The Upper Montgomery Lightning concluded the early portion of their 2023 season schedule having played four of the top six teams in the state. Now that the early season gauntlet is over, Upper Montgomery took out their frustrations hammering the Northwest Jaguars by way of a convincing 13-0 bludgeoning. The game was non-competitive right from the start. Many of the Lightning student athletes set personal records in the game. Landon Bernard saw very little action in earning his first career varsity shutout victory, making only six saves the entire game.
On the very first shift of the game the Jaguars star defender, Brady Graham, was called for a high sticking penalty. The Lightning powerplay wasted no time in capitalizing. Bradley Cupples had the puck in the lower left corner. He passed back to the point to where George Benedick let loose with a one time slapshot. Benedick’s shot was redirected by Chris Hassett who was standing alone a few feet in front of Northwest goalie Joseph Dean. The puck zipped past Dean for the only goal that the Lightning would ultimately need.
Although being widely outplayed, Northwest would hold the Lightning off the scoreboard for the next five minutes. Philip Shkeda started the Lightning’s second scoring play by passing the puck down the boards into the lower right corner to Hassett. Hassett skated around the net and fed a nice backhand pass to Nathan Cassel alone in the slot. Cassel’s wrist shot went far side high and beat Dean’s glove hand. The second goal gave Upper Montgomery the confidence to relax and allow their highly talented skaters to be creative offensively.
Shortly thereafter, the game got chippy. First, Jaguars forward Josh Podsiadlik was called for roughing after throwing an unnecessary check far away from the play. While the Lightning were on the powerplay, Benedick was called for hooking. Then, while four on four play was continuing, Brandon Bernard was called for this third tripping penalty in the last two games. Podsiadlik’s penalty ended and Northwest had a 5-3 powerplay for 1:25. It was a critical juncture in the game with Northwest looking to get back into the game.
Instead, Graham would take another penalty, this time for roughing. The Northwest skater advantage was reduced to a four on three powerplay. Upper Montgomery would score a shorthanded goal to further deflate the Jaguars. Hassett had the puck and skated deep into the right corner. He passed back to the right point to Brady Berkhammer. Berkhammer sent the puck across the blue line to Ethan Hockey at the left point. Hockey’s long range wrist shot hit off Dean’s glove and bounced down toward the ice where it trickled just over the goal line five hole and between his legs. Just at the end of the first period, Matthew O’Brien would take yet another Jaguars roughing penalty putting the Lightning back on the powerplay to begin the second period. Showing how dominant a period it was for the Lightning, the shots on goal totals were Upper Montgomery fourteen and Northwest with just two.
Three minutes into the second period, Hockey would score his second consecutive goal. Shkeda collected the puck behind the net. He passed the puck to Brandon Bernard in the low left circle. Bernard sent the puck back to the left point to Hockey. Hockey skated in two strides and ripped a wrist shot high glove side past Dean. A minute later Benedick would end the competitive portion of the game with his first goal of the season. A weak clearing attempt by the Northwest defense along the left wing boards was kept in at the point by Benedick. He skated around the net and roofed the puck high short side for an unassisted goal.
On the very next shift, Upper Montgomery would score again to extend the lead to 6-0. Hassett chipped the puck up the boards past the Northwest defender pinching in at the point. The puck banked off the boards into the neutral zone to Cassel. Cassel skated into the offensive zone drawing the attention of the other Jaguars defender. He laid a pass across to Shkeda. Shkeda’s slap shot low along the ice went to the empty side of the net past Dean.
Up six, the Lightning coaching staff began rolling all four forward lines. The fourth line would have an immediate impact. Andrew Botti had the puck at the left point. He played the puck forward with one hand on his stick to Josh Nadler in the left circle. Nadler quickly shot the puck toward the net. His shot went wide short side. The puck was collected by Adam Levine behind the net. Levine backhanded the puck into the left corner looking for Henry Honacki. Honacki’s centering pass hit a skate and laid in the crease area. Levine reached the puck first and shot over Dean’s leg pad before he could locate the loose puck. For his effort, Levine was crushed and cleared out in front by Graham on a dirty late hit. For Levine, it was a tough, gritty way to score his first goal of the season.
Upper Montgomery’s eighth goal was aided by Northwest. A bad clearing attempt was kept in at the right point by a lunging Berkhammer. He flung the puck down the boards and behind the net. Cassel won a puck battle behind the net and circled all the way around the net to the top of the far left wing faceoff circle. As he approached the slot, he fired a pass into the low slot. Hassett opened the blade of his stick and directed the puck past Dean five hole. The long second period for the Jaguars mercifully ended with the score 8-0. The Lightning had scored on five of their seven shots on goal during the period.
The third period had the intensity of a scrimmage with running clock. Even so, there was a lot of action. Two minutes into the third period, Upper Montgomery would increase the lead. Another bad Northwest clearing attempt was kept in at the blue line, this time by Hockey who used his skates to stop the puck. He directed the puck forward to Cupples. Cupples curled to the top of the left circle and fired a wrist shot that was blocked in front. Stephen Shkeda located the puck and passed across the goal mouth to Brandon Bernard who tapped the puck into the wide open empty net. For Bernard it was goals in back to back games to start his season.
On the next shift the fourth line would key the Lightning’s tenth goal of the game. Stephen Shkeda blocked a Northwest pass just outside the offensive blue line. He waited for the Upper Montgomery skaters to get back onside. He then skated the puck into the zone down the right wing and fired the puck high and wide of Dean. The puck went around the boards to the left wing corner as he made his way to the bench for a line change. Levine outraced the Northwest defense to the puck and one hand shoveled the puck past the oncoming Northwest winger to Hockey at the left point. Hockey skated in a few strides and fired a wrist shot short side above Dean’s blocker into the net. For Hockey, it was his first career hat trick.
At the end of the next shift, a dominating one by Upper Montgomery’s top line, Graham charged Hassett after the whistle. The unnecessary play earned Graham his fourth penalty of the game and an automatic game misconduct. Off the ensuing faceoff, the Lightning would cash in. Hassett won the faceoff back to Berkhammer at the right point. Berkhammer sent the puck across the blue line to Benedick at the middle of the blue line. Benedick’s cross ice pass back over to the right wing boards went to Philip Shkeda. Shkeda’s wrist shot, short side, went seven hole past Dean’s body for the Lightning powerplay goal.
With eleven minutes left, the attention turned to whether Landon Bernard could record the shutout. It was never really in doubt as the Jaguars generated next to no offense the entire game even with their three powerplay opportunities. With Cupples in the penalty box for interference, Benedick passed the puck from the Lightning defensive zone to Hassett at the Northwest defensive blue line. Hassett and Cassel crossed entering the offensive zone with Hassett leaving the puck for Cassel. Cassel’s wrist shot went wide of the net but was collected by Hassett who beat the Jaguars defense to the puck. Hassett wrapped the puck around the net from right to left, pushing the puck into the empty net before Dean could come across the goal mouth.
The Lightning’s final goal came with four seconds remaining in the game. Landon Bernard stopped the puck behind his net. Hockey swung around the net up the left wing boards clearing the zone. He dropped a backhand pass to Cassel in the neutral zone. Cassel skated a few strides to the Northwest defensive blue line and fired a snapshot from long range at Dean. The puck went high blocker past Dean just before the final buzzer at the end of the game.
For Upper Montgomery, it was a feel good win. The trying start to the season with the outrageously rough schedule now behind the team. The Lightning will be looking to claw back toward a .500 record over the next several weeks. Up next is a week off before a very important clash with fourth ranked Whitman.
Game Notes:
- Upper Montgomery throttled Northwest outshooting the Jaguars 30-6 for the game, and 14-2 in the first period.
- Ethan Hockey scored his first career hat-trick. He added an assist for a career high four point game.
- George Benedick had a four point game with one goal and three assists. The four points are a career high.
- Chris Hasset had a six point game with three goals and three assists.
- Nathan Cassel had a five point game with two goals and three assists.
- Philip Shkeda had his first career multi-goal game. He added two assists for a four point game.
- Adam Levine had his first career varsity multi-point game with a goal and an assist.
- Brady Berkhammer had a three assists game for a career high three point game.
- Landon Bernard earned his first career varsity shutout. He also added an assist.
- Upper Montgomery’s penalty kill held off Northwest on all three Jaguars powerplays. The Lightning PK which has struggled all season is now ten for eighteen on the season, 55.5%.
- The Lightning scored two shorthanded goals.
- After a week off for the Thanksgiving holiday, Upper Montgomery looks to continue its season turnaround against the Whitman Vikings. Game time is 8:45 pm on Friday, December 2nd at Rockville Ice Arena.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Chris Hassett—Upper Montgomery Center—3 Goals, 3 Assists
Second Star—Ethan Hockey—Upper Montgomery Defense—3 Goals, 1 Assist
Third Star—Nathan Cassel—Upper Montgomery Forward–-2 Goals, 3 Assists