The 2023 – 2024 high school ice hockey season has arrived. Friday, October 13th is opening night for the Upper Montgomery Lightning varsity. The Upper Montgomery program has very high expectations this season and is looking to build off of last season’s historic accomplishments. Qualifying for the state playoffs for the first time in program history is a realistic opportunity for the Lightning. With an experienced roster dominated by seniors and juniors, the team is primed to meet these high expectations.
The Lightning begin the season ranked fifth in the Montgomery Hockey Conference rankings. This is the highest ranking ever achieved by the program. The challenge that awaits the team is that the program will face off against all of the other top teams in the league. The season opening game is a massive contest versus the fourth ranked Whitman Vikings. It is not a stretch to believe that five teams are realistically competing for the four state playoff berths awarded to teams from the Montgomery Hockey Conference; Churchill, Walter Johnson, BCC, Whitman, and Upper Montgomery.
The Upper Montgomery program has twelve skaters that are only eligible to play in varsity competition, many of whom also play on high level AA or AAA external travel hockey teams. Last season’s top four scorers return looking to propel the Lightning. Senior center and team co-captain Chris Hassett could qualify to be enshrined in the Maryland Scholastic Hockey League Hall of Fame with a big season. He is coming off of two straight seasons leading Upper Montgomery in scoring with 16 GP, 15 G, 19 A, 34 PTS last year and 15 GP, 17 G, 16 A, for 33 PTS during the 2021 – 2022 season. Joining Hassett on the top line will be fellow high octane scorer and Honorable Mention Division One Forward Nathan Cassel. Cassel, a junior, tallied 12 GP, 11 G, 14 A, for 25 PTS last season after tallying 12 GP, 11 G, 6 A for 17 PTS in his 9th grade season. Joining these two talented skaters will be sophomore winger Philip Shkeda, last season’s top 9th grade scorer. Shkeda had a point per game with 14 GP, 7 G, 7 A, for 14 PTS.
The second line is likely to have junior Ryan Jacobson 10 GP, 12 G, 4 A, for 16 PTS centering senior Brandon Bernard and junior Henry Honacki. Jacobson had five games last season with multiple goals. Bernard blew up last season as a junior 14 GP, 9 G, 6 A, for 15 PTS and will look to conclude his high school career with another monster offensive season. Honacki’s speed will complement these two experienced skaters and will help drive back the opposing defenses.
The third line will have rugged senior center Bradley Cupples 15 GP, 3 G, 10 A, for 13 PTS last season and 15 GP, 11 A during the 2021 – 2022 season centering senior Olivia Robbins. Robbins was selected and honored by the Washington Post as an All Metropolitan 2nd Team Girls forward last season, the first ever All MET selection in Upper Montgomery team history. She tallied 11 GP, 6 G, 5 A, for 11 PTS last season. The third line right wing will likely be a rotation of forwards vying for playing time or someone off the top two lines double shifting. Junior varsity student athletes will most certainly be called up to play in varsity games based upon the team’s needs, which members of the varsity are out-of-town with their external travel teams, and which student athletes are producing during the junior varsity games. Senior Adam Levine and Junior Josh Nadler both have served as depth forward in prior seasons and should get first crack at filling the void.
Whitman will be led by two experienced forwards, Senior Andrew Fou, 15 GP, 10 G, 6A, 16 PTS, and Junior AA travel skater Charles Ingis, 14 GP, 9 G, 4 A, 13 PTS. Anticipate that Sammy Van Leeuwen, 15 GP, 7 G, 6A, 13 PTS, and Jacob Lerman 14 GP, 5 G, 4 A, 9 PTS will receive additional playing time this season. Fou’s speed will be noticeable all game long. He hurt the Lightning last season driving wide and scoring twice in Whitman’s 5-3 victory. This season Upper Montgomery has the last line change as the home team and will be strategically deploying the defense to stop Fou.
On defense the Lightning will have top level talent. Senior co-captain Hunter Cameron 14 GP, 2 G, 7 A, 9 PTS will make the transition from forward to defense to anchor and provide stability on the back end. He will forever be remembered for his game winning overtime goal in last season’s playoff matchup versus St. Johns helping the Lightning to their first every Division One playoff victory. Cameron will likely be paired with either sophomore Owen Robbins or sophomore Brady Berkhammer, 14 GP, 6 A. Junior Andrew Botti 14 GP, 3 G, 5 A, 8 PTS was expected to anchor the other defensive pairing but was recently injured playing for his external travel team and will miss a significant portion of the season. Both Robbins and Berkhammer had excellent 9th grade seasons and will be counted on to take their games to another level this season. Defensive positions five and six will be a rotation all season long with Josh Nadler, Sean Levine, Jake Roth, Cole Howerton, and Miles Wendland each likely to receive an opportunity to earn shifts during varsity game action as well as several forwards who may drop back to play shifts on defense to help fill the void.
Whitman plays a very structured and defensive system. They are very difficult to score against giving up only 30 goals in 12 league games last season, an average of just 2.50 goals per game. Many of their high end travel skaters play defense led by senior Rowan Miller, 18U AA, juniors Morrison Cohen, 16U AA, and Zach Krause, 16U AA, and sophomore Benjamin Luo, 16U AA. Young 9th grade defender Steven Mah is an up and coming defender who will likely see game action on Friday night.
In net for Upper Montgomery senior Landon Bernard returns looking to use last season’s exceptional playoff run as a springboard to dominate this season. Bernard’s individual statistics have improved each season, and he would like to add a varsity county championship to the junior varsity championship he backstopped two seasons ago. Last year, Bernard posted a strong regular season with a 3.65 GAA, and an .866 save percentage to go along with his 8-7-2 record. In the playoffs, he sparkled with a 0.98 GAA and a .966 save percentage. Bernard will be backed up by young but talented 9th grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg. Shterenberg has the technical skills to make the tough save look easy. He will gain valuable playing time this season as the only junior varsity netminder while also seeing some varsity game action. Shterenberg has a very bright future with the Lightning program.
Whitman will play senior Ryan Graf in net. He is a very capable netminder who had a 2.58 goals against average and .899 save percentage last season. With last year’s netminding partner Reed Crichton having graduated, expect Graf to play every varsity game this season for the Vikings. He is a technically sound netminder who will keep the Vikings in every game.
The Upper Montgomery coaching staff will be supplementing the varsity squad with several student athletes that have thus far historically played the majority of their high school hockey career at the junior varsity level. Look for the game day roster to include several new faces called up from the junior varsity. Anticipate the roster to fluctuate all season long primarily based upon which student athletes are healthy scratches when they are out of state with their external travel teams. The depth of the Lightning’s roster will be tested but should be able to handle one or two student athletes missing a game here or there.
It all starts on Friday evening. The season begins now….
#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!