it is facing at the beginning of the season. Earning a win against a private school team would be a welcome boost for morale. Simply put, the Lightning need to get their first win of the season. All games are winnable games for the Lightning, but only if Upper Montgomery plays as a team and plays the right way. The experienced student athletes need to lead by example and put the puck in the net.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

Lightning Junior Varsity Holds Off Barons to Remain Undefeated

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity received a complete team effort and held off the BCC Barons 3-2 on Monday afternoon at Rockville Ice Arena. With the victory, the Lightning improved their record to a perfect 4-0 on the season. The four victories equal the team’s total wins from the entirety of last season. The game was evenly matched with both goaltenders playing well to keep the score low. Additionally, both programs used some roster management as both BCC and Upper Montgomery have several student athletes that participate in both junior varsity and varsity game action. With the maximum number of total games played limitation, several of both teams’ more seasoned skaters sat this game out.

Ilan Shterenberg earned his third consecutive victory to begin his high school career. He was tested more thoroughly against the Barons but stood strong. Shterenberg made a sprawling glove save with four minutes remaining in a back and forth first period to keep the game scoreless. The teams skated up and down the ice, but did not generate an overabundance of chances. BCC fired only five shots at Shterenberg while Upper Montgomery peppered Barons netminder Tycho Narrod-Malcolm with seven pedestrian shots. Lightning defender Patrick Sell was called for interference with just under two minutes to play in the first period, but Upper Montgomery neutralized the BCC powerplay. A scoreless first period felt like the appropriate outcome as each team had their moments in an evenly played stanza.

The Lightning opened the second period on the powerplay after a holding penalty called against BCC forward Francesco Guinard. As with the BCC powerplay at the end of the first period, Upper Montgomery did not generate much offense with the extra skater. Three and a half minutes into the second period, Upper Montgomery would jump in front on a nice play. From the slot area after a scramble in the defensive zone, Lightning center Sean Levine intercepted a BCC pass originating from behind Shterenberg’s net and sent an indirect outlet pass out of the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. The puck caromed off the left wing boards perfectly to Upper Montgomery forward TJ Gottesman. The pass sent Gottesman in on a clear breakaway from center ice. As Gottesman broke in alone, Lightning forward Aiden Zheng wisely followed up the play. Gottesman’s shot from in close was stopped by Narrod-Malcolm, but Zheng was there to backhand the puck up over Narrod-Malcom’s stick and blocker to score his first career high school goal.

The action continued to pick up in the second period. The number of shots on goal, eleven for BCC and ten for Upper Montgomery illustrated the change in pace and tempo. BCC’s second powerplay of the game coming halfway through the period with Lightning co-captain Josh Nadler in the penalty box for cross checking was more threatening. Shterenberg made the necessary saves to keep the Lightning in front. The Upper Montgomery defense played well at times and when there were difficulties, Shterenberg and the goal posts were there to save the Lightning when BCC did threaten. Lightning defenders who played well included Cole Howerton, Jake Roth, and Avery Evans, making her first appearance for Upper Montgomery. Playing as a collective unit, on multiple occasions, the Lightning were able to thwart the Barons’ offensive thrusts and skate the puck free of their defensive zone down the ice to relieve pressure.

The third period was a very well played period. Upper Montgomery was connected and spent a majority of the beginning of the period in the offensive zone. Several prime scoring opportunities were shot wide or were blocked in front by the Barons’ defense led by Benjamin Lyons and Jeronimo Castano Tellez. When Lyons was called for roughing with ten minutes remaining in the game, his penalty seemed to spark both teams.

Upper Montgomery started the powerplay with puck possession and BCC pressured hard around the perimeter. The defensive pressure kept Upper Montgomery passing around the outside of the offensive zone. Finally, BCC forward David High was able to gain control of a loose puck. He picked the puck up off the right wing boards in the defensive zone and skated diagonally across the ice through the neutral zone entering the Upper Montgomery defensive zone now on the left wing. High cut to the net and his shot was saved by Shterenberg. High collected the rebound and skated around the net from left to right. He circled the net and flung a pass up the middle of the slot. Castano Tellez shot in stride past several Lightning skaters and past a screened Shterenberg low to the stick side. It was the first goal given up by Shterenberg in over 126 minutes of game action to begin his high school career.

Rather than sulk after giving up the game tying shorthanded goal, Upper Montgomery struck right back while still on the powerplay. Upper Montgomery forward AJ Marks dumped the puck in deep into the BCC defensive zone where fellow Lightning forward Jason Woodman pressured the puck behind the net. Woodman forced a rushed pass up the side boards. Nadler hustled into the offensive zone and won possession of the puck from the BCC right winger along the left wing boards. He was adjacent with the top of the left faceoff circle. Nadler curled around the top of the circle and then turned down the slot. His wrist shot seemed to fool Narrod-Malcolm who let in a soft goal five hole.

With a 2-1 lead and eight minutes remaining in the game, Upper Montgomery began making smart decisions with the puck. Forwards hit the red line and dumped the puck in deep. Forwards hustled back on defense to support the defenders. Defenders did a nice job winning puck races and quickly clearing the defensive zone. The Lightning’s forechecking led to an insurance goal with three and a half minutes left in the game.

After a shift with extensive pressure in the BCC defensive zone, a tired Barons defender dumped the puck out of the zone. The Barons then went for a line change. The puck was turned over at the Upper Montgomery defensive zone blue line to AJ Marks. Marks skated up the left wing side of the ice. He entered the offensive zone going wide and fired a centering pass to Levine. Levine’s quick snap shot was saved by Narrod-Malcolm’s right leg pad. The rebound shot toward the left faceoff circle directly to Marks who was attacking the net on an angle. Marks easily slung a wrist shot into the wide side of the net past Narrod-Malcom’s stick and blocker for the 3-1 lead.

Now with a two goal lead, Upper Montgomery focused entirely on defending and did a nice job until an individual rush by Lyons cut the lead back to one. From a faceoff outside the Barons defensive zone, Upper Montgomery cleared the puck in deep and set up to play defense. Lyons took control of the puck deep in his defensive zone. He skated around his own net and directly up the center of the ice. At the red line he cut left and barreled down the left wing side. He skated abound the Lightning defender and cut in alone on Shterenberg who was back too deep in his net. Lyons elevated his wrist shot from in close far side high past Shterenberg’s shoulder and catching glove. Upper Montgomery led 3-2 with exactly one minute left in the game.

The final minute of game action was a scramble in the Lightning defensive zone. The puck was continually kept in at the points by Lyons and Castano Tellez. With Narrod-Malcolm pulled for the extra skater, BCC easily outraced Upper Montgomery to every loose puck. Many shots were blocked in front of Shterenberg and others went just wide. In the end, none of the shots got past Shterenberg keeping the Lightning undefeated and thrilled with their most impressive victory of the season.

Game Notes:

  • It was the junior varsity’s fourth consecutive victory to start the season.
  • Upper Montgomery outshot BCC 26-21 for the game.
  • Josh Nadler scored for the third consecutive game.
  • Aiden Zheng scored his first career high school goal to open the scoring.
  • Shterenberg’s junior varsity record for minutes played while not allowing a goal was 126 minutes and 23 seconds.
  • TJ Gottesman had an assist to record points in his third consecutive game.
  • Upper Montgomery is now 9-9 on the penalty kill for the season.
  • Upper Montgomery scored its first powerplay goal of the season to break a 1-1 tie midway through the third period.
  • Upper Montgomery junior varsity returns to game action on Wednesday afternoon, November 1st in a non-conference matchup against Rockville. Game time is 4:15 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Benjamin Lyons—BCC Defense—1 Goal
Second Star—Aiden Zheng—Upper Montgomery Forward—1 Goal
Third Star—Ilan Shterenberg—Upper Montgomery Goalie—Win, .905 Save Percentage, 19 Saves

Varsity DC Stars Game Preview

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning were not pleased with their performance this past Friday night in the 2023 – 2024 season opener against the Whitman Vikings. A tied game at the very end of the second period bottomed out after Whitman scored a goal with one second remaining in period to take the lead. It was the third consecutive season that the Lightning have dropped their season opener. Upper Montgomery will be looking to bounce back and get into the win column late this upcoming Friday evening against the DC Stars. Game time is set for 10:00 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink.

While disappointed with the outcome of the Whitman game, the team still has very high expectations for the season. Qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time in program history is still the goal for the Lightning. With an experienced roster dominated by seniors and juniors, the team remains primed to meet these high expectations. The humbling third period against Whitman should incentivize the Lightning. Just because the Upper Montgomery roster looks good on paper, the team will need to rise to the challenge each week and grind out victories. The other programs in the Montgomery Hockey Conference are not going to just allow Upper Montgomery to win. The team will have to earn everything.

The Lightning still reside fifth in the Montgomery Hockey Conference rankings. This is the highest ranking ever achieved by the program. The challenge that awaits the team is that the program will face off against all of the other top teams in the league. Friday’s game versus the DC Stars is no exception. This version of the DC Stars is much improved with an assortment of young talented student athletes.

The Upper Montgomery program has twelve skaters that are only eligible to play in varsity competition, many of whom also play on high level AA or AAA external travel hockey teams. Last season’s top four scorers return looking to propel the Lightning. Senior center and team co-captain Chris Hassett could qualify to be enshrined in the Maryland Scholastic Hockey League Hall of Fame with a big season. He is coming off of two straight seasons leading Upper Montgomery in scoring with 16 GP, 15 G, 19 A, 34 PTS last year and 15 GP, 17 G, 16 A, for 33 PTS during the 2021 – 2022 season. Joining Hassett on the top line will be fellow high octane scorer and Honorable Mention Division One Forward Nathan Cassel. Cassel, a junior, tallied 12 GP, 11 G, 14 A, for 25 PTS last season after tallying 12 GP, 11 G, 6 A for 17 PTS in his 9th grade season. Joining these two talented skaters will be sophomore winger Philip Shkeda, last season’s top 9th grade scorer. Shkeda had a point per game with 14 GP, 7 G, 7 A, for 14 PTS.

The second line is likely to have junior Ryan Jacobson 10 GP, 12 G, 4 A, for 16 PTS centering senior Brandon Bernard and junior Henry Honacki. Jacobson had five games last season with multiple goals. Bernard blew up last season as a junior 14 GP, 9 G, 6 A, for 15 PTS and will look to conclude his high school career with another monster offensive season. Honacki’s speed will complement these two experienced skaters and will help drive back the opposing defenses.

The third line will have rugged senior center Bradley Cupples 15 GP, 3 G, 10 A, for 13 PTS last season and 15 GP, 11 A during the 2021 – 2022 season centering senior Olivia Robbins. Robbins was selected and honored by the Washington Post as an All Metropolitan 2nd Team Girls forward last season, the first ever All MET selection in Upper Montgomery team history. She tallied 11 GP, 6 G, 5 A, for 11 PTS last season. The third line right wing will likely be a rotation of forwards vying for playing time or someone off the top two lines double shifting. Junior varsity student athletes will most certainly be called up to play in varsity games based upon the team’s needs, which members of the varsity are out-of-town with their external travel teams, and which student athletes are producing during the junior varsity games. Senior Adam Levine and Junior Josh Nadler both have served as depth forwards in prior seasons and should get first crack at filling the void.

The DC Stars will be led senior forward Eli Rubin 9 GP, 4 G, 1 A last season and juniors Ethan Howe, Reuven Magdar and Tom Quinn. All are good skaters and possess some offensive skill. Younger forwards Ian Cox, Kai Handy-Kanegis, and Patrick Kaufmann will provide depth, something that the DC Stars have not had for many years. The DC Stars played Walter Johnson tough last week and will look to follow up that performance with an eye opening victory over the Lightning.

On defense the Lightning will have top level talent. Senior co-captain Hunter Cameron 14 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 PTS last season (and both Upper Montgomery goals last week) is making the transition from forward to defense to anchor and provide stability on the back end. This week he will miss the high school game as he will be out-of-town with his external travel team. With Andrew Botti still out injured, his presence will be deeply missed this week. Cameron will forever be remembered for his game winning overtime goal in last season’s playoff matchup versus St. Johns helping the Lightning to their first every Division One playoff victory.

When he is in town, Cameron will likely be paired with either sophomore Owen Robbins or sophomore Brady Berkhammer, 14 GP, 6 A. Junior Andrew Botti 14 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 PTS was expected to anchor the other defensive pairing but was recently injured playing for his external travel team and will miss a significant portion of the season. Both Robbins and Berkhammer had excellent 9th grade seasons and will be counted on to take their games to another level this season. Defensive positions five and six will be a rotation all season long with Josh Nadler, Sean Levine, Jake Roth, Cole Howerton, and Miles Wendland each likely to receive an opportunity to earn shifts during varsity game action as well as several forwards who may drop back to play shifts on defense to help fill the void.

Most of the DC Stars upper level talent is on the defensive side. The DC Stars are similar to Whitman in this regard. Junior Leo Nyberg is the leader on the back line for the DC Stars. He is the DC Stars top returning scorer with 10 GP, 5 G, 3 A last season. He will be joined by senior Rodrigo Mattioli, brothers Jonathan and Benjamin Lust, and Fletcher Lyttleton all of whom will be tasked with shutting down the Lightning’s high octane offense.

In net for Upper Montgomery will be senior Landon Bernard looking to shake off last week’s third period and use last season’s exceptional playoff run as a springboard to dominate this season. Bernard’s individual statistics have improved each season, and he would like to add a varsity county championship to the junior varsity championship he backstopped two seasons ago. Last year, Bernard posted a strong regular season with a 3.65 GAA, and an .866 save percentage to go along with his 8-7-2 record. In the playoffs, he sparkled with a 0.98 GAA and a .966 save percentage. Bernard will be backed up by young but talented 9th grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg. Shterenberg has the technical skills to make the tough save look easy. He will gain valuable playing time this season as the only junior varsity netminder while also seeing some varsity game action. Shterenberg has a very bright future with the Lightning program and has won his first three junior varsity starts.

The DC Stars will play either sophomore Anton Tracy or sophomore Gabriel Sokol in net, or maybe both in a split game. Both netminders shared time in net last season for the DC Stars junior varsity team. Both goalies are big netminders and Upper Montgomery will need to get them to move laterally and open them up for pucks to get through. They will look imposing taking up a lot of the net. Deflections, rebounds, and greasy goals will be necessary to beat these hulking goalies.

In almost every game this season, the Upper Montgomery coaching staff will be forced to supplement the usual varsity squad with several student athletes called up from the junior varsity. This week, anticipate those lesser experienced skaters to receive more playing time as a way to balance out the line combinations. The depth of the Lightning’s roster will be tested but should be able to handle one or two student athletes missing a game here or there. Getting contributions from up and down the lineup will take pressure off the top two lines and allow them sufficient rest on the bench between shifts. If Upper Montgomery’s scoring is centralized amongst only a few skaters, the coaching staff will be forced to constantly rely on those few top end offensive skaters. This is not a recipe for success as their performance will deteriorate as the game progresses.

For Upper Montgomery it is a critical game. The Lightning need to get their first win of the season and rack up standing points in winnable games. The DC Stars game is a winnable game for the Lightning, but only if Upper Montgomery brings its domination mindset and plays a complete game.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

Junior Varsity BCC Game Preview

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning will face its toughest test to date on Monday afternoon versus the BCC Barons. After beginning the season 3-0 without giving up a goal, the Barons will pose a much bigger test than Upper Montgomery’s three prior opponents. Game time is 4:10 pm at Rockville Ice Arena.

The Lightning will be looking to play a more complete game than the team did in last Sunday evening’s contest against Northwest/Quince Orchard, a game in which the Lightning won in spite of a lackluster effort. Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg has authored shutouts in his first two career high school starts stopping twenty shots against Whitman and only needing to make nine saves against Northwest/Quince Orchard. Shterenberg will be tested on Monday and will need to play a strong game to keep Upper Montgomery competitive. If Upper Montgomery brings the effort and hustle displayed against Whitman, the team should be in the game. In net for the Barons is expected to be Tycho Narrod-Malcolm. When the Barons replaced him in their first game of the season, they gave up four goals in the third period using backup netminder Lucy Barron. Tycho Narrod-Malcolm has also yet to allow a goal this season.

On defense the Lightning’s experienced defenders are still looking to jell. Seniors Sean Levine and Jake Roth will see extensive action. Junior offensive minded defender Cole Howerton who created many scoring chances against Northwest/Quince Orchard will log heavy minutes once again. He will likely pair with hulking defensive defender Patrick Sell or Behr Schicker who has been a nice surprise over the first two games of the season. Schickler looks more comfortable in his sophomore season. Ninth grade defenders Miles Wendland and Avery Evans will each play a significant role against BCC. Wendland will return to the lineup after being out of town with his external travel team last weekend. Evans will be making her Lightning debut. BCC has a very experienced roster on their backend. Senior Alex Elias will provide mentorship to sophomore standout Ben Lyons and 9th grade defenders, Nick Sexton and Ava Summerfield. A rotation of forwards may also pick up some defensive shifts for the Barons.

Up front the Lightning have received two goals each from junior co-captain Josh Nadler and junior TJ Gottesman. Senior co-captain Adam Levine has stood out for his stellar play over the first two games of the season. The team’s leaders have played very well against Whitman and Northwest/Quince Orchard leading by example with outstanding effort, hustle, and determination. With the team unlikely to burst out offensively, every single forward will need to contribute. Expect that AJ Marks and Aiden Zheng may chip in offensively on Monday. Jackson Schickler will continue to see lots of ice time, and he is improving with each game.

BCC will be led up front by Kiran Maltby and Peter Lanpher. Maltby has four goals on the season including a hat-trick scored against the Blair Blazers. Lanpher is a slick skater with nifty moves. He is more of a set up skater dishing off passes for easy goals for his teammates. He had one goal and four assists in the Baron’s first two games of the season before he exploded for five goals against Northwest/Quince Orchard in the Barons last game.

Upper Montgomery will need to maintain focus throughout the entire game, something they did not do particularly well against Northwest/Quince Orchard. Every game is an opportunity to shine and impress the coaching staff. Junior varsity student athletes need to demonstrate that they deserve additional ice time and call ups to participate in varsity game competition.

Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to push their record to 4-0 on the young season. However, the Lightning will need to take charge and grasp the momentum playing a complete game to remain competitive. Shterenberg will need to shine and keep the game a low scoring affair. If the Lightning wait around and play a loose style of hockey, the effort will not be enough to beat one of the better teams in the conference.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

Varsity Whitman Game Preview

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The 2023 – 2024 high school ice hockey season has arrived. Friday, October 13th is opening night for the Upper Montgomery Lightning varsity. The Upper Montgomery program has very high expectations this season and is looking to build off of last season’s historic accomplishments. Qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time in program history is a realistic opportunity for the Lightning. With an experienced roster dominated by seniors and juniors, the team is primed to meet these high expectations.

The Lightning begin the season ranked fifth in the Montgomery Hockey Conference rankings. This is the highest ranking ever achieved by the program. The challenge that awaits the team is that the program will face off against all of the other top teams in the league. The season opening game is a massive contest versus the fourth ranked Whitman Vikings. It is not a stretch to believe that five teams are realistically competing for the four state playoff berths awarded to teams from the Montgomery Hockey Conference; Churchill, Walter Johnson, BCC, Whitman, and Upper Montgomery.

The Upper Montgomery program has twelve skaters that are only eligible to play in varsity competition, many of whom also play on high level AA or AAA external travel hockey teams. Last season’s top four scorers return looking to propel the Lightning. Senior center and team co-captain Chris Hassett could qualify to be enshrined in the Maryland Scholastic Hockey League Hall of Fame with a big season. He is coming off of two straight seasons leading Upper Montgomery in scoring with 16 GP, 15 G, 19 A, 34 PTS last year and 15 GP, 17 G, 16 A, for 33 PTS during the 2021 – 2022 season. Joining Hassett on the top line will be fellow high octane scorer and Honorable Mention Division One Forward Nathan Cassel. Cassel, a junior, tallied 12 GP, 11 G, 14 A, for 25 PTS last season after tallying 12 GP, 11 G, 6 A for 17 PTS in his 9th grade season. Joining these two talented skaters will be sophomore winger Philip Shkeda, last season’s top 9th grade scorer. Shkeda had a point per game with 14 GP, 7 G, 7 A, for 14 PTS.

The second line is likely to have junior Ryan Jacobson 10 GP, 12 G, 4 A, for 16 PTS centering senior Brandon Bernard and junior Henry Honacki. Jacobson had five games last season with multiple goals. Bernard blew up last season as a junior 14 GP, 9 G, 6 A, for 15 PTS and will look to conclude his high school career with another monster offensive season. Honacki’s speed will complement these two experienced skaters and will help drive back the opposing defenses.

The third line will have rugged senior center Bradley Cupples 15 GP, 3 G, 10 A, for 13 PTS last season and 15 GP, 11 A during the 2021 – 2022 season centering senior Olivia Robbins. Robbins was selected and honored by the Washington Post as an All Metropolitan 2nd Team Girls forward last season, the first ever All MET selection in Upper Montgomery team history. She tallied 11 GP, 6 G, 5 A, for 11 PTS last season. The third line right wing will likely be a rotation of forwards vying for playing time or someone off the top two lines double shifting. Junior varsity student athletes will most certainly be called up to play in varsity games based upon the team’s needs, which members of the varsity are out-of-town with their external travel teams, and which student athletes are producing during the junior varsity games. Senior Adam Levine and Junior Josh Nadler both have served as depth forward in prior seasons and should get first crack at filling the void.

Whitman will be led by two experienced forwards, Senior Andrew Fou, 15 GP, 10 G, 6A, 16 PTS, and Junior AA travel skater Charles Ingis, 14 GP, 9 G, 4 A, 13 PTS. Anticipate that Sammy Van Leeuwen, 15 GP, 7 G, 6A, 13 PTS, and Jacob Lerman 14 GP, 5 G, 4 A, 9 PTS will receive additional playing time this season. Fou’s speed will be noticeable all game long. He hurt the Lightning last season driving wide and scoring twice in Whitman’s 5-3 victory. This season Upper Montgomery has the last line change as the home team and will be strategically deploying the defense to stop Fou.

On defense the Lightning will have top level talent. Senior co-captain Hunter Cameron 14 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 PTS will make the transition from forward to defense to anchor and provide stability on the back end. He will forever be remembered for his game winning overtime goal in last season’s playoff matchup versus St. Johns helping the Lightning to their first every Division One playoff victory. Cameron will likely be paired with either sophomore Owen Robbins or sophomore Brady Berkhammer, 14 GP, 6 A. Junior Andrew Botti 14 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 PTS was expected to anchor the other defensive pairing but was recently injured playing for his external travel team and will miss a significant portion of the season. Both Robbins and Berkhammer had excellent 9th grade seasons and will be counted on to take their games to another level this season. Defensive positions five and six will be a rotation all season long with Josh Nadler, Sean Levine, Jake Roth, Cole Howerton, and Miles Wendland each likely to receive an opportunity to earn shifts during varsity game action as well as several forwards who may drop back to play shifts on defense to help fill the void.

Whitman plays a very structured and defensive system. They are very difficult to score against giving up only 30 goals in 12 league games last season, an average of just 2.50 goals per game. Many of their high end travel skaters play defense led by senior Rowan Miller, 18U AA, juniors Morrison Cohen, 16U AA, and Zach Krause, 16U AA, and sophomore Benjamin Luo, 16U AA. Young 9th grade defender Steven Mah is an up and coming defender who will likely see game action on Friday night.

In net for Upper Montgomery senior Landon Bernard returns looking to use last season’s exceptional playoff run as a springboard to dominate this season. Bernard’s individual statistics have improved each season, and he would like to add a varsity county championship to the junior varsity championship he backstopped two seasons ago. Last year, Bernard posted a strong regular season with a 3.65 GAA, and an .866 save percentage to go along with his 8-7-2 record. In the playoffs, he sparkled with a 0.98 GAA and a .966 save percentage. Bernard will be backed up by young but talented 9th grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg. Shterenberg has the technical skills to make the tough save look easy. He will gain valuable playing time this season as the only junior varsity netminder while also seeing some varsity game action. Shterenberg has a very bright future with the Lightning program.

Whitman will play senior Ryan Graf in net. He is a very capable netminder who had a 2.58 goals against average and .899 save percentage last season. With last year’s netminding partner Reed Crichton having graduated, expect Graf to play every varsity game this season for the Vikings. He is a technically sound netminder who will keep the Vikings in every game.

The Upper Montgomery coaching staff will be supplementing the varsity squad with several student athletes that have thus far historically played the majority of their high school hockey career at the junior varsity level. Look for the game day roster to include several new faces called up from the junior varsity. Anticipate the roster to fluctuate all season long primarily based upon which student athletes are healthy scratches when they are out of state with their external travel teams. The depth of the Lightning’s roster will be tested but should be able to handle one or two student athletes missing a game here or there.

It all starts on Friday evening. The season begins now….

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

Junior Varsity Blair Game Preview

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity has started the 2023 – 2024 season with two consecutive shutout victories. The team will look to make it three victories to start the season with a win over the Blair Blazers on Friday afternoon. Game time is 4:10 pm at Rockville Ice Arena. The Lightning will be looking to play a more complete game than the team did in Sunday evening’s contest against Northwest/ Quince Orchard, a game in which the Lightning won in spite of a lackluster effort. Depending upon how the game progresses, some roster management may occur as the program has a varsity game later Friday evening in which several of the junior varsity student athletes will participate.

Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg has authored shutouts in his first two career high school starts stopping twenty shots against Whitman and only needing to make nine saves against Northwest/Quince Orchard. Another strong defensive effort on Friday afternoon will help as he tries for a third consecutive shutout victory. If Upper Montgomery brings the effort and hustle displayed against Whitman, the team should be in control of the game. The junior varsity team should continue to play much better this season, but that will all depend on how well the team defends. Not just the defense, but the forwards backchecking hard and coming back to help in coverage. The team has a significant amount of experience on defense. In net for the Blazers is expected to be a split game between Gavin Masaya and Alexander Azcarate. Masaya faced a potent BCC squad in his only career game while Azcarate was better against an inferior opponent in the DC Stars.

On defense the Lightning’s experienced defenders are still looking to jell. Seniors Sean Levine and Jake Roth will see extensive action. Offensive minded defender Cole Howerton who created many scoring chances against Northwest/Quince Orchard will log heavy minutes once again. He will likely pair with hulking defensive defender Patrick Sell or Behr Schicker who has been a nice surprise over the first two games of the season. Schickler looks more comfortable in his sophomore season. Ninth grade defenders Miles Wendland and Avery Evans will each play a significant role against Blair. Wendland will return to the lineup after being out of town with his external travel team this past weekend. Evans will be making her Lightning debut. Blair has a relatively young roster with no experienced defensive skaters. Upper Montgomery must take advantage of this shortcoming. A rotation of forwards may need to drop back and play defense for the Blazers.

Up front the Lightning have received two goals each from junior co-captain Josh Nadler and junior TJ Gottesman. Senior co-captain Adam Levine has stood out for his stellar play over the first two games of the season. The team’s leaders have played very well against Whitman and Northwest/Quince Orchard leading by example with outstanding effort, hustle, and determination. With the team unlikely to burst out offensively, every single forward will need to contribute. Expect that AJ Marks and Aiden Zheng will chip in offensively on Friday. Jackson Schickler will continue to see lots of ice time, and he is improving with each game.

Blair will be led up front by Eva Caron. She is the team’s best forward playing on a team that is starved for goals. The Blazes have scored only one goal over their first two games. Unfortunately for Blair, there is just not enough talent to compete with the middle and top junior varsity teams in the Montgomery Hockey Conference.

Upper Montgomery will need to maintain focus throughout the entire game, something they did not do particularly well against Northwest/Quince Orchard. If the game is competitive, the Lightning will need to be laser sharp with their defensive assignments and structure. If Upper Montgomery is able to open up a bit of a lead during the game, the team will need to be very focused on attention to details to prevent bad habits from creeping into their game moving forward. Every game is an opportunity to shine and impress the coaching staff and demonstrate that the student athlete deserves additional ice time.

Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to push their record to 3-0 on the young season with a very winnable game. However, the Lightning will need to take charge and grab hold of the game. Waiting around and playing a loose style will not beat the better teams in the conference.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

Lightning Junior Varsity Survives Sloppy Play

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity earned a second consecutive shutout victory on Sunday evening. The team easily dispatched an overmatched Northwest/Quince Orchard squad by a score of 5-0 albeit with an underwhelming performance that left no one in the program pleased with the way the team performed. As good as the season opening performance was this past Friday evening, in Sunday’s game the Lightning played down to the level of their opponents. Throughout the rest of the season the junior varsity will be challenged to bring their ‘A’ game to every competition. Facing a lesser quality opponent with several of their better skaters not in attendance, Upper Montgomery did not play with much intensity.

Ilan Shterenberg earned his second consecutive shutout, but he was not tested at all during the game making only nine saves. Even with their subpar effort, the Lightning controlled play throughout the entire game. Northwest/Quince Orchard never really threatened offensively even while on their three powerplay opportunities.

Early in the game with a chance to take control Upper Montgomery was clearly off. Passes did not connect, energy was lacking, and the overall tempo of the game had the feel of a scrimmage. When Jaguars forward James Shupe was called for elbowing three minutes into the contest, Upper Montgomery’s powerplay was disorganized and fizzled. It took over seven and a half minutes of game action before Upper Montgomery generated a good scoring chance.

With a faceoff in their own defensive zone, Lightning junior co-captain Josh Nadler won the draw into the right corner. TJ Gottesman cycled back to retrieve the puck and skated around the net. His outlet pass sprung Nadler down the right wing. Nadler sped into the offensive zone and went wide, deep into the corner where he was met by the Jaguars defense. He curled up and battled in the corner for possession of the puck. Upper Montgomery’s other co-captain, senior Adam Levine, joined in for support. As the skaters battled for the puck behind the net, Levine outmuscled Jaguars defender Matt Mills. He sent the puck to open ice in the left faceoff circle where Nadler raced in and pounced on the puck. Nadler skated two strides into the middle of the slot where he fired a wrist shot past Northwest/Quince Orchard goalie Joseph Dean glove side to put the Lightning up by one.

Rather than use the initial goal as motivation to pour it on the Jaguars, Upper Montgomery seemed satisfied to be playing with a one goal lead. An impressive individual play provided the Lightning with some breathing room. After a dump into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone, Shterenberg left the net to play the puck over to Lightning defender Cole Howerton. Howerton skated the puck end to end weaving across the ice from left to right through the neutral zone and deep into the offensive zone. He feathered a nice cross ice pass to Gottesman who fired wide left of the net from the slot. Not giving up on the play, Gottesman raced behind the net and collected the puck as he rounded the cage. He beat Dean to the far side. As he crossed back over the goal line he shoveled a high backhand shot near side past a scrambling Dean.

Upper Montgomery now had a 2-0 lead. On the very next shift the Lightning went back on the powerplay after Northwest/Quince Orchard forward Josh Podsiadlik was called for interference. With an opportunity blow the game wide open, the Lightning spent most of the advantage trying to make individual plays and continuously turned the puck over. The lackluster first period ended with Upper Montgomery up by two goals and outshooting Northwest/Quince Orchard eleven to one.

Early in the second period Upper Montgomery went on the penalty kill as forward Jason Woodman was called for slashing on the backcheck through the neutral zone. The Lightning controlled the penalty kill after the opening faceoff loss and a quick save by Shterenberg. From that point until the teams were back skating with even personnel, Upper Montgomery took the play to the Jaguars. At the ten minute mark Levine was crushed by Podsiadlik well after the puck had been moved. Podsiadlik was called for roughing for the late bodycheck, but Lightning 9th grade forward Jackson Schickler retaliated with a crosscheck to nullify the pending powerplay chance. To make matters worse, Schickler crosschecked the wrong skater hitting Mills instead.

Midway through the second period Nadler was called for interference in the neutral zone while trying to slow down an attacking Jaguars forward. Once again, the Lightning dominated the penalty kill with Levine and 9th grade forward Aiden Zheng leading the way. That penalty kill seemed to give the team a bit of a lift. On the ensuing shift, Upper Montgomery senior defender Sean Levine made a nice individual play. He jumped in from the neutral zone to keep the puck in the offensive zone after a horrible clearing attempt by Northwest/Quince Orchard. Levine played the puck from skate to stick, made one stickhandle, and ripped a wrist shot high short side from the right faceoff circle. The puck whizzed by the catching glove of Dean high into the net for an unassisted goal. Upper Montgomery led 3-0 with five and a half minutes remaining in the second period. Toward the end of the second period Podsiadlik took his third penalty of the game, another roughing penalty. Once again, Upper Montgomery could not take advantage with the extra skater.

The start of the third period was a different story. Within three minutes, the game was no longer in doubt. On the first shift of the period, Howerton took control of the puck at the red line along the right wing boards. He skated left across the ice all the way to the left wing boards entering the offensive zone. He cut to the low slot and uncorked a wrist shot over Dean’s glove hand. It was the second straight unassisted goal for the Lightning. Just a minute and a half later another bad pass in the Jaguars defensive zone was intercepted by Gottesman at the top of the left circle. He gathered in the puck, took a stride toward the net and beat Dean with a wrist shot high stick side. From that point until the final whistle, Upper Montgomery possessed the puck for long stretches. All Northwest/Quince Orchard could do was continually ice the puck to relieve the pressure and catch their breath.

Game Notes:

  • It was the second consecutive shutout for Ilan Shterenberg to begin his high school career.
  • Upper Montgomery outshot Northwest 29-9 for the game, including 11-1 in the first period.
  • Josh Nadler scored for the second consecutive game.
  • TJ Gottesman had his second career two goal game.
  • Both teams went 0-3 on the powerplay. Neither team generated much in terms of offensive chances with the extra skater. Upper Montgomery is now 7-7 on the penalty kill for the season but 0-7 on the powerplay.
  • Upper Montgomery returns to action Friday afternoon, October 13th versus Blair. Game time is 4:10 pm at Rockville Ice Arena.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Joseph Dean—Northwest/Quince Orchard Goalie—24 Saves
Second Star—Cole Howerton—Upper Montgomery Defense—1 Goal, 1 Assist
Third Star—TJ Gottesman—Upper Montgomery Forward—2 Goals

Junior Varsity Northwest/Quince Orchard Game Preview

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity has a quick turnaround after its season opening shutout victory Friday night against Whitman. Less than 48 hours later, the team will host Northwest/Quince Orchard on Sunday evening, October 8th at Skate Frederick. Game time is 7:05 pm. Upper Montgomery will be looking to build off of Friday evening’s effort and show the maturity an experienced team has to not have a letdown. The junior varsity has only fourteen skaters, so conditioning is important especially with the team expected to be without 9th grade defenders Avery Evans and Miles Wendland both of whom are out of town with their external travel teams. As the team found out Friday evening, the additional length of the periods, now fifteen minutes up from twelve minutes, can affect conditioning and performance later on in the game.

Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg authored a shutout in his first career high school start stopping twenty shots against Whitman. If he plays well again on Sunday, Upper Montgomery should be able to muster enough offense to repel the Jaguars. If Upper Montgomery brings the effort and hustle displayed against Whitman, they should be able to control the game. The junior varsity team should continue to play much better this season, but that will all depend on how well the team defends. Not just the defense, but the forwards backchecking hard and coming back to help in coverage. The team has a significant amount of experience on defense. Playing to its strengths, the junior varsity games may be lower scoring than last season as the team focuses on protecting Shterenberg.

Shterenberg will handle the netminding duties for the entire season. His play in net will ultimately determine how successful the team is and how far the Lightning junior varsity advances in the junior varsity county playoffs. Friday evening was a great start, zero goals allowed. He has the talent and ability to be a difference maker. In net for the Jaguars will be junior Joseph Dean. Dean has experience playing his third season of junior varsity hockey. He was excellent in the team’s playoff matchup two seasons ago and then uneven last year during the team’s regular season 4-4 tie.

On defense the Lightning will dress several experienced defenders. Seniors Sean Levine and Jake Roth will both see extensive action. Offensive minded defender Cole Howerton will likely pair with hulking defensive defender Patrick Sell. Sell will be making his season debut versus Northwest/Quince Orchard. Behr Schickler played a nice game on Friday and will be counted on to play significant minutes once again on Sunday. Northwest/Quince Orchard has a relatively young roster with senior Matthew Mills anchoring their backend. A rotation of forwards may need to drop back and play defense for the Jaguars.

Up front the Lightning received goals from junior co-captain Josh Nadler and sophomore Jason Woodman. Senior co-captain Adam Levine had an excellent game. The team’s leaders showed out against Whitman leading by example with outstanding effort, hustle, and determination. With the team unlikely to burst out offensively, every single forward will need to contribute. Expect that AJ Marks, TJ Gottesman, Aiden Zheng, and Jackson Schickler will continue to see lots of ice time, and each will improve as the season progresses.

Northwest/Quince Orchard will be led up front by Trevor Bartolomeo. He is the team’s most explosive skater, and his conditioning is second to none. He will be flying all over the ice like the energizer bunny every time he is out there. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have a lot of top end talent to play with.

Upper Montgomery will need to maintain focus throughout the entire game. If the game is competitive, the Lightning will need to be laser sharp with their defensive assignments and structure. If Upper Montgomery is able to open up a bit of a lead during the game, the team will need to be very focused on attention to details to prevent bad habits from creeping into their game moving forward. Every game is an opportunity to shine. Upper Montgomery will be looking to push their record to 2-0 on the young season.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!