The Upper Montgomery Lightning takes on their new archrival Wootton on Friday night in a rematch of a game three weeks ago won by the Patriots 3-1. The game will be a tall task for Upper Montgomery as Wootton’s fast break style of play puts an enormous amount of pressure on the opposition. The Patriots have scored fourteen, ten, thirteen, and eight goals in their other four games against teams in the Montgomery Hockey Conference. Upper Montgomery’s excellent defensive performance held Wootton down and the Lightning only allowed three goals, which was 8.25 goals fewer than Wootton’s average so far this season. Upper Montgomery has started the 2024 -2025 high school hockey season in fine fashion with a 3-1-1 conference record (3-2-1 overall) coming off their last game, a 7-4 decision over Richard Montgomery two weeks ago.
Once again Upper Montgomery will not be at full strength as last season’s leading returning scorer Nathan Cassel continues to recover from an upper body injury. He will likely return after the Thanksgiving holiday. With this season’s leading scorer Owen Robbins (6GP, 7G, 3A) also missing the Wootton contest as he is out-of-town with his external travel team, the young Lightning will be severe underdogs in this game. Further adding to the drama surrounding this budding rivalry is that before this season Upper Montgomery had won the last three meetings between the teams after never having beaten Wootton in its first fourteen years of existence. Wootton will be looking for revenge and to assert its dominance after the Lightning’s 9-1 destruction of the Patriots in last year’s Montgomery Hockey Conference Varsity Tournament championship game. The game will be a contrast in styles as Upper Montgomery will look to suffocate the game defensively to keep the high powered Patriots offensive obstructed for as much of the game as is possible.
Upper Montgomery’s goaltender, 16U AA Ilan Shterenberg has been sound this season with a 3-2-1 record, a 3.80 goals against average, and an .895 save percentage. Shterenberg will need to be exceptionally sharp against the Patriots to steal the game. He will face continuous pressure and a high shot volume with the offensive advantage that the Patriots will possess. He will again be backed up by Lower A ninth grade netminder Porter Stutsrim-Lyons. Stutsrim-Lyons is 3-1-2 on the season, with a 1.64 goals against average, and a .939 save percentage playing for Lightning junior varsity. He also has authored two shutouts.
In net for Wootton will be sophomore 16U Upper A goalie Kevin Yu. The Lightning have faced Yu twice already this season, in game one of the home and home varsity series, and then when the Lightning junior varsity fell in overtime to Wootton’s junior varsity squad. Yu is a very solid netminder although he was pierced for seven goals by Richard Montgomery last Friday evening. He carries a 5-0 record, a 3.20 goals against average, and an .822 save percentage. He will be looking to bounce from last week’s shaky performance and help Wootton secure a victory over the Lightning. Wootton’s opposition has not fired many shots on net averaging only eighteen shots on goal per game as Wootton’s opponents have been overwhelmed by the Patriots offensive firepower and time of puck possession. Wootton outshot Upper Montgomery 52-26 in the first game doubling up on the Lightning.
On defense, the Lightning will be tested. The Lightning’s most experience defender junior 16U AA Brady Berkhammer (6GP, 2G, 5A) will pair with ninth grade defender Matt Rivera and senior Patrick Sell. Anticipate that 16U Lower A defender Miles Wendland (5GP, 3A) will skate with senior Cole Howerton. Howerton played the best game of his career last time out against Richard Montgomery.
Wootton’s most explosive skater is 18U AA senior defender Sam Hosier. Hosier is a lock to be one of the two defenders on the Montgomery Hockey Conference All-Conference first team at the conclusion of the season. He may also be voted an all state defender as well. Hosier leads Wootton in scoring (5GP, 19G, 6A). He is second in all of the Maryland Student Hockey League in points produced and he is third in goals scored. In the earlier meeting between the programs, Hosier scored two of Wootton’s three goals. Hosier plays as a rover more than a defender. He will be all over the ice during the game focusing on pushing the puck up ice and generating offensive chances. Wootton has other capable defenders aside from just Hosier. Junior Nicholas Chung has experience to help lead younger defenders, sophomore 16U AAA Jaina Kronforst, ninth grade 14U Upper A Isaac Greene, and 14U Lower A Nathan Tian. The Wootton defensive corps is mobile and will cause problems for the Lightning forwards on transitions up the ice.
Offensively, Upper Montgomery will be challenged to keep pace with the Patriots. With Cassel and Robbins out of the lineup, junior forward Philip Shkeda (5GP, 4G, 5A) and senior center Henry Honacki (6GP, 4G, 2A) will be relied upon to provide the bulk of the team’s offensive production. Honacki scored Upper Montgomery’s only goal in the earlier meeting against the Patriots.
Sophomore 16U Lower A Aiden Zheng is averaging a point a game (6GP, 2G, 4A) and seems more comfortable at the varsity level this season. He had two point games against both BCC and Rockville / Magruder to start the season. Senior Josh Nadler is getting his legs under him after finally returning to the lineup recently. Both Zheng and Nadler will play heavy minutes in Friday’s game. Sophomore newcomer Jake Hudson has five assists in four games and is coming off of a three assist outing versus Richard Montgomery. Ninth grade 14U Lower A forward Siddy Bhasin will have an opportunity to showcase his talents for the program he will play for next season after he transfers to Wootton. Hudson and Bhasin are two of the top three scorers for the Lightning junior varsity with seven points each.
Wootton has a dynamic duo of forwards in juniors 18U AA Justin Heller (5GP, 5G, 3A) and 16U Upper A Owen Goozh (4GP, 4G, 4A). Senior 18U AA Nathan Tai is a hulking monster who played defense in prior seasons. He has been moved to forward this year and he has scored consistently (5GP, 8G, 5A). Sophomore 16U Upper A Nathan Geeng has (5GP, 4G, 2A). Sophomore 16U AA Michael Klimantov has (5GP, 4G, 3A). Ninth grade 14U AAA forward Evan Batbold has not played very much this season, but if he suits up for Friday’s game it gives Wootton an additional offensive threat that Upper Montgomery will need to contain. With this much offensive potential and Wootton’s aggressive offensive style of play, Upper Montgomery will be under duress the entire game. The Lightning will need to cleanly and constantly clear the defensive zone without getting hemmed in for long periods of play.
The 2024 – 2025 season has started out well for Upper Montgomery. Once thought of as a season of growth and development for the green and gold’s younger student athletes, the year is quickly turning into an opportunity to compete now. If the Lightning are competitive with third ranked Wootton while playing with such a depleted lineup, it may be a springboard for the second half of the season. After Thanksgiving break, the competition increases and the intensity revs up as teams gear up for the end of season and playoff seeding. Headed into Friday’s tilt with high powered Wootton, the Lightning are off to their best start to a season in years. Let’s hope the outcome of Friday’s game does not diminish the team’s psyche and that good things are in store for the program after the Thanksgiving holiday break.
#UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!