The Upper Montgomery Lightning won its first ever junior varsity playoff game late Friday night with a come from behind 2-1 shootout victory over the Northwest Jaguars at Cabin John Ice Rink. With the win, Upper Montgomery advances to the junior varsity semi-final round hosting Rockville/Blair on Wednesday evening at 6:40 pm at Laurel Ice Gardens.
In a gritty and tightly contested game, Upper Montgomery defended all over the ice and limited the Jaguars to just nine shots on goal through regulation and overtime. The Lightning’s game plan was executed very well by the entire team, to identify and defend against Jaguars leading scorer, roving defender Brady Graham. By running multiple skaters at Graham all game long, and constantly applying pressure, the Lightning were able to hold him to a single assist on a broken play. Graham had entered the game scoring eleven goals in six junior varsity games and his eleven goals led the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity by almost double the next highest scoring skater.
The game started slowly as both teams were feeling each other out. A tripping penalty to Jaguars center Nikhil Mudunuri a minute and a half into the game gave Upper Montgomery an opportunity to jump out in front early in the game. However, the Lightning powerplay which has been inept all season failed to generate any good scoring chances. The first period would end with up and down skating, a lot of shots missing wide of the net, and a feeling that the game would be a battle right to the end. Shots on goal in the first period were a paltry four for Upper Montgomery and one for Northwest.
The second period could best be defined as a slog. Upper Montgomery was tough and physical and continued to clamp down on Graham. Coincidental roughing penalties to Graham and Upper Montgomery center Bradley Cupples opened the period. While they were in the box, Jaguars defender Micah Chin was also called for roughing. Upper Montgomery generated nothing on the four on three powerplay. More tight defensive play ensued until Lightning defender Patrick Sell was called for hooking halfway through the period. At this point the game opened up just a bit. Adam Levine sprung Brandon Bernard on a shorthanded breakaway with a nice indirect pass off the boards and immediately went to the bench for a line change (second period line change is the far bench). Bernard cut in alone and faked backhand, forehand and was stopped by Northwest goalie Joseph Dean’s pads. After his shot attempt was saved, Bernard wiped out in the offensive zone corner boards.
Graham collected the puck for the Jaguars in the defensive zone and skated past the Upper Montgomery defense leading to a two on one advantage with Ben Weiner. Graham centered the puck to Weiner in the slot and he whipped a quick wrist shot past Landon Bernard’s glove. The powerplay goal gave the Jaguars a 1-0 lead on just their third shot of the game. It was an unfortunate turn of events with both Lightning forwards caught up ice behind the play. At the end of the second period the shots on goal remained very low, seven for Upper Montgomery and three for Northwest.
The competition for every inch of the ice continued in the third period. With 9:30 left in regulation, Jaguars forward Josh Podsiadlik and Lightning center Josh Nadler were called for coincidental minors, Podsiadlik for roughing and Nadler for slashing. With five and a half minutes to play, the Lightning received the break they needed. Graham was called for hooking on the backcheck and Upper Montgomery went to the powerplay. The Jaguars most talented student athlete was in the penalty box and unable to defend in front of the Northwest net on their penalty kill.
The game tying goal started with a rewind from the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. Bradley Cupples corralled the puck along the left wing boards. He passed cross ice to George Benedick at the offensive blue line along the right wing boards. Benedick entered the offensive zone down the boards and centered the puck looking for Adam Levine cutting to the back post. The pass was intercepted by the Jaguars defense and the attempted clearing attempt was kept in at the mid-point of the blue line by Cupples. Cupples passed the puck over to Benedick at the right point. Benedick’s shot with Levine in front screening Dean was well wide of the net short side. Josh Nadler collected that errant shot behind the net and attempted a wrap around shot coming from behind the net from the right side to the left post. Both Northwest defender were occupied with Levine in the crease area and Nadler’s wrap around attempt banked into the net off the right goalie skate of Dean. With 4:45 left in regulation, the game was tied at one. It had been four games and 16 powerplay chances since the last Lightning powerplay goal.
The final minutes of regulation were played more wide open with both teams pushing up ice looking for the victory. At the end of regulation the shots on goal were Upper Montgomery 15 and Northwest eight. Junior varsity playoff overtime is played three on three for five minutes, and if scoreless, a five round shootout decides the winner. The five minute overtime period was full of wild action. Graham stayed on the ice for the full five minute overtime for the Jaguars and provided matchup problems for the Lightning with the extra open ice. Only five Lightning skaters played in the overtime period; Benedick, Cupples, Brandon Bernard, Cole Howerton, and Nadler.
Cupples found himself in alone on two separate breakaway attempts in overtime. Both coming in alone along the right wing boards toward the net. Dean made a nice glove save off of Cupples wrist shot on the first chance and a desperation pad save on a backhand, forehand move on the second chance with a minute and a half left in overtime. The second breakaway attempt drew a hooking penalty to Jaguars forward Schiab Younis. Upper Montgomery could not convert on the four on three overtime powerplay and the overtime period ended scoreless. Upper Montgomery outshot Northwest eight to one in overtime and for the first time in the game appeared to be the better team.
As the home team, Upper Montgomery had the choice of shooting first or second in the five round shootout. The Lightning coaching staff chose to shoot first.
Joshua Miller came in and faked backhand, forehand and easily scored around the left pad of Dean.
For the Jaguars, Micah Chin faked forehand, backhand and roofed a shot over Lightning netminder Landon Bernard’s outstretched pads and blocker.
Bradley Cupples was the second shooter for Upper Montgomery. He also faked backhand, forehand similar to Miller and scored over top of Dean glove hand.
The second shooter for the Jaguars was Graham. If he scored, the shootout would be tied two apiece and the Jaguars would have used their two most talented shooters in the first two rounds of the shootout. Graham skated in and attempted the same faked used by Chin. His backhand shot was not as high and Landon Bernard got enough of his right leg pad on the shot to block the shot into the goal post where it deflected wide into the corner giving the Lightning an early 2-1 lead in the shootout. It was an enormous save on the county’s most prolific offensive student athlete.
Next up for the Lightning was Josh Nadler. Nadler continued the theme of going backhand, forehand and easily deposited the puck into the top portion of the net putting Upper Montgomery in front 3-1.
Up next for the Jaguars was Ben Linteris. Linteris took a different approach and came in on Landon Bernard and sent a wrist shot on net from the high slot. The shot hit Bernard’s leg pads and bounced back at Linteris. The Lightning student athletes streamed off the bench in celebration. The only problem was that the shootout was not yet over. Upper Montgomery held a 3-1 lead with two rounds of the shootout remaining.
Upper Montgomery’s fourth shooter, Brandon Bernard, had a chance to end the game by scoring. He followed the pattern of all three shooters before him and used the exact same move, backhand, forehand. Bernard whipped his left handed wrist shot high above Dean’s blocker and into the net. A wild celebration ensued around both Bernards as Upper Montgomery won its first playoff game in program history. The gritty and well deserved win advanced the Upper Montgomery junior varsity into semi-finals.
The remaining teams alive in the junior varsity playoffs are:
Whitman (5) versus Richard Montgomery (1)
Rockville/Blair (3) versus Upper Montgomery (2)
Game Notes:
- The Lightning held Northwest to only nine shots on goal in 41 minutes of action.
- Upper Montgomery had eight of their 23 shots on goal during the five minute overtime period, including two breakaway chances for Bradley Cupples.
- The Lightning junior varsity have now won four games in a row.
- The Lightning powerplay finally scored after a four game and 16 opportunity drought. It was the biggest goal of the season thus far.
- All four Lightning shooters scored in the shootout. The first ever shootout in program history.
- With the victory, the Lightning advance to play Rockville/Blair in the junior varsity semi-finals on Wednesday, February 16th at 6:40 pm at Laurel Ice Gardens.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Bradley Cupples—Upper Montgomery Center—1 Assist, Shootout Goal
Second Star—Joseph Dean—Northwest Goalie—1 Goal Against, 22 Saves, .956 Save %
Third Star—George Benedick—Upper Montgomery Defense—1 Assist