The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity had yet something more to prove on Wednesday evening. Although undefeated to start the season winning its first six games, the Lightning would be shorthanded against the DC Stars having to play without its top two scorers. Josh Nadler was serving his one game supplemental discipline for his fight in the Richard Montgomery game, and TJ Gottesman missed the game for undisclosed reasons. Between the two forwards, they had scored eleven of the 21 goals tallied by Upper Montgomery. Even though shorthanded, Upper Montgomery played ‘its’ style of hockey, and the complete team effort propelled the Lightning to a thrilling 3-0 shutout victory. With the win, the Lightning need to win one of their final two conference games to secure a first round bye in the upcoming Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity playoffs. The victory also puts the team in sight of setting the Upper Montgomery junior varsity single season record for wins in a season.
From the outset it was clear that Upper Montgomery was going to lean on Shterenberg to shut down the Stars. The team focused on the defensive side of the game and rarely penetrated into the Stars offensive zone. The Lightning protected the high danger regions in front of Shterenberg. The team settled for clearing the puck out of the zone and making quick line changes to stay as fresh as possible. The DC Stars played their system well and kept up the pressure for the entire period. With three minutes to go in the frame, Lightning forward Jason Woodman was called for cross checking a DC Stars skater prone on the ice. It was not a good penalty to take as the play was not anywhere near the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. As the team has done all season long, the Lightning penalty kill snuffed out the late first period DC Stars powerplay. Although outshot badly in the first period, eight to one, the teams entered the first intermission scoreless.
The first twelve minutes of the second period were a repeat of the first period. The DC Stars controlled the tempo and pace of the game, and Upper Montgomery throttled the Stars in the defensive zone. Shterenberg was there to make timely saves when needed. He finished with seven in the period. The Stars had another crack at the powerplay when Lightning defender Patrick Sell was called for tripping at the twelve minute mark of the second period. Again, the strong Lightning penalty kill prevailed and ran its season long kill streak to a perfect twenty for twenty on the season. With three minutes left in the second period Upper Montgomery had increased its shots on goal total to three. Upper Montgomery had begun to generate a few more chances, but Cole Howerton kept firing wrist shots wide of the net.
With two and a half minutes remaining in the period, Upper Montgomery’s patience and defensive tenacity paid dividends. Lightning defender Avery Evans held the neutral zone along the left wing boards. A DC Stars attempted dump into the Lightning zone ricocheted back toward the DC Stars defensive zone. Lightning forward, senior Sean Levine, coming off the bench on a line change found himself behind the Stars defense. He came in all alone on Stars netminder Liam Parkinson from the blue line in. He faked a shot, and then moved left to his backhand elevating the shot over Parkinson’s right leg pad. It was a sweet finish and the nicest junior varsity goal scored to that point of the season. It also gave the Lightning a lead in yet another tight defensive contest.
Sean Levine’s goal gave the Lightning a jolt of energy. On the very next shift Upper Montgomery would push the lead to two with an amazing highlight reel goal scored by Lightning center and senior co-captain Adam Levine, no relation. A failed Stars clearing attempt up the right wing boards was kept in at the point by Evans. She pushed the puck forward a few feet into open space. Levine tracked the puck from behind the goal, secured the puck, and then curled toward the net from high in the offensive zone. As he neared the top of the left faceoff circle, he faked as if he was going down the slot. He then curled the puck back to the outside of the circle and pushed the puck through the onrushing Stars defender. The juke completely faked out the Stars defender who twirled wildly past Levine. The moment Levine was clear of the defender, he snapped a shot from the bottom of the left circle far side high. The puck whizzed above Parkinson’s glove hand into the crux of the corner of the net. The Lightning bench erupted in hoots and hollers with the varsity student athletes in attendance also celebrating the goal.
With a two goal lead heading into the third period and with tired legs, the Lightning seemed to relax. It was a mistake as the DC Stars upped the pressure around Shterenberg. He made several strong saves to keep the Stars at bay. The first five minutes of the period looked like the Lightning were stuck in quicksand with the Stars getting to every loose puck and continuing to apply pressure. It was an effort for the Lightning just to get the puck to neutral ice and clamber to the bench for a line change.
With nine minutes remaining in the game, Stars forward Eli Schwartz was called for holding. Upper Montgomery had its first powerplay of the game. The penalty took some of the momentum away from the Stars as they focused on the penalty kill rather than continuing to attack offensively. It would eventually be their downfall. A faceoff play originating from just outside the Lightning defensive zone along the right wing boards put Upper Montgomery up three to nothing. Adam Levine, who once again killed it on faceoffs in the game (15-5), intentionally won the puck to the open wing to Aiden Zheng. Zheng received the puck and began racing up ice. As he hit the offensive blue line, he cut toward the slot inside the left defender. As he found space, he unloaded a wrist shot that went far side past Parkinson’s blocker. The Lightning powerplay goal took the steam out of the Stars. The Lightning just needed to hold on over the final eight minutes of the game to remain undefeated.
With the three goal lead Upper Montgomery just sat back and played defense. With seven minutes to go in the game, a checking from behind boarding penalty to Stars forward Adam Chilbert put Upper Montgomery back on the powerplay. With the three goal lead and an incredibly tired group of skaters, the Lightning played safe hockey. They focused on keeping the Stars from skating the puck into the defensive side of the ice. As time wound down, each defensive zone clear provided a chance to stream for the bench and a line change to get more rested skaters back onto the ice surface. Over the last two minutes of the game, the Lightning barely moved outside their defensive blue line clogging up the ice and limiting the Stars from entering the offensive zone. At last, the final buzzer sounded. The worn out Lightning skaters slowly moved around Shterenberg to offer congratulations while hunched over. It was an excellent team effort to gut out yet another win.
Up next for the Lightning junior varsity is a game against the Churchill Bulldogs. The game is one where Upper Montgomery will be favored, but will only win if the team plays hard, aggressive defensive hockey. A win will earn the team a first round bye in the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity playoffs and a top two seeding. Upper Montgomery will see the return of its top two scorers for the contest and if the squad is focused on the task at hand, the team should be able to pull through and earn another victory. As he has been all season long, Shterenberg is the difference maker that the team will lean on once again. A win will keep the Lightning in striking distance of winning the Montgomery Hockey Conference regular season title which would be a first in program history.
Game Notes:
- The victory over the Stats was the junior varsity’s seventh consecutive victory to start the season.
- Ilan Shterenberg set a program record with his third shutout of the season. Shterenberg’s personal statistics are a 7-0 record, a 1.16 goals against average, and a .950 save percentage.
- The Lightning have given up only eight goals on the season in seven games, with only two goals allowed in the third period of games.
- Shots on goal for the game were lopsided in favor of the DC Stars, 25-10. Upper Montgomery had only three shots on goal with three minutes remaining in the second period.
- Upper Montgomery’s top two leading scorers, Josh Nadler and TJ Gottesman both missed the game.
- Upper Montgomery again went 2-2 on the penalty kill and remains a perfect 20-20 on the season.
- Upper Montgomery scored on the powerplay and increased is powerplay success rate to 25.0%.
- The Lightning need to win one of their final two conference games to secure an opening round bye in the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity playoffs.
- The Upper Montgomery junior varsity returns to game action on Thursday afternoon, December 21st against the Churchill Bulldogs. Game time is 4:00 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Adam Levine—Upper Montgomery Center—Highlight Reel Goal, 1 Assist, 15-5 on Faceoffs
Second Star—Ilan Shterenberg—Upper Montgomery Goalie—25 Save Shutout Victory
Third Star—Sean Levine—Richard Montgomery Forward—Game Winning Goal