The Upper Montgomery Lightning ice hockey program entered Friday night’s contest against the Whitman Vikings looking to advance to the Maryland Student Hockey League state playoffs for the first time in program history. Two hours after puck drop the Lightning were left wondering how the contest quickly got away from the team. With an upperclass heavy roster, Upper Montgomery had been gearing up for the past four years focused on this particular game as the program’s best opportunity to make history and qualify for the state playoffs for the initial time. Unfortunately, the Lightning were flat and an ineffective powerplay once again doomed the team’s chances. Whitman tool full advantage and rolled to an overwhelming 6-1 victory in a game that was not very competitive.
The game opened positively for Upper Montgomery. Less than a minute into the contest Whitman was called for a too many skaters on the ice penalty. Upper Montgomery’s powerplay, which had been better of late scoring in two consecutive games, was not able to generate any quality chances. Less than two minutes after the successful Whitman penalty kill, the Lightning were back on the powerplay. Whitman’s talented ninth grade defender Steven Mah was called for a tripping penalty. Once again playing with the extra skater, the Lightning were stymied by an aggressive Whitman penalty kill.
Halfway through the opening period, the Vikings tallied the first goal of the game. Off of a faceoff from the left faceoff circle in the Upper Montgomery defensive zone, the Lightning controlled the draw. A bad clearing attempt up the right wing boards was cut off by Whitman forward Trevor Fay. Fay left the puck for fellow Whitman forward Benjamin Luo. Luo passed the puck across the ice to Whitman’s third forward, Samuel Van Leeuwen. While covered by a Lightning defender, Van Leeuwen muscled his way to find enough space to get off a backhand shot that went high over Lightning senior netminder Landon Bernard’s glove.
A minute later, Fay was sent to the penalty box for a checking from behind penalty. The two minute minor was accompanied by an automatic ten minute misconduct penalty. The Lightning had their third powerplay opportunity of the period and a chance to get back even. Midway through the powerplay, Van Leeuwen was assessed a boarding penalty. A two skater advantage beckoned for Upper Montgomery and Van Leeuwen would also miss an extended period of the game with his automatic ten minute misconduct penalty. Failing to score, Upper Montgomery’s powerplay wilted with nothing to show from its four first period powerplay chances.
With Van Leeuwen’s penalty winding down and Whitman about to go back to full strength, Upper Montgomery forward Philip Shkeda was called for a high sticking penalty. As hockey usually goes, the Lightning did not capitalize on their many powerplay opportunities, and Whitman scored just seven seconds into their first powerplay of the game. Upper Montgomery was hemmed in their own defensive zone while the teams were playing four skaters aside. Another failed Lightning clearing attempt led to a high quality Whitman scoring chance. The initial shot went wide of the net with the puck retrieved out of the corner. The puck was sent back to the left point to highly talented Whitman defender Morrison Cohen. Cohen took the puck down the left wing boards where he left it for Whitman’s leading scorer forward Andrew Fou. Fou curled toward the slot as Whitman began their powerplay. With Upper Montgomery’s defenders focused on Fou, Whitman forward Nicholas Huguely was left wide open at the back left post. Fou’s pass was on target and Huguely quickly sent the puck past Bernard who was left out to dry by the poor defensive coverage.
Thirty seconds later, Whitman increased their lead to 3-0. Upper Montgomery iced the puck with no pressure being applied by the Vikings. The defensive zone faceoff in the right faceoff circle was kept in at the right point by Whitman defender Rowen Miller. Miller sent the puck down the boards and around the net to the left corner. The Vikings won the race for the puck with Huguely shoveling the puck back up the left wing boards to Cohen at the left point. Cohen was stood up and the puck went to Whitman forward Jacob Lerman. Lerman sent a short pass to Huguely in the left faceoff circle. Huguely turned and fired a pass to little used Whitman depth forward Henry Herdman who was standing all alone in front of Bernard. Herdman sent the puck to the right side of the net past Bernard’s glove. Another Upper Montgomery defensive zone breakdown that led to a wide open Vikings skater left unguarded in prime scoring position.
The first period mercifully came to an end with Whitman outshooting Upper Montgomery fifteen to six. Upper Montgomery had four powerplay opportunities and mustered just six shots on goal. All three Whitman goals were the direct result of Upper Montgomery defensive zone turnovers. Bernard had little chance to save any of the three goal with unguarded Whitman skaters left alone directly in front of him. The three goal deficit seemed to be wider as Upper Montgomery lacked offensive punch against the stout defensive corps that handle the backline for the Vikings. It also appeared that Whitman was seeking vengeance for Upper Montgomery’s victory over the Vikings in the team’s last meeting in mid-December.
The second period was just as dismal for the Lightning. Twenty five seconds into the middle frame, Whitman increased its lead to 4-0. A bad Upper Montgomery pass, off target behind its intended skater, was intercepted by Fou with a lift check. The puck moved over to Whitman forward Andrew Kaplan. Kaplan sent the puck up the middle of the ice to Fou who had exploded forward after capturing the turnover. Fou used his excellent speed to go wide around an Upper Montgomery defender. His centering pass deflected off of the skates of Upper Montgomery defender Andrew Botti’s and the quick change of direction propelled the puck past Bernard.
Twenty seconds after Fou’s goal, a parade of Lightning skaters began heading to the penalty box. First, Lightning forward, and team leader in penalty minutes, Henry Honacki was called for interference. Then, a minute after Honacki’s penalty was successfully killed off by the Lightning, Botti was called for cross checking. Upper Montgomery was also able to kill off Botti’s penalty. While Upper Montgomery was doing a fine job on the penalty kill, largely because of Bernard’s excellent play in net, the team was unable to make any magic inside of the offensive zone. Halfway through the period, Upper Montgomery defender Cole Howerton was called for a roughing penalty. This time, Whitman would pierce the Lightning penalty kill and up the margin to 5-0.
With just over six minutes remaining in the period, Lerman’s shot from the mid-point was easily knocked away by Bernard’s glove. The rebound went to the slot where Cohen spun around and batted the puck back toward the right point. The puck was kept in the offensive zone by Huguely covering the defensive position for Cohen. Huguely sent a backhand pass to the right corner to Fou, and then he cut toward the net. Fou’s return pass found Huguely in stride allowing Huguely to riffle a backhand shot far side that went past Bernard’s right leg pad.
As the second period was ending, frustration began to boil over. Upper Montgomery senior center Bradley Cupples got into it with Fay. Cupples was called for roughing and Fay for unsportsmanlike conduct. With fifteen minutes remaining in the game, it was already apparent that Upper Montgomery’s state playoff chances were just a mirage. Whitman dominated another period outshooting the Lightning by a huge seventeen to three margin. The Lightning just had no answers on this night.
The third period was much more of the same. A minute and a half into the final period, Lightning senior center and co-captain Chris Hassett was whistled for a roughing penalty. Upper Montgomery was able to kill the penalty off but only because of Bernard, who must have felt like a practice dummy goalie with rubber being fired at him from all areas of the offensive zone. After Hassett’s penalty ended, Lightning senior forward Olivia Robbins was called for interference with just under ten minutes to play. Another two minutes of offensive zone pressure with Upper Montgomery simply looking for icing clears to take the pressure off. After Robbins’ penalty ended, Upper Montgomery would get one final powerplay when Cohen was called for tripping with six and a half minutes remaining in the game.
Off of the faceoff to open the powerplay, Whitman cleared their defensive zone. From his own blueline Upper Montgomery senior co-captain Hunter Cameron sent an indirect pass up the right wing boards to Robbins. She collected the puck at the offensive blue line and entered the offensive zone. From the right faceoff circle she blasted a snap shot far side high. The rising puck flew past Whitman goalie Ryan Graf’s blocker for Upper Montgomery’s only goal of the night breaking Graf’s shutout bid.
As time wound down, Fou finished off the scoring with under a minute remaining in the game. From a faceoff in the right faceoff circle in the Upper Montgomery defensive zone, yet another bad Lightning defensive zone clear set up the Vikings. At the right point along the blue line Miller kept the puck in the offensive zone. He passed down the right wing boards to Fou. From the right faceoff circle Fou unloaded a wicked slapshot that beat Bernard short side high over his glove. For the Vikings it was a fitting end to the game. For Upper Montgomery it was a final miscue at the end of a dismal evening.
Next up for Upper Montgomery will be a chance to earn the program’s most important championship. As the top seed in the upcoming Montgomery Hockey Conference Varsity Tournament, the Lightning have an opportunity to win the the most prestigious trophy the program could win to date. The tournament is comprised of all of the teams in the county that did not make the state playoffs. In its history, the most prized trophy won by the program is the junior varsity’s county championship after the 2022-2023 season. The program also has won the Montgomery Hockey Conference Division Two Championship after the 2018-2019 season. At that time, the Division Two Championship tournament was comprised only of the bottom team’s in the conference.
Game Notes:
- Upper Montgomery senior Olivia Robbins scored in her final game as a participant with the Lightning program. She will likely miss the entirety of the Montgomery Hockey Conference Varsity Tournament.
- Lightning goalie Landon Bernard’s stalwart playoff play continued. He made a personal career high 44 saves and did everything possible to give the Lightning an opportunity to compete in the game.
- Shots on goal for the game were vastly slanted in favor of the Vikings. Whitman fired 50 shots at Upper Montgomery goalie Landon Bernard. Upper Montgomery managed just 14 shots on Whitman goalie Ryan Graf even while having six powerplays during the game.
- Upper Montgomery’s futility on the powerplay really hurt during the game. The majority of the first period was played with Upper Montgomery playing with an extra skater yet the team found itself in a three goal deficit. Four failed Upper Montgomery powerplays on the opening period doomed the team’s chances.
- After the game was decided Lightning forward Olivia Robbins did score on the powerplay marking the third consecutive game that Upper Montgomery converted while playing with the extra skater.
- Next up for Upper Montgomery is a quarterfinal game in the Montgomery Hockey Conference Varsity Playoff Tournament. The Lightning are the top seed and will play eight seeded Northwest/Quince Orchard. The game would appear to be non-competitive on paper with Upper Montgomery likely to easily advance to the tournament semifinals. The game is scheduled for Monday, February 26th. Puck drop is at 4:20 pm at Rockville Ice Arena.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Andrew Fou—Whitman Center—2 Goals, 2 Assists
Second Star—Nicholas Huguely—Whitman Forward—2 Goals, 1 Assist
Third Star—Landon Bernard—Upper Montgomery Goalie–Career High 44 Saves