One week after a porous defensive performance against the Northwest / Quince Orchard Jaguars, the Upper Montgomery Lightning played better for long stretches on Friday night versus the Rockville / Magruder Rams. However, a series of defensive lapses was enough for the Rams to claim a 6-3 victory over the Lightning. The defeat was the third straight for the Lightning since an opening night victory over the DC Stars. Upper Montgomery has not beaten Rockville / Magruder over the past two seasons.
The first shift of the game saw the Lightning gift the Rams the opening goal. Off the center ice faceoff to begin the game, the puck went sideways to the left wing boards. Rams forward Adam Salomon sent the puck back to Rockville / Magruder senior defender Max Yuen. Yuen went around his own goal from left to right then sped out of the defensive zone up the left wing boards. He flew past the Lightning’s defense which stood flat footed before cutting to the net. He went in alone on a breakaway against Upper Montgomery ninth grade goalie George Schickler making his first career varsity start. Yuen tried to stuff the puck past Schickler from in close. Schickler made an acrobatic save on his first ever varsity shot attempt. Unfortunately, the rebound went forward directly into the skates of Lightning junior defender Miles Wendland and then caromed back into the net off the ricochet. Wendland was rushing back to stop the breakaway from the opposite side of the ice. Less than thirty seconds into the contest Upper Montgomery already trailed by one.
After the initial Rams strike, Upper Montgomery played well for the rest of the period. It was if the early goal was a wake up call to the team with the game being played in the 10:00 pm Cabin John ice slot. Shots on goal during the period were close with Rockville / Magruder credited with nine shots on Schickler while Upper Montgomery fired eight shots on Rams ninth grade 16U AA goalie Ethan Rabinovitch.
The second period had significantly more action. Three minutes into the period, Upper Montgomery’s leading scorer from last season, senior forward Philip Shkeda scored his sixth goal of this season to knot the score at one. With a faceoff in the right faceoff circle in the defensive zone, Lightning 18U AAA center, team captain Owen Robbins won the draw back into the right corner to Wendland. Wendland flung the puck down ice on a set play. Wendland’s home run pass off the left wing boards went straight to Shkeda who had skated straight up ice off the faceoff draw. Behind the Rams defense, with pressure behind him, Shkeda fired a wicked wrist shot from the left faceoff circle short side high over Rabinovitch’s right shoulder to his stick and blocker side.
Things continued to look up for Upper Montgomery. Schickler was not unnerved by the early breakaway goal and was playing very well. The game was tied. Upper Montgomery was giving up way fewer odd skater rushes. Then, a minute after Shkeda tied the score, Rams defender Yuen took a checking from behind minor penalty. The Lightning were headed to the powerplay with a chance to take the lead. Yuen also received the automatic misconduct penalty that comes with a hit from behind penalty. So, he would be in the penalty box for just about the rest of the second period.
Instead of being able to build on the momentum off of Shkeda’s goal, while on the powerplay, Upper Montgomery sophomore defender Matt Rivera’s shot from the left point hit Rams sophomore 16U AA forward Alexander Johnston in the right hip. The puck caromed forward outside the offensive blue line. With Johnston facing the puck and both Lightning defenders moving away from the puck, Johnston had a clear breakaway from the opposite blue line all the way in on Schickler. From the middle of the slot he ripped a wrist shot high over Schickler’s glove hand for his fourth goal of the season. The Rams were back up by one at 2-1.
Upper Montgomery had another powerplay opportunity go awry when Rams defender Calder Wilcox was issued a roughing penalty with six minutes left in the period. Once again, Upper Montgomery failed to convert. Two minutes later Upper Montgomery’s leading scorer, senior 18U AA defender Brady Berkhammer received his own checking from behind minor and misconduct penalties. Up 2-1 the Rams now had a golden opportunity to extend their lead with the extra skater and Berkhammer off the ice for approximately ten minutes.
From the right faceoff circle in the Upper Montgomery defensive zone, Rams 16U AAA center Cameron Gifford won the faceoff to the right wing. He chased the puck down along the boards, turned toward the left point, and sent the puck to the right point for Rams defender Lincoln Herrick. Herrick’s wrist shot from the top of the left faceoff circle was saved by Schickler. However, the young goaltender was not able to control the rebound. The puck popped out to the slot where two Lightning skaters failed to clear the puck out of the defensive zone. The puck was kept in the offensive zone at the blue line by the Rams other defender Lukas Aagaard. Coming towards the puck, Aagaard fired a long slap shot along the ice at the net. Schickler made a nice left pad save with the puck directed into the right corner. Another failed defensive clear was held in by Aagaard. His shot at the net was steered wide by Schickler. Johnston was standing at the left side of the goal unguarded as both Upper Montgomery defenders were focused to their left where Aagaard’s shot originated from. Johnston put a backhand pitch shot up over Schickler’s right shoulder short side. His second goal of the evening, fifth of the season extended the Rams lead to 3-1 with three minutes left in the second period. It was also the fourth consecutive powerplay where opponents had capitalized.
On the next shift, Johnston scored his hat-trick goal, his sixth on the season to put the Rams up 4-1. Upper Montgomery cleared the defensive zone all the way to the Rams defensive zone. The puck was sent up ice to Gifford at center ice. He laid a backhand flop pass to Johnston on the right wing boards. Johnston entered the Upper Montgomery defensive zone along the boards on the right wing. Three Lightning skaters flailed their sticks at Johnston with none of the three making contact with Johnston’s body or the puck. Johnston left a drop pass off the boards for Gifford. Gifford’s wrist shot from the top of the slot was targeted for the top right corner of the net. Schickler got his glove up to knock the puck down. It went off the shaft of the stick of Salomon down to the ice. Johnston did not hesitate once the puck landed shooting low along the ice past Schickler’s left leg pad.
In the last minute of the period, the Lightning got one back. Shkeda pressured the puck at center ice causing a turnover by the Rams defense. Robbins swooped in taking control of the puck. He headed down the right wing boards into the offensive zone before skating around the Rams remaining defender. Robbins cut to the net where he shifted the puck to his backhand and lifted his shot over Rabinovitch’s right leg pad past the goalie’s body into the far side of the net. Robbins second goal of the season provided a spark near the end of the period. As the second period ended soon thereafter, Upper Montgomery was down 4-2 while being outshot by a twenty to sixteen margin.
The start of the third period saw Upper Montgomery change goalies. This was a planned goalie switch that was scheduled to be made halfway through the game. The change was postponed due to how well Schickler was playing. Ninth grade goalie Stephen Rickman was inserted into the game to also gain varsity experience. Just as Schickler was rudely greeted in the first period, Rickman was treated similarly. Off the center ice faceoff to start the third period, Johnston won the draw to Gifford. Gifford took the puck forward to the Upper Montgomery blue line. Upon entering the offensive zone, he passed back to Johnston at the top of the left faceoff circle. Johnston’s shot was high and wide of the net but was kept in at the right point by Rams defender Izzy Levine. Her shot toward the net hit the side of the goal with the puck deflecting into the right corner. Gifford was first to the puck. He sent a pass to the slot into a pile of skaters. Salomon was able to shovel the puck to Johnston standing alone at the side of the net. All the star forward needed to do was knock the puck into the open left side of the net. His fourth consecutive score was his seventh of the season.
With eleven minutes left in the game, Rockville / Magruder extended its lead to 6-2 when Michael Zaporozhetc scored his first goal of the season. Lightning forward Max Israfilbek played the puck behind the Rams net. Herrick picked up the puck sending an outlet pass to Rams forward Adam Suitor in the defensive zone. Suitor carried the puck up ice to just inside the Upper Montgomery defensive blue line. Suitor’s shot on net was a pad save for Rickman, one of his eighteen in the third period. The rebound went directly to Zaporozhetc at the left side of the net. It was an easy score for the forward as he shot quickly before Rickman could regain his footing after making the initial save.
With just over a minute remaining in regulation, Aagaard was assessed a minor penalty for roughing. From the opening powerplay faceoff in the right faceoff circle, Robbins won the puck back to Berkhammer at the right point. Berkhammer skated around an onrushing Rams forward. From the slot he sent a booming wrist shot at the goal with Upper Montgomery sophomore defender Lillian Robbins screening Rabinovitch. The puck went past Rabinovitch’s stick and blocker to the top left corner of the net. The powerplay marker was Berkhammer’s third goal of the season.
Another disheartening loss. Somehow, over the past few games, Upper Montgomery has completely deviated from the necessary defensive style of play that the Lightning used very effectively in their season opening blowout victory over the DC Stars, and what should have been a second straight blowout victory over Silver Spring. Now, the Lightning have reverted to giving up far too much time and space to the opponents. This lack of team defense has led to far too many breakaways against the Lightning’s goalies. The losses to Silver Spring, then Northwest / Quince Orchard, and now Rockville / Magruder have all been due to lack of playing within the Lightning’s necessary defensive structure of play.
Game Notes:
- Upper Montgomery was badly outshot by Rockville / Magruder 40-19 for the game. The difference in shots on goal was in the third period with the Lightning trying to rally in the game. The Rams vastly outshot the Lightning twenty to three in the final fifteen minutes of action.
- Upper Montgomery gave up four goals Alexander Johnston. It is the third straight game that the Lightning have allowed a skater to score four or more goals.
- Upper Montgomery senior forward Philip Shkeda left the game early in the third period with an upper body injury.
- Brady Berkhammer leads the Montgomery Hockey Conference in assists with ten over four games and in defensive scoring with thirteen points.
- Upper Montgomery ninth grade goalie George Schickler received his first career varsity start in net.
- Lightning ninth grade defender Lenny Roth saw his first extensive varsity game action.
- Upper Montgomery has given up more powerplay goals (four) than successfully killed penalties (two). The penalty kill is mired in having allowed four consecutive extra skater goals.
- Upper Montgomery returns to the ice next Friday evening for another late night tilt. The game against Richard Montgomery also begins at 10:00 pm inside the Cabin John Ice Rink.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Alexander Johnston—Rockville / Magruder Forward—4 Goals
Second Star—Cameron Gifford—Rockville / Magruder Center—3 Assists
Third Star—Owen Robbins—Upper Montgomery Center—1 Goal, 2 Assists