The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity has a prime opportunity and several goals to achieve over the closing games of the regular season. However, to earn those accomplishments the team will have to bear down over the last three regular season games. First up is a pivotal league matchup against the Churchill Bulldogs. An Upper Montgomery victory will secure a first round bye in the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity playoffs which kick off in early January.
If the Lightning should prevail on Wednesday afternoon, they will be well positioned for the playoffs, with a top two seed within reach. Thus far, the 2023 – 2024 season has been a welcome change for the program rebounding from last season’s 4-5-2 record. The team’s seven game winning streak is the longest in program history and the team has a very good chance to run that streak to eight against Churchill. There are two very winnable games upcoming on the Lightning’s schedule. With a deep playoff run, the team could threaten the junior varsity record for wins in a season, eight, set during the 2021 – 2022 junior varsity championship season (8-4-2 overall record).
The path to success for Upper Montgomery on Wednesday will be to continue its trademark team defense, full out hustle, and playing ugly hockey. If the Lightning bring their compete level and are able to lock down the Bulldogs, they should be able to score enough to once again emerge victorious. The return of two of the team’s top three leading scores, junior co-captain Josh Nadler (6GP, 7G) and junior T.J. Gottesman (6GP, 4G, 3A) will be a boost for the team. Senior co-captain Adam Levine has points in four straight games and leads the team in assists (7GP, 1G, 6A). His highlight reel (and amazing) goal against the DC Stars last time out is sure to raise his confidence. Junior Cole Howerton has also been a key component of the team’s offense (7GP, 4G, 2A). Sean Levine scored a pretty backhanded goal to finish off a breakaway in the victory over the DC Stars (7GP, 2G, 3A). Ninth grade forward Aiden Zheng is coming on strong and now has (7GP, 3G, 1A). Avery Evans is the team’s top defender in points with (5GP, 4A). For the first time in a while, Upper Montgomery will have its entire roster available for the game minus long-term injured ninth grade forward Jackson Schickler. Expect Howerton to remain at forward for the rest of the season to give the Lightning an additional offensive threat.
Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg began his high school career authoring two shutouts. He followed up the strong start by allowing only two goals against in each of his next four outings. In last Wednesday’s contest against the DC Stars, he posted yet another shutout. Shterenberg owns the junior varsity program record for shutouts in a season with three. His personal statistics over the first seven games of his junior varsity career are a 7-0 record, an eye popping, minuscule 1.16 goals against average, and a .950 save percentage. He will again need to remain sharp to allow the notoriously slow starting Lightning to get on track offensively.
In net for the Bulldogs will be Angelina Duke. She has had a trying season playing behind a porous Bulldog defense. Churchill may drop down some of their second team varsity rostered student athletes to provide support and assistance for the younger less experienced skaters. Duke’s season statistics are a 1-4 record, an 8.95 goals against average, and a .731 save percentage. Upper Montgomery should have a distinct advantage in net during the game. Upper Montgomery is averaging just over three goals scored per game, while the Bulldogs have given up an average of eight goals per game. It would seem that the game lines up nicely for the Lightning to have an offensive breakout.
Offensively, the Bulldogs are led by forward Cash Levenberg who has (2GP, 3G, 2A). Three other forwards have four points, Ahmed Elkousy (4GP, 3G, 1A), Tye Glazer (5GP, 3G, 1A), and Adam Klewans (4GP, 4G). Depending upon how much Churchill utilizes their varsity student athletes called down for the game, these students may or may not play significant minutes.
On defense the Lightning will likely have a rotation of Avery Evans paired with Jake Roth and Patrick Sell paired with Miles Wendland. Anticipate that Behr Schickler will see time in the rotation as the fifth defender. Upper Montgomery will need to maintain its defensive focus throughout the entire game. The team can’t get caught up ice cherry picking for offense and allow the Bulldogs to get into a transition offensive game. The Lightning are a perfect 20 for 20 on the penalty kill for the season and that unprecedented success has helped in all of the close game Upper Montgomery has been a part of. It would also not be surprising for the Lightning to score a shorthanded goal during the game as the Bulldogs have given up ten shorthanded goals on the season.
With Adam Levine’s face off success so far this season (73% win rate), the Lightning should have total control of the faceoff dots, enabling clean defensive zone exits while on the offensive end many good scoring chances as a result of sustained zone pressure. If the team competes in the dirty areas across the ice the extra puck possession in the offensive zone will create additional scoring opportunities. Likewise, winning defensive zone draws will limit the Bulldogs offensive zone time. Expect Levine to take the majority of the high danger faceoffs especially if the game is close late or if the Lightning find themselves on the penalty kill. The dominating faceoff performances have led directly to five Upper Montgomery goals over the last three games.
Upper Montgomery has been terrific late in games preventing the opposition from scoring. The Lightning have given up only two third period goals all season while playing with slim leads in most games. Upper Montgomery has grown accustomed to playing in tight games, something that should be of benefit as the season winds down towards the playoffs. The Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to a program record eight straight wins to open the season with a victory over the Bulldogs. The stretch run continues for the junior varsity on Wednesday afternoon with a sprint towards the start of the playoffs.
#Extend the Streak, #Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!