Author: chucklevine

The Upper Montgomery Lightning competed hard and very well on Wednesday afternoon against highly rated Mount St. Joseph before falling to one of the top ranked private school programs in the region. In the losing effort the Lightning program received many accolades for how well the team played. Looking to spark the team, the Upper Montgomery coaching staff started 9th grade goaltender Ilan Shterenberg in net. Shterenberg continues to be undefeated at the junior varsity level having begun his high school career with four straight victories, two shutouts, and having given up only four goals in those four games. The change in net seemed to energize the team as the Lightning carried play early on in the game.

Mount St. Joseph looked to intimidate the Lightning directly from the drop of the opening faceoff. The Gaels’ skaters began running around trying to check Upper Montgomery skaters all over the ice. The tactic backfired as the Gaels often found their skaters out of position and needing to hook and impede Upper Montgomery’s attack through the neutral zone. The undisciplined play led to a boatload of penalties beginning with a hooking penalty to forward Timothy Trimble on the backcheck. Upper Montgomery had some effective zone time on the first powerplay of the game but could not convert in what would become a common theme for the Lightning. However, two minutes after Trimble’s penalty expired the Lightning would strike for the first goal of the game.

Off of a faceoff in the right circle in the offensive zone, Upper Montgomery controlled possession of the puck. Lightning center Ryan Jacobson tool possession of the puck and skated down below the goal line. As he was cutting back to the right faceoff circle he passed over to his right winger, forward Nathan Cassel. Cassel reversed the flow and skated down into the right corner once again before approaching the slot. He shoveled a backhander toward the net. Jacobson whacked at the puck as it went by, pushing the puck under the leg pads of Gaels goalie Nate Carr. Lightning forward Philip Shkeda was camped out at the side of the net and he also jabbed at the puck, finally pushing the puck over the goal line short side low along the ice.

The Gaels undisciplined play continued with defender Henry Boarman called for interference. Continuing their streak of futility on the powerplay, the Lightning failed to extend the lead. Upper Montgomery did not score on any of the team’s first eight powerplays of the season. But, with four minutes left in the period, Upper Montgomery would score its first ‘powerplay’ goal of the season, kind of. As he was skating up ice in the clear, Cassel was hooked from behind at the offensive blue line by Mount St. Joseph forward Liam Nilan. The hook sent the puck into the corner preventing Cassel from any offensive opportunity and earned the talented forward a penalty shot. With just himself and the goaltender involved in the penalty shot sequence, Cassel started down the left wing side of the ice. From the left faceoff circle, Cassel cut over to the slot area on his forehand. As he shifted to make a move on Carr, going from backhand to forehand, Cassel lost control of the puck. The puck slid away from him toward the net with Cassel continuing his move. The puck beat Carr five hole just inside the right post as he was moving over to make what he thought would be a save on Cassel’s impending forehand shot attempt.

With their two goal lead, Upper Montgomery began to play with some confidence, something that had not been present for much of the season to date. As the first period ticked under a minute remaining, Mount St. Joseph would get on the board. Off of a faceoff in the right faceoff circle in their defensive zone, the puck was pushed behind Shterenberg’s net. A Mount St. Joseph forward gained possession of the puck and sent a pass along the boards back to the left point. The Gaels defender sent the puck back down the boards where Lightning forward Henry Honacki attempted to get the puck out of his defensive zone. The puck was kept in at the left point and fired at the net by Gaels forward Ryan Joyce. The puck was deflected on the way toward Shterenberg by Gaels forward Aiden McIntyre. Shterenberg made the initial save but during the ensuing scramble in front, McIntyre fought off the Lightning defense and stuffed the puck home. Just before the buzzer sounded to end the first period, Lightning forward Brandon Bernard was called for a tripping penalty on a lazy backcheck. A very fast paced and action filled period ended with Upper Montgomery in the lead 2-1, and having outshot Mount St. Joseph thirteen to ten.

It was clear from the tongue lashing provided to the Gaels bench during intermission that their coaching staff was not pleased with the effort displayed during the initial fifteen minutes of action. The white and purple jersey contingent responded immediately capitalizing on their powerplay with a minute and a half gone in the middle period. After a legal Upper Montgomery icing while on the penalty kill, Mount St. Joseph’s forward Trimble, playing defense on the powerplay, retrieved the puck deep in his own end. He began the scoring play by heading up the right wing boards. Using some tick tack passing with fellow forward Emory Mager, Mager avoided the Lightning penalty killers. He curled toward the net where his shot was saved by Shterenberg. As the puck laid behind the young netminder, Gaels forward Ryan Currie slammed home the loose puck before the puck could be cleared from harm by the Upper Montgomery defense.

Back to back penalties on Gaels’ little used forward Jackson Powell for roughing and then on Nilan for interference away from the play gave the Lightning an opportune time to convert on the powerplay. Unfortunately, the anemic Lightning powerplay fizzled yet again failing to score with the two skater advantage. At the nine minute mark of the second period, the Lightning coaching staff put in starting netminder, senior Landon Bernard to play the second half of the game. Shterenberg was very solid in net saving sixteen of the eighteen shots he faced. Just after the goalie switch, Lightning forward Olivia Robbins was called for a slashing penalty.

And, as circumstances usually go, the Lightning failed to score on a long two skater advantage…the Gaels scored on the powerplay for the second consecutive time to jump into the lead. Joyce retrieved the puck in the neutral zone and carried the puck down the left wing as he entered the offensive zone. He passed the puck to Trimble near the left point. Trimble’s shot was saved by Bernard with the rebound caroming into the left faceoff circle. Currie got to the puck first and curled around the faceoff circle toward the center point where he passed off to Boarman. Boarman’s slap shot was blocked in front by traffic, hitting Mager stationed in front of the net in the back of the pants. The puck changed direction and dropped right in front of Currie for a tap in shot at the far side of the net that easily went past Bernard’s glove.

Taking the lead did not stop Mount St. Joseph from continuing its undisciplined play. With three minutes left in the second period, another of the Gaels’ little used forwards, Aidan Folmer was called for hooking. Joyce, unhappy with the penalty call, mouthed off to the officials and drew an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. With a full two minutes of five on three powerplay time, Upper Montgomery had extensive zone time, but could not get the puck past Carr to tie up the game. Failing to score on either of their two long five on three powerplays doomed Upper Montgomery.

And, once again as circumstances usually go, fifteen seconds after returning to even strength, Mount St. Joseph increased their lead to 4-2. Off of a faceoff win in the offensive zone, Lightning defender Brady Berkhammer was stripped of the puck along the blue line. Gaels forward Matt McQueeney pushed the puck into the neutral zone coming in on a two on one rush with Gaels forward Aaron Werner. From the bottom of the right faceoff circle McQueeney fired a shot on Bernard. Bernard made the save with the puck deposited behind the net. McQueeney gained possession of the puck as he was circling the net. He passed out in front to Werner who had stopped in the low slot. Uncovered, Werner fired a high shot near side that beat Bernard’s blocker. The Gaels had started to tilt play when not in the penalty box scoring four straight goals to erase Upper Montgomery’s 2-0 lead. Mount St. Joseph had outshot Upper Montgomery sixteen to five in the second period. Upper Montgomery mustered only five shots on goal with the two long five on three powerplay opportunities.

The third period was another action packed back and forth frame. Each time it looked like Mount St. Joseph would pull away, the Lightning would fight back and close the gap. Three and a half minutes into the period McIntyre would score his second goal of the game to extend the Gaels lead to 5-2. A faceoff in the right faceoff circle in the offensive zone was won by Currie. The puck went back to the top of the circle where Mager fired a wrist shot on net that was saved by Bernard’s leg pads. McIntyre got behind the Lightning defense to grab control of the puck. He made a backhand to forehand deke before tucking the puck around Bernard’s right leg.

On the next shift, a minute later, the Lightning would score to close the margin to just two goals. Upper Montgomery took possession in their defensive zone. Senior defender Jacob Roth bumped the puck forward to Cassel in the high slot of the defensive zone. Cassel sent an outlet pass to Shkeda on the left wing as he exited the defensive zone. Shkeda returned the puck to Cassel cross ice along the right wing boards in neutral ice. Cassel took the puck all the way into the Mount St. Joseph defensive zone where he circled the net. Coming out the left side of the net, he curled around and fired a high wrist shot short side that beat Carr over his blocker.

With six and a half minutes remaining in the game, Mount St. Joseph’s would be back up by three goals. A dump in behind the Upper Montgomery net was controlled by the Lightning’s defense. The puck was stolen by Mager who immediately wrapped the puck around the front of the net past an unprepared Bernard. Mager had snuck the puck past Bernard’s feet using his backhand going short side just inside the near post.

Six seconds after Mager’s goal, Jacobson cut the lead back to 6-4. From center ice off the faceoff, Jacobson controlled the puck in the neutral zone. He exploded into the offensive zone down the left wing past the Gaels defense. From the left faceoff circle, Jacobson fired a wrist shot far side just under Carr’s outstretched leg pad. It was two consecutive unassisted goals in six seconds, one for each team.

With five minutes to play, Mount St. Joseph would score its final goal to extend the margin once again. A puck battle behind the Upper Montgomery net resulted in a clearing of the puck around the boards to the left point. As the puck approached, Boarman took an innocent slap at the puck firing it at the net from distance. Seeming to loose track of the puck, it sailed high past Bernard’s blocker. It was a very soft goal to allow and ended any real chance for the Lightning of fighting back to tie the game.

A minute and a half later Upper Montgomery would tally once more to close the score back to 7-5, and show how important the last Gaels goal would prove to be. Lightning senior center and co-captain, Chris Hassett picked up the puck in the slot area of the Upper Montgomery defensive zone while on the backcheck. He skated up ice through the neutral zone on a wide offensive zone entry down the left wing. From a bad angle at the bottom of the left faceoff circle, Hassett dished in front with his backhand to Honacki charging toward the front of the net. Honacki got his backhand on the pass and swiped the puck into the far side of the empty net to close out the scoring.

Game Notes:

• The start in net was Ilan Shterenberg’s first career varsity appearance.
• Jacob Roth’s assist was his first career varsity point.
• Henry Honacki scored for the second time in three games.
• Upper Montgomery was outshot by Mount St. Joseph’s 38-25, getting dominated over the final two periods of play, 28-12.
• Nathan Cassel’s penalty shot goal was the Lightning’s first penalty shot in at least four seasons.
• The Lightning are now zero for twelve on traditional powerplays for the season excluding Cassel’s penalty shot goal which technically counts as a powerplay marker.
• Upper Montgomery will try again to secure its first victory of the season when the team returns to action after a two week break on Tuesday afternoon, November 21st, taking on the 2nd ranked Walter Johnson Wildcats. Game time is 3:10 pm at Rockville Ice Arena.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Emory Mager—Mount St. Joseph’s Forward—1 Goal, 3 Assists
Second Star—Nathan Cassel—Upper Montgomery Forward—2 Goals, 1 Assist
Third Star—Ryan Currie—Mount St. Joseph’s Forward—2 Goals, 1 Assist

Friday evening’s game against BCC was the start of a tough four game stretch for the Upper Montgomery Lightning. Judging by the result, a convincing 7-2 BCC victory in which the Barons were in control from the beginning of the contest, the next three games may be similarly difficult if the Upper Montgomery defense and goaltending does not quickly improve. The loss continues the Lightning’s winless start to the season, now at 0-5, and which could easily grow with Mount St. Joseph’s, second ranked Walter Johnson, and top ranked Churchill upcoming over the next three games.

The Lightning coaches knew that this game was going to be difficult. In addition to the highly talented opponent, Upper Montgomery was going to be missing leading scorer Chris Hassett, super talented defender Andrew Botti who is still out with an upper body injury, and the squad would also be missing Ryan Jacobson. Both Hassett and Jacobson separately would be missing the game traveling with their external travel team being out-of-town.

The shorthanded Lightning put forth a decent effort to start the game. The team packed in tight defensively and made it difficult for the Barons to get many quality looks on Upper Montgomery’s netminder, Landon Bernard. The effect of the packed in defensive style was that the team barely mustered quality scoring chances of their own. The Lightning registered just four shots on goal in the first period with none of the shots on net threatening to beat BCC goalie Vivienne Boyle.

BCC would jump to an early 1-0 lead off of an unfortunate bounce. An Upper Montgomery turnover on the side wall went to BCC forward Aleksander Talty. Talty fired from the left faceoff circle. His shot was blocked by the Upper Montgomery defense and the puck ricocheted through the slot right onto the stick of BCC forward Evan Williams. Bernard went down too early and from the bottom of the right faceoff circle Williams flipped the puck over the prone goaltender.

Midway through the first period, Upper Montgomery went on the powerplay for the first time when Barons’ defender Danny Loughlin was called for roughing. As has been the case the entire season, the Lightning failed to convert with the extra skater, and on this opportunity they failed to generate any offensive threat. But, with Upper Montgomery focusing almost entirely on defense, the score was still very competitive with BCC only leading by one goal with two minutes remaining in the first period.

However, with less than two minutes remaining in the first period, Loughlin sent the puck down the boards into the left corner. Upper Montgomery’s defense sent the puck around the net from defender to defender. The upcoming outlet pass to breakout of the defensive zone was deflected back toward the Lightning goal directly onto the stick of Williams once again. Williams curled into the right circle and fired high far side past an unsuspecting Bernard. Even though the Lightning had been outplayed, it was two bad deflections that led directly to both Barons’ goals.

Early in the second period BCC would end the competitive portion of the game. Barons’ defender Collin Eccles while spinning and falling in the neutral zone pushed the puck to Barons’ forward Peter Lanpher. Lanpher traveled down the left wing into the Lightning defensive zone. He then left a drop pass for Eccles’ defensive partner Grady Jiggens. From between the top of the left faceoff circle and the blue line, Jiggens let loose with a wrist shot high glove side that bounced out of Bernard’s glove over his body and into the net. It was a deflating goal that sucked the energy out of the Lightning bench. The remainder of the game took on the feel of a scrimmage lacking in intensity, with Upper Montgomery running around all over the ice just trying to get the puck outside of their defensive zone.

Showing how dominant BCC was in the period, the shots on goal were tilted in favor of the Barons eighteen to five. Upper Montgomery was under siege while killing a tripping penalty assessed to Henry Honacki. With under four minutes to go in the middle frame, Barons center Matthew Duffy would score an unassisted goal to enlarge the Barons lead to 4-0. BCC dumped the puck into the Lightning defensive zone. Lightning defender, senior co-captain Hunter Cameron cleared the puck back out to center ice. Duffy picked up the puck and came back into the Lightning defensive zone. He faked around an Upper Montgomery defender and lifted a backhander over Bernard’s blocker and right shoulder short side high. As the period mercifully neared its conclusion, high scoring Lightning forward Nathan Cassel was given a ten minute misconduct penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Fifteen seconds into the third period Duffy struck again. He won the opening faceoff back and over to Eccles on the left wing side of the ice. Eccles playing this shift at forward passed the puck along the blue line over to Sebastian Harrison on the right side of the ice. Harrison sent the puck back to left along the blue line to Jiggens. Jiggens hit Eccles in the center of the neutral zone with a pass. Eccles skated down the left wing and left a drop pass for Duffy in the left faceoff circle. Duffy ripped a wicked wrist shot just under the crossbar high blocker side past Bernard who had little chance on the play.

Thirty seconds later BCC went up 6-0. The Barons exited their defensive zone along the right wing. Lanpher passed the puck up to Harrison who sent it back to Lanpher. Lanpher skated through the neutral zone and into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. Lanpher found Eccles all alone in the slot after a missed Lightning defensive assignment. Eccles had a clean look at the net and beat Bernard far side past his stick and blocker.

Halfway through the final stanza, Upper Montgomery took back to back penalties. First Cameron was called for tripping and then Lightning forward Philip Shkeda was called for roughing. Just prior to Cameron’s penalty expiring, BCC scored a five on three goal powerplay goal. Duffy won a faceoff in the left circle back to the Eccles at the mid point along the blue line. Skating to the right faceoff circle, Eccles unloaded a shot that was saved by Bernard’s leg pads. Talty retrieved the puck along the left wing boards and sent it up to Duffy who was now stationed at the center mid point along the blue line. Duffy’s low wrist shot through traffic went in along the ice stick side to the far corner of the net for his hat trick goal.

With four and a half minutes left in the game, Upper Montgomery would spoil Boyle’s shutout bid. Shkeda collected a rebound of a BCC shot in his right defensive corner. He skated the length of the ice up the left wing boards deep into the offensive zone. He fired a wrist shot from a bad angle that was saved by Boyle. The rebound was pushed behind the net. A bad BCC clearing attempt was kept in at the left point by Lightning defender Brady Berkhammer. Berkhammer passed the puck to Shkeda in the slot. Shkeda skated to his right into the right faceoff circle where he lifted a backhander toward the net which was deflected by a backchecking BCC forward up over Boyle’s glove into the top right corner of the net.

The Lightning would close out the scoring with just over a minute left in the game. Berkhammer blocked a BCC shot and swatted the puck over to Lightning forward Bradley Cupples. Cupples exited the Lightning defensive zone and skated down the left wing into the offensive zone. Cupples’ attempted pass back over to Berkhammer at the right point hit a leg and laid in the high slot. Lightning senior Olivia Robbins was trailing the play and she collected the loose puck. Robbins patiently waited for a screen to develop in front of the net before shooting. Her low shot stick side beat Boyle for her first goal of the season.

Game Notes:

• Upper Montgomery gave up three more goals in the third period. The team now has a minus thirteen goal differential in the third period over the first five games of the season.
• Upper Montgomery was badly outshot by BCC 43-14, getting dominated over the final two periods of play, 33-10.
• Since getting its first ever points in a tie against BCC last season, the Barons have won the next two games by scores of 8-2 and 7-2.
• Upper Montgomery again looks to secure its first win of the season when the team returns to action on Wednesday afternoon, taking on private school powerhouse Mount St. Joseph’s. Game time is 4:00 pm at Laurel Ice Gardens. This will be the first ever meeting between the programs.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Matthew Duffy—BCC Center—3 Goals
Second Star—Evan Williams—BCC Forward—2 Goals
Third Star—Collin Eccles—BCC Defense—1 Goal, 3 Assists

For the first half of Tuesday evening’s game, it looked like the Upper Montgomery Lightning would secure their initial victory of the 2023-2024 season. Then, the Sherwood Warriors stormed back and made it a haunted Halloween evening for the green and gold. The loss dropped the Lightning’s record on the season to 0-4, with defensive miscues, late game collapses, and shaky goaltending continuing to impact the team’s performance. A very tough stretch of games is upcoming with BCC, Mount St. Joseph’s, Walter Johnson, and Churchill looming on the schedule over the next month of action.

The Lightning controlled play from the opening faceoff attacking and firing shots on Sherwood’s backup netminder Alexander Crotzer-Scartascini who drew the starting assignment against Upper Montgomery. In the opening minutes of the game, Lightning senior center and co-captain, Chris Hassett had a semi-breakaway that was stopped by Crotzer-Scartascini’s leg pads. However, six minutes into the game Hassett would get redemption putting Upper Montgomery ahead to start the scoring. Lightning forward Nathan Cassel intercepted a Sherwood clearing attempt along the right wing boards in the offensive zone. He cut toward the middle of the ice and was hooked from behind. While spinning to the ice he sent a backhand twirl pass over to Hassett standing at the left post. Hassett spun a backhand shot through Crotzer-Scartascini’s five hole from a forty-five degree angle to put Upper Montgomery ahead.

Two minutes later Upper Montgomery would increase its lead with the same forwards once again combining on the scoring play. This time it was Hassett who set up Cassel for the tally. A bouncing puck was batted around in the neutral zone. A Sherwood defender shot the puck off of Hassett’s skates with the puck deflecting to Cassel. Cassel cut into the offensive zone down the left wing where he lost possession of the puck while going around the Sherwood defense. He kicked the puck back onto his stick before he too went five hole, finishing on his forehand.

A minute later the barrage continued. Upper Montgomery 9th grade defender, Miles Wendland bumped a Sherwood forward off the puck in the slot in front of Lightning netminder Landon Bernard. Wendland’s poke check separated the Sherwood skater from the puck. The puck laid in the slot until Upper Montgomery forward Henry Honacki bumped the puck forward to Lightning senior Brandon Bernard who headed up ice into the neutral zone. Bernard skated down the right wing with his speed enabling him to beat the Warriors’ defender wide. Bernard cut to the front of the net and scored on the forehand, again going five hole. With six minutes left in the first period, the Lightning led 3-0 and Crotzer-Scartascini’s night was over having been replaced in net by Sherwood’s starting goalie, Samuel Hutt. Shots on goal in the first period were even with Bernard making saves on all nine Sherwood shots and the Warriors’ goalies facing ten total shots.

The start of the second period brought with it the beginning of an ominous final two periods of play for the Lightning. A little over a minute into the frame, Sherwood forward Cameron Colandro would get the Warriors on the scoreboard. Off the rush, Upper Montgomery turned the puck over just inside of the Sherwood blue line. Colandro sent a pass up ice to Sherwood center Aiden Cook. Cook skated through the middle of the neutral zone but fumbled the puck into the right corner. He retrieved the puck and sent a pass up to Colandro along the side boards. Colanrdo sent a return pass to Cook who then sent a backhand shot wide of the net. Colandro recovered the puck and lifted a backhander of his own over Bernard’s left leg pad.

Upper Montgomery was not deflated by the initial Sherwood goal. A minute and a half later the lead was back to three goals. Cassel rewound in the neutral zone and passed cross ice to Hassett at the left wing boards. Hassett entered the offensive zone under control and sent a cross ice feed into the empty right corner. Cassel retrieved the puck and fed Lightning defender Brady Berkhammer at the right point. Berkhammer’s near side snap shot was deflected by Hassett up over Hutt’s pads and into the net.

As the clocked moved under ten minutes remaining in the second period, Berkhammer was called for hooking. Upper Montgomery was within ten seconds of killing off the penalty when Sherwood again closed to within two goals. Upper Montgomery cleared the puck down the ice behind Hutt’s goal. Hutt handed the puck off to Sherwood’s leading scorer and extremely talented forward Grayson Winckler. Winckler sent a pass to Sherwood’s other dynamic skater, center Noi Jonasson who rocketed through the neutral zone down the right wing and around the Lightning defense. Jonasson cut in on Bernard who made the initial save. Jonasson was able to gain control of the puck and rewind for another drive toward the net this time from the left side of the ice. Bernard again made the save on Jonasson’s shot, with the puck rebounding into the slot where Oz Sacks fired to the roof of the net over Bernard’s glove hand.

Two minutes later the Upper Montgomery lead would shrink further. Off of a misplay in the neutral zone by the Lightning defense, Winckler sped around the Lightning defenders and into the offensive zone. He pulled up at the right faceoff circle and fired past Bernard stick side. A minute later the score was tied as Winckler had his second goal of the same shift. Sherwood defender Tyler Payson cleared the puck around his own net to Winckler on the right wing. Winckler skated through the middle of the neutral zone and split the Lighting defense with some nifty stickhandling. In alone on Bernard, he lifted a backhander up over Bernard’s blocker and stick. Sherwood’s three goals in three minutes evened the score at four with five minutes left in the second period.

With two minutes remaining in the second period, Sherwood would take its first lead of the game. Payson cleared the puck from in front of his own net to a streaking Jonasson charging up ice along with Winckler. The outlet pass sprung both of Sherwood’s most talented skaters in on a two on one rush. Jonasson passed the puck wide to Winckler on the right wing heading into the offensive zone. Winckler unleashed a slap shot on Bernard which the netminder saved using his right leg pad. The rebound squirted out in front and was kicked into the net by Jonasson at the far post. High school hockey does not employ replay and there are no coaches challenges so the goal was allowed to stand.

Upper Montgomery would respond on the very next shift a mere thirty seconds later. In the offensive zone, the Sherwood defense turned the puck over again. Honacki fanned on his shot attempt with the puck going directly to Brandon Bernard. Bernard’s shot from the right faceoff circle was saved by Hutt. Honacki had crashed the net and poked the loose puck under Hutt’s leg pads to even the score. A wild second period saw Sherwood score five times, including four consecutive goals, and Upper Montgomery tally twice turning a comfortable Lightning lead into a one period slugfest to determine the victor.

Playing with a short bench for much of the opening portion of the season, the Lightning have had difficulty finishing games. Their play in the third periods of games has looked ragged and sloppy. The final fifteen minutes against Sherwood was no different. Thirty seconds into the third period, Sherwood had regained the lead. Jonasson sent an outlet pass to a streaking Winckler down the right wing entering the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. Winckler skated around the Upper Montgomery defense and into the slot. He faked backhand to forehand and went high over Bernard’s glove.

With Upper Montgomery trying to claw back even, Sherwood would increase their lead to two goals with just under nine minutes to play. From his defensive right corner, Sherwood defender Roman Khrizman sent the puck up the left wing boards to his defensive partner Payson. Payson cruised diagonally through the neutral zone, into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone, and pulled up at the top of the right faceoff circle. He dished the puck to Warriors’ forward Ryan Green. Green’s shot from far outside the right circle along the right wing boards deflected off Lightning defender, senior co-captain Hunter Cameron stationed in front of the goal and past Bernard.

Two minutes later, Sherwood’s lead would increase to 8-5. Payson stopped the puck at his own blue line and advanced the puck to Winckler headed up ice. Tired Upper Montgomery skaters were changing behind the play. The poor line change provided Winckler and his running mate Jonasson another two on one rush. Winckler stick handled into the slot and pushed the puck over to Jonasson. Jonasson stick handled back into the slot from the bottom of the right circle and slid a backhanded shot past Bernard stick side.

Upper Montgomery would not quit. Ten seconds after Jonasson’s goal, the Lightning would be right back in the game. Off of the ensuing faceoff at neutral ice, Hassett won the draw by kicking the puck left over to Cassel. Cassel motored up ice and cut to his right entering the offensive zone. He went wide. At the bottom of the right faceoff circle Cassel sent a pass across the net to Lightning forward Philip Shkeda. From in front, Shkeda’s first shot was saved by Hutt, but he stayed with the play and banged in the rebound.

A little over a minute later, the game was back to a one goal game. Cameron fought for the puck in the corner and cleared the puck up the boards. The puck took a funny bounce and was collected by Hassett. Hassett skated the puck into the Sherwood defensive zone. From the outer edge of the right circle he sent a pass to Honacki. Honacki cut to the slot and shot at Hutt. Hutt made the save with the puck rebounding to the side of the net where it was knocked home by Cassel at the left post.

With six minutes left, Sherwood now led 8-7. Unfortunately for the Lightning faithful, that would be as close as Upper Montgomery would get. Closing to within one goal seemed to take all of the energy out of the team with Sherwood controlling most of the play in the waning minutes of action. Upper Montgomery had difficulty establishing in the offensive zone, and could not get Bernard out of the net for an extra attacker until there were 45 seconds remaining in the game. Then, once Bernard had been pulled for the extra skater, Payson was able to get to a loose puck in his defensive zone. From the bottom of the left faceoff circle, he turned and fired down ice into the empty net sealing the come from behind victory for the Warriors.

Game Notes:

• Upper Montgomery gave up four more goals in the third period. The team now has a minus twelve goal differential in the third period over the first four games of the season.
• Upper Montgomery was outshot by Sherwood 34-26, getting dominated over the final two periods of play, 25-16.
• Upper Montgomery blew a three goal lead in the first period and again after regaining their three goal lead halfway through the game.
• Wendland’s assist was his first career high school point.
• Upper Montgomery did not have a powerplay for the second consecutive game.
• Upper Montgomery looks to secure the first win of the season when the team returns to action on Friday evening, taking on the BCC Barons. Game time is 8:50 pm at Rockville Ice Arena.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Grayson Winckler—Sherwood Forward—3 Goals, 3 Assists
Second Star—Nathan Cassel—Upper Montgomery Forward—2 Goals, 3 Assists
Third Star—Noi Jonasson—Sherwood Center—2 Goals, 2 Assists