The Upper Montgomery Lightning upset the second ranked Walter Johnson Wildcats prevailing 8-7 in a wild game Tuesday afternoon at Rockville Ice Arena. The game had just about everything; fake goals, blown leads, lots of complaining about poor referring, and through all of the action, at the final buzzer Upper Montgomery was able to hold on and earn its first win of the season. The 1-6 Lightning have one more supremely difficult game on the schedule against top ranked Churchill before the strength of the opponents weakens over the second half of the season.
Upper Montgomery exploded right from the opening faceoff against Walter Johnson and inexperienced goalie Isaac Russ. The Lightning lit up Russ for three goals in the opening two and a half minutes of the game. Upper Montgomery center Ryan Jacobson started the scoring off of a two on one rush. From the left faceoff circle in the Lightning defensive zone, Jacobson won the faceoff behind his own net. Lightning defender Owen Robbins pushed the puck from the right corner to the right wing boards over to Lightning forward Brandon Bernard. Bernard avoided the pinching Wildcat defender at the blue line and sent the puck up ice to Upper Montgomery forward Henry Honacki in the neutral zone. With the Wildcat defender now out of position, Honacki and Jacobson skated up ice on a two on one rush. Honacki sent the puck across to Jacobson at the top of the slot. Jacobson chopped at the puck and sent a wobbling puck over the stick side shoulder of Russ to put the Lightning in front less than a minute and a half into the game.
On the next shift, before the game was two minutes old, Upper Montgomery cashed in once again. Rewinding at center ice, Upper Montgomery defender and senior co-captain Hunter Cameron sent the puck up ice from just inside his own blue line. He pass was intended for Upper Montgomery center and senior co-captain Chris Hassett. Hassett missed the pass but was able to chase down the puck in the right corner. He carried the puck around the net from right to left and found Lightning forward Bradley Cupples alone in the low slot. From the crease, Cupples stuffed the puck far side into the empty net as Russ overplayed to his right anticipating a shot coming from Hassett as he curled around the net. Cupples’ first goal of the season extended the Lightning lead to 2-0.
Twenty five seconds later on the same shift, Cupples scored once again to pad the Lightning lead. From behind his own net, Cameron sent an outlet pass up the right side of the ice to Hassett. Hassett made a nifty catch of the puck out of mid-air with his stick and immediately sent the puck wide to Cupples ahead of the left Wildcat defender. Cupples skated into the Walter Johnson defensive zone on the right wing. From inside the right faceoff circle he fired a wrist shot across to the top left corner of the net, beating Russ above his blocker and right shoulder. Inexplicably poor play by Walter Johnson had allowed Upper Montgomery to jump out to a 3-0 lead less than two and a half minutes into the game against the heavily favored Wildcats.
With eight and a half minutes remaining in the first period, Hassett would score as the lead swelled to 4-0. With the puck in the left corner of the Walter Johnson defensive zone, Hassett nudged the puck to Lightning forward Nathan Cassel. Cassel sent a pass toward the slot for fellow forward Philip Shkeda. The puck went through Shkeda back to Cameron at the center point of the blue line. Cameron’s slap shot was deflected by Hassett right as the puck was about to hit Russ’ glove hand. The puck caromed off of Russ’ helmet and bounded up in the air before landing on the ice behind the netminder, and then trickling just over the goal line.
A minute after Hassett’s goal had extended Upper Montgomery’s lead to 4-0, Walter Johnson got one back. Jacobson had the puck in the neutral zone where he was checked off the puck. Walter Johnson defender Patrick Murphy picked up the puck at center ice. He skated into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone and went past three Lightning skaters in defensive position. From the right side of the ice, Murphy fired a wrist shot far side just over Lightning 9th grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg’s right leg pad.
The rest of the first period was a series of Walter Johnson meltdowns. First, Walter Johnson forward Ruslan Titov was called for a checking from behind penalty. The call took the highly talented forward off the ice for two minutes and then the automatic ten minute misconduct penalty. Next, after Lightning defender Owen Robbins was called for holding, while with possession on the delayed penalty being called, Walter Johnson was deemed to have had too many skaters on the ice when the extra attacker joined the play prior to Russ reaching the bench area. This was not the case and inflamed the Walter Johnson coaching staff. The too many skaters on the ice penalty negated what would have been a Wildcat powerplay. Then, with a minute and a half left in the period, Wildcat forward Jaden Luskin was called for a phantom high sticking penalty. All three Wildcat penalties were called by the same referee who is well known to be a subpar official. The first period came to a close with Upper Montgomery ahead 4-1 while outshooting the Wildcats nine to seven.
Upper Montgomery began the second period on the tail end of what would become their second unsuccessful powerplay of the game. As the powerplay was ending, top Wildcat defender Jonathan Corwin was also called for high sticking. He argued the penalty and was assessed a ten minute misconduct penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. So, the Wildcats had both a top scoring forward, Titov, and their best defender in the penalty box for extended game action. Unfortunately, the Lightning could not take advantage of the ensuing powerplay and the score remained 4-1. Just after the minor penalty to Jonathan Corwin expired, his brother Matthew was whistled for tripping. Powerplay number four for Upper Montgomery turned out to be a disaster and jump started the Wildcat comeback.
With Upper Montgomery on the powerplay five minutes into the second period, Wildcat forward Henry Horwell stole the puck at the right point. He skated up ice diagonally from his left to his right and then into the Lightning defensive zone. Facing back pressure, Horwell fired from the right faceoff circle. Shterenberg made the save. The rebound went directly back to Horwell in stride as he continued toward the net. His second shot beat Shterenberg short side along the ice for the unassisted shorthanded goal. Instead of increasing their lead while on the powerplay, Walter Johnson was now back in the game trailing only 4-2 with still more than half of regulation game time remaining.
As the game reached the halfway mark, Walter Johnson closed the margin even further. From a skirmish behind the Upper Montgomery net, the puck was stolen from Upper Montgomery defender Brady Berkhammer. Titov kicked the puck free to the side of the net where Wildcat forward Adam Pyott lifted the puck over the right shoulder of Sheterenberg. As the second period wound down, the Lightning had to kill off a rouging penalty to Robbins to maintain the slim lead. The second period ended with Upper Montgomery clinging to a one goal lead and setting the stage for a wild and chaotic final fifteen minutes of action.
The third period erupted in a way that no one could have anticipated. Eleven seconds into the period Upper Montgomery again reclaimed a two goal lead. Off the center ice faceoff to open the period, Hassett won the draw back to Cameron at his right defensive position. Cameron returned the puck to Hassett in the middle of the ice. Hassett immediately swung the puck wide to Cassel down the right wing. Cassel entered the offensive zone and returned the puck to Hassett as he was cutting down the slot. As Hassett converged on Russ, he passed the puck to his left to Shkeda alone at the left post. With Russ playing Hassett to shoot, Shkeda easily dunked the puck to the back of the net. Upper Montgomery five, Walter Johnson three.
On the same shift thirty seconds later, Hassett stole the puck behind his own net. He headed up ice along the left wing boards. Hassett sent a pass to Cassel at the Upper Montgomery defensive blue line. Cassel held the puck before he sent it back to Hassett in the neutral zone. Hassett split the Walter Johnson defenders as he cruised into the slot. From in front of the crease he fired a forehand shot high glove side past Russ. Upper Montgomery six, Walter Johnson three with fourteen minutes remaining.
As with their early first period lead, Upper Montgomery could not close down the game. Wildcat defender Lucas Chang raced to keep the puck in at the right point of the blue line. Three Upper Montgomery skaters attacked the point in an attempt to get the puck cleared to center ice. Instead, Chang dumped the puck down low to Sam Mayster. Mayster returned the puck to Chang on a give and go play as Chang cut to the right faceoff circle. Chang fired a wrist shot low short side past Shterenberg to make the score Upper Montgomery six, Walter Johnson four with twelve and a half minutes remaining.
Thirty seconds later, Pyott would add his second goal of the game. Walter Johnson had possession of the puck in the left corner. Once again a defensive breakdown occurred as three Upper Montgomery defenders went with the puck carrier. Shterenberg made a save with the puck rebounding into the corner to Pyott. As Upper Montgomery recovered its defensive positioning, Pyott centered the puck in front. The puck bounded off Titov to the slot where Horwell fired quickly at Shterenberg. The shot was blocked but fell at the side of the net directly at Pyott’s feet. Pyott tapped the puck past Shterenberg. The score was now Upper Montgomery six, Walter Johnson five with twelve minutes remaining. Four goals in four minutes and Upper Montgomery’s three goal lead was back down to the slimmest of margins.
With just under ten minutes remaining, Upper Montgomery went back on the powerplay after a roughing penalty called on Wildcat defender Jonathan Corwin. Continuing its season long string of powerplay ineptitude, Upper Montgomery failed to capitalize yet again on the extra skater advantage. However, ten seconds after the Wildcats returned to even strength, Upper Montgomery would score to provide a bit of breathing room.
Deep in his own zone, Berkhammer skated around the net from left to right. He found fellow defensive partner Robbins with a short pass. Robbins passed the puck to Jacobson up the right wing. At the red line, Jacobson backhanded the puck down the boards into the offensive zone. Robbins, who had trailed the play up the ice, raced in and was first to the puck. His centering pass to the slot hit off of a skate and went instead to the front of the net. Honacki sent a backhand shot from the left post across the crease and past Russ’ right skate into the net. Upper Montgomery seven, Walter Johnson five with seven and a half minutes remaining.
Fifteen seconds later Upper Montgomery would again grow the lead back to a three goal differential. Off the ensuing center ice faceoff, Walter Johnson dumped the puck into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. An Upper Montgomery outlet pass was broken up by the Walter Johnson defense but Cassel was able to control the puck in the neutral zone. He passed to Hassett just inside the offensive blue line. Hassett took the puck down into the corner and around the net from right to left. Emerging over the goal line, Hassett found Shkeda alone in the crease with Russ way out of position. Once again, Russ had been focusing on Hassett carrying the puck. With Russ spinning unsuccessfully to get back into the play, Shkeda had his second easy tap in goal of the game.
A minute later Wildcat forward Gianluca Megna took a holding penalty putting the Lightning back on the power play, their sixth of the game. With six and a half minutes remaining in the game, Upper Montgomery had an opportunity to ice the game. With a three goal lead and the extra skater all Upper Montgomery needed to do was stay out of trouble for the next two minutes. And, this is where the drama began.
Yet another uneventful Upper Montgomery powerplay was going to waste. Walter Johnson was pressuring and had the better of puck possession. As Upper Montgomery was trying to keep the puck in at the point, the puck glanced off the glove of Wildcat defender Matthew Corwin. The puck was picked up by Wildcat forward Oliver Curtis. Curtis skated up ice down the left wing into the Lightning defensive zone. He fired a wrist shot from the left faceoff circle that clanged off the cross bar and up ice. With the referee way out of position, he could not tell which bar the puck ricocheted off of and awarded Walter Johnson a shorthanded goal, their second shorthanded goal of the game. The referee made a horrible call / bad mistake. There is no video replay review in high school hockey so the Upper Montgomery coaching staff had no recourse. And, off course video review after the game confirmed that the puck hit the cross bar and never went into the net.
With under five minutes to play, Walter Johnson was gifted a goal they did not earn and the momentum had clearly swung in the Wildcats direction. A minute later Titov scored to close the margin to 8-7 Upper Montgomery with three and a half minutes remaining in the game. A shot from the right point by Jonathan Corwin went wide far side of the net. The puck circled around back to the left point to Murphy. Murphy’s shot was deflected by Titov wide of the net. The puck was picked up by Matthew Corwin in the right faceoff circle. He centered to Titov who got off a quick shot that went far side past Sheterenberg’s stick side.
The final minutes of the game were tense. Cameron was called for a high sticking penalty with just under three minutes to play. Upper Montgomery had a big penalty kill upcoming. After controlling play in the Lightning defensive zone, Walter Johnson pulled Russ leading to a six on four skater advantage. Several blocked shots, several missed shots, and several timely saves by Shterenberg got the Lightning through the penalty kill. After Cameron returned from the penalty box, Upper Montgomery was able to keep the Wildcats off the board over the final minute of action to hang on and escape with a huge win.
Game Notes:
- The win was goaltender Ilan Shterenberg’s first career varsity victory.
- Upper Montgomery was outshot by Walter Johnson 37-30.
- Chris Hassett’s six points, two goals and four assists, were a career high for points and assists in a game.
- Philip Shkeda has now scored in four consecutive games.
- Henry Honacki scored for the third time in four games.
- Beating the 2nd ranked Wildcats equaled the program’s most impressive victory in program history. Upper Montgomery also beat 2nd ranked Quince Orchard last season.
- The Lightning’s futility on the powerplay continued. Upper Montgomery is now 0-18 on traditional powerplays on the season, excluding Nathan Cassel’s penalty shot goal which technically counts as a powerplay marker.
- Upper Montgomery will try to make it two major upsets in a row when the team returns to action after the Thanksgiving break. The top ranked Churchill Bulldogs await on Monday, December 4th. Game time is 6:30 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Chris Hassett—Upper Montgomery Center—2 Goals, 4 Assists
Second Star—Bradley Cupples—Upper Montgomery Forward—2 Goals
Third Star—Philip Shkeda—Upper Montgomery Forward—2 Goals