Author: chucklevine

Richard Montgomery Survives Lightning in Division One Playoff Matchup

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For most of Friday night’s Montgomery Hockey Conference Division One playoff game, Upper Montgomery went toe-to-toe with a more experienced and talented Richard Montgomery Rockets squad who had their sights set on returning to the Maryland Student Hockey League championship game for a second season in a row. The tenth seeded Lightning were out to prove they belonged in the Division One playoffs having qualified for the playoff tournament for the first time in program history. Judging by the large Richard Montgomery victory celebration it is safe to say that Upper Montgomery has earned the respect of the top teams in the Montgomery Hockey Conference.

The first five minutes of game action were tight checking with both teams looking to control the tempo and style of the game. Richard Montgomery desired a free flowing contest with lots of end to end rushes. Upper Montgomery wanted a tighter checking game with less action and a clogged up neutral zone. Six minutes into the game, Richard Montgomery struck first. Lucas Perkins dumped the puck from his right point position into the right corner. Dylan Goetz possessed the puck and found Mitchell Bobys on the left wing cutting toward the slot and net. Goetz’s pass was perfectly timed and Bobys wasted no time in slapping the puck past Lightning netminder Will Mellen from the low slot.

The early goal did not deter the Lightning who kept working hard. A tripping penalty to Nathan Lynch gave Upper Montgomery the first powerplay of the game. Ryan Jacobson gained the offensive zone and passed the puck back to James Botti at the point. Botti’s shot was stopped by Rockets netminder Henry Darko, but Chris Hassett was able to jump on the rebound and put it past Darko into the net to even the score at one. The balance of the first period was played evenly with both teams unable to create many good scoring chances. Shots on goal in the first period were ten for Richard Montgomery and eight for Upper Montgomery.

A few minutes into the second period, the Lightning almost took the lead. Hunter Cameron broke in down the left wing on a two on one rush with Bradley Cupples cutting down the slot. Cameron’s centering pass over to Cupples eluded the lone Rockets defender and was right on the money. Cupples shot back across from where Darko had just moved low and toward the left post. The shot from the low slot cleanly beat Darko, clanked off the inside of the post, and stayed out of the net. It was a great chance that just did not go in.

With nine minutes left in the second period, Lightning defender George Benedick was called for interference. Benedick is one of the top penalty killers for Upper Montgomery. The Lightning penalty kill which had been outstanding all season, 91.7% success rate coming into the game was broken down by the Rockets. From his left point position, Luke Guttman passed the puck into the corner to Mitchell Bobys. A whistle from the stands sounded and all student athletes on the ice stopped competing. The referees instructed the student athletes to play on and after a few seconds Bobys found Dylan Goetz cutting backdoor down the slot with a cross ice feed. A wide open Goetz buried the shot past Mellen who had little chance on the play for a 2-1 Richard Montgomery lead. A goal protested vociferously by the Lightning coaching staff.

The Lightning had a chance to tie the game when Guttman was called for interference, but were unable to convert. With three minutes remaining in the second period, Upper Montgomery was back on the penalty kill after another interference penalty, this time to Cupples. On the powerplay, Richard Montgomery brought the puck up ice. Zach Bulson exited the Rockets defensive zone and fed Daniel Martella in the neutral zone along the right wing board. Martella passed the puck to the center of the ice finding Goetz streaking up ice. Goetz took possession of the puck just outside the blue line. He took a couple of strides so that he was a few feet into the offensive zone and let loose with a slap shot. Mellen tracked the puck and stuck out his blocker to make an easy save and direct the puck to the corner boards. Unfortunately for Mellen and Upper Montgomery, the puck took a weird deflection off of Mellen’s blocker, rolled up a couple of inches and fell behind him into the net for a goal. The unforced error with a minute and a half left in the period deflated the Lightning. Shots on goal in the second period were nine for Richard Montgomery and five for Upper Montgomery.

The Lightning began the third period shorthanded after a roughing penalty to Nathan Cassel was assessed in the closing seconds of the second period. It was a critical penalty kill situation for Upper Montgomery as a fourth goal would surely have opened up the game and made a comeback extremely challenging. The Lightning penalty killers came through to keep the score 3-1. With 6:45 left in the game, the Lightning received a final powerplay chance when Paulina Utochkin was called for hooking. With a few seconds remaining on the powerplay Upper Montgomery converted.

It took some time for Upper Montgomery to gain possession of the puck in the offensive zone. Eventually the puck was kept in at the point by Ethan Hockey. His slap shot was saved by Darko who again left a juicy rebound. Hassett beat Darko’s attempt to cover and freeze the puck, again shoveling the puck past him to cut the Richard Montgomery lead to 3-2 with five minutes remaining in the game. After the goal, the Lightning pushed with everything they had. With just under three minutes to go in the game, Jacobson fired a slap shot from the top of the right faceoff circle that beat Darko. The puck ricocheted so hard off the crossbar that the puck cleared itself landing back in the neutral zone. The Lightning were so close to tying up the game.

With 1:40 remaining in the game, the Lightning bench called for Mellen to head to the bench for an extra attacker. Just as Mellen left the crease and started skating toward the bench, a turnover at the Richard Montgomery blue line turned into a two on one rush up ice. Gutmann easily slid the puck across to Bulson for a tap in goal at the right post as Mellen scrambled to get back into position and square up to the action. As the puck crossed the goal line into the net, Upper Montgomery’s hopes for the upset dissipated, but not for a lack of effort and some unlucky circumstances. Richard Montgomery received everything the Lightning had and were very happy to have survived and to advance on in the conference playoff tournament. The first ever playoff win in program history will have to wait at least one more season, but the team’s performance gained the respect of the entire conference.

Game Notes:

  • With the victory Richard Montgomery moves on to face second seeded Walter Johnson for a spot in the Maryland state playoff tournament.
  • The Lightning were outshot by the Rockets 31-18 and 21-10 over the final two periods.
  • The Lightning penalty kill which had been outstanding all season, faltered. Richard Montgomery connected for two powerplay goals in three chances. The Upper Montgomery penalty kill is now 45-51 on the season, still an excellent 88.2% kill rate.
  • The Lightning powerplay bounced back from last week’s poor performance and was 2-3 in the game.
  • The Lightning will next be in action on Friday night, February 18th at Rockville Ice Arena versus an undetermined opponent in the quarterfinal round of the Montgomery Hockey Conference Division Two playoffs.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Dylan Goetz—Richard Montgomery Forward—2 Goals, 1 Assist
Second Star—Mitchell Bobys—–Richard Montgomery Forward—1 Goal, 1 Assist
Third Star—Chris Hassett—Upper Montgomery Center—2 Goals

Shorthanded Cadets Stymie Lightning

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In a game with several student athletes missing the contest due to travel team commitments, the St. Johns Cadets downed the Upper Montgomery Lightning 4-1 in the regular season finale for both teams. To a person, the student athletes and the coaching staff were not pleased with the performance against St. Johns, in what might have been the team’s weakest performance of the season. It was not the way to honor the program’s three seniors, James Botti, Adarsh Nair, and Joshua Miller who were each celebrated prior to the start of the game. With the loss, the Lightning will enter next week’s Montgomery Hockey Conference Division One playoffs on a four game losing streak. The playoff bracket will be released in the next few days, but expectations are that Upper Montgomery will open the playoffs as a road team seeded somewhere between nine and eleven out of the twelve team field.

The game started sluggishly with both teams struggling to find any rhythm. Three minutes into the game Cadet’s defender Joseph Krauth took a hooking penalty. Maybe it was the absence of having Ryan Jacobson and Nathan Cassel available that disrupted the Lightning’s flow with the advantage, but the powerplay fizzled with very little zone time. As Krauth’s penalty ended, Lightning Center Bradley Cupples was called for high sticking. It took only six seconds for the Cadets to capitalize. Blake Russell cleanly won a faceoff in the right faceoff circle. The puck went straight back to Krauth at the right point. He took one stride to the middle of the ice and blasted a snap shot through traffic and past Lightning netminder Will Mellen on the glove side.

The next six minutes of game action saw the Lightning struggle to enter the offensive zone against St. Johns’ smothering defense. When Upper Montgomery was able to generate some offensive zone time, the shots directed on net against Cadet’s netminder Julian Goodfellow were not high quality chances. With three and a half minutes left in the first period, Lightning forward Olivia Robbins was called for slashing in the neutral zone. Upper Montgomery’s best offensive chance came while shorthanded when Chris Hassett and Hunter Cameron came in alone on a two on zero rush. Hassett’s pass across the crease was just a bit too deep toward the net and Cameron did not have much net to shoot at. Goodfellow was able to make a left leg pad save on the chance. The Lightning were able to kill off the remainder of the shorthanded advantage, but just after Robbins was released from the penalty box, the St. Johns lead would grow.

Cadet’s defender Thomas Pilkington collected the puck in the offensive zone along the left boards near his point position. He curled toward the middle of the ice along the blue line. He had time and space. He cut around a Lightning skater stickhandling into the high slot area, where he made another nifty move around a Lightning defender before finally snapping a shot far side past Mellen’s glove hand. It was a goal that never should have been scored as two Lightning student athletes had opportunities to body Pilkington and dislodge him from the puck. Shots on goal in the first period were nine to eight in favor of the Lightning.

The Lightning started the second period on the powerplay after a high sticking penalty to John Stanek. Upper Montgomery was unable to mount any real threat. In the middle of the second period, the Lightning were able to kill off a shorthanded situation after Andrew Botti was called for roughing. With just under three minutes remaining in the period, St. Johns would score an insurance goal, the result of poor defensive coverage by Upper Montgomery.

Off of a recoil in the neutral zone, Krauth passed the puck indirect off the left wing boards. The pass was collected by Austin Kirika who bumped the puck forward a few feet to William Spicer entering the zone with speed down the left wing side. Spicer cut in front of the Lightning defender which caused Andrew Botti to come over from his left defensive position to help stop Spicer. Spicer extended his stick and poked the puck toward the low slot area where Russell was all alone. Russell collected the puck, made a quick deke, and jammed the puck past Mellen’s right leg as Mellen shifted over toward the middle of the net in an attempt to stop Russell. Shots on goal in the second period were Lightning with eleven and St. Johns with nine.

The start of the third period saw Upper Montgomery with a shot lived sliver of hope. Chris Hassett scored early in the third period off of a nice pass from Hunter Cameron to cut the deficit to 3-1. Hassett’s shot beat Goodfellow low, stick side. Then, thirty seconds later, the Lightning went on the powerplay with an opportunity to further shrink the Cadets lead when Willem Desimone was called for tripping. However, it was the Cadets who took advantage scoring a shorthanded goal to salt away the game. Spicer took possession of the puck just inside his defensive blue line along the right wing boards. He exited the zone on a two on one advantage and rushed up ice. As he reached the top of the right faceoff circle in the offensive zone Spicer dished the puck over to Russell who tapped the puck past Mellen’s outstretched right leg into the wide open net for the final tally of the game.

Game Notes:

  • Upper Montgomery finished the regular season with a 5-7-1 record.
  • The Lightning outshot St. Johns 31-25.
  • The Lightning penalty kill was 4-5 for the game, allowing a powerplay goal for the first time in months. The Upper Montgomery penalty kill is now 44-48 on the season, an excellent 91.7%.
  • The Lightning powerplay struggled all night and was 0-3 in the game.
  • Another shorthanded goal given up by the Lightning, the sixth shorthanded goal allowed on the season. All six shorthanded goals against have come in games the Lightning have lost.
  • The Lightning will next be in action on Friday night, February 4th versus an undetermined opponent in the first round of the Montgomery Hockey Conference Division One playoffs. This season is the first time in program history that the Lightning have qualified for the Division One playoffs.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Blake Russell—St. Johns Center—2 Goals, 1 Assist
Second Star—Julian Goodfellow—–St. Johns Goalie–Win, 30 Saves, .968 Save%
Third Star—Joseph Krauth—St. Johns Defense—1 Goal

Superior Talent Overwhelms Lightning in Loss to Washington County

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The leadership of the Upper Montgomery Lightning hockey program knew Monday’s game versus Washington County was going to be a difficult game. The game was scheduled looking forward to the upcoming Montgomery Hockey Conference Division One and Division Two playoffs where Upper Montgomery was very likely to be facing off against very good opponents and some of the top tier teams in Montgomery County. Taking the young Lightning roster on the road to Hagerstown to face off against the second ranked, highly skilled and older Northstars is expected to pay dividends down the road. Washington County was never threatened in their 10-2 victory.

There were a few bright spots for the Lightning. Landon Bernard played very well in net. The score does not represent how well he played, making several highlight reel saves. The Lightning scored two powerplay goals in the game. Upper Montgomery also went long stretches of the game without conceding a goal, more than nine minutes to open the game, the first 12:30 of the second period, and the first ten minutes of the third period.

It was an avalanche of goals scored in bunches by the Northstars that did in the Lightning. The Northstars scored four goals in the final six minutes of the first period while outshooting the Lightning 21-4. In the second period it was three goals in the final three and a half minutes. Washington County closed out the game with three goals in the final five minutes of the game. Lucas Karlsson led the way with three goals and an assist, Ville Schoneborg had two goals and an assist, as did Tyler Bjerklie. Lochlan Joyce and Scott Blanchard were the other Northstars skaters with multiple points as each had a goal and an assist.

Upper Montgomery’s goals were both scored on the powerplay and from directly in front of the net. Bradley Cupples centered the puck from behind the net to Brandon Bernard at the right post. Bernard lifted the puck over Bryce Zeoli-Luisi’s shoulder to cut the Northstars lead to 4-1 mid-way through the second period. Chris Hassett finished out the scoring with 44 seconds remaining in the game. He received a nice centering pass from Hunter Cameron in the low slot near the right post. He also fired the puck over Zeoli-Luisi’s shoulder short side.

Game Notes:

  • The Lightning were badly outshot by Washington County 40-13 for the game.
  • The Lightning did not have to kill any penalties during the game.
  • The Lightning powerplay finished the game 2-6.
  • The Lightning are next in action on Senior Night on Friday, January 28th at 7:00 pm when they host St. John’s at Rockville Ice Arena. James Botti, Adarsh Nair, and Joshua Miller will be celebrated for their contributions to the Upper Montgomery hockey program during the team’s final regular season game.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Lucas Karlsson—Washington County Defense—3 Goals, 1 Assist
Second Star—Ville Schoenborg—–Washington County Defense–2 Goals, 1 Assist
Third Star—Landon Bernard—Upper Montgomery Goalie—30 Saves

Slow Start Dooms Lightning in Loss to Sherwood

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Looking to bounce back from last week’s loss to Richard Montgomery, its first loss since early November, the Upper Montgomery Lightning came out flat Friday night. A talented Sherwood Warriors team took advantage scoring three goals in the first ten minutes of the game on their way to a 6-4 victory in the cross division matchup. With the loss the Lightning drop to 5-5-1 on the season with a tough contest looming on Monday night at the Washington County Northstars.

Jeremy Isaacs got the Warriors off to a quick start scoring an unassisted goal just 1:11 into the contest. A turnover in the defensive zone squirted over to Isaacs unguarded in the lower right circle. He made no mistake quickly firing a shot past Lightning netminder Will Mellen to put Sherwood out in front early. Exactly five minutes later the Lightning were caught up ice. Thomas Russell made a save on a shot from the high slot. Riley Shearer outraced the Lightning forwards to the puck in the right corner. His stretch pass up the left wing boards found Jarden Reed in the neutral zone. Coming down the left wing on a two on one break, Reed pulled up at the top of the left faceoff circle and ripped a snapshot high, short side above Mellen’s blocker and into the net for a 2-0 Sherwood lead.

Three minutes later, Christian Winckler finished off a nice passing sequence. Ryan Warner started the scoring play in the neutral zone along the right wing boards. His pass was on the money for Grayson Winckler who skated into the offensive zone and found his brother in the slot with a nifty pass. Christian Winckler’s shot beat Mellen glove side and the Warriors were threatening to turn the game into a rout.

Just before the end of the first period, the Lightning got on the board to cut the lead to 3-1 at intermission. Nathan Cassel passed the puck into the slot area for Chris Hassett. Hassett’s shot attempt was blocked in front with several bodies crowded in the crease area. The puck bounced loose to the right side of the net where Ryan Jacobson was waiting. His quick wrist shot, low and to the glove side of Russell, found the back of the net. Right after Jacobson’s shot went in the goal, he was leveled by Warriors defender Payton Mages. George Benedick took exception. Both Mages and Benedick were sent to the penalty box for coincidental roughing minors. Upper Montgomery had some hope heading into the second period. Shots on goal in the first period were Sherwood 18 and Upper Montgomery 16.

The Lightning went on the powerplay very early in the second period after a slashing penalty was assessed to Christian Winckler. With an opportunity to cut into the Warriors lead, Upper Montgomery was instead caught pinching to keep the puck in the offensive zone. Isaacs collected the puck and skated up ice with Reed on another two on one break. Isaacs slid the puck over to Reed who easily converted past Mellen and the Warriors had reclaimed their three goal lead.

After giving up the shorthanded goal, the Lightning carried play for the next ten minutes of game action clawing their way back into the contest. Off of an offensive zone faceoff from in left faceoff circle, Chris Hassett won the draw into the slot, directly to Jacobson. He wasted no time and fired the puck low, glove side past Russell for his second goal of the game. A minute later the Lightning went on an important penalty kill as Bradley Cupples was called for roughing. The outstanding Lightning penalty kill was up to the task, keeping the Warriors at bay and the team seemed to gain momentum from the shorthanded effort.

With five minutes remaining in the second period, the Lightning would strike to pull within one goal at 4-3. James Botti kept the puck in the offensive one at the left point. He was able to swipe the puck forward a few feet to Nathan Cassel. Cassel collected the bouncing puck along the right wing boards and fired a shot wide of the net on the short side. The puck caromed around back to James Botti at his left point position. He shoveled the puck down low into the left corner finding Hassett. Hassett stick handled along the boards and pushed the puck over to Cassel behind the net. Cassel tried a stuff attempt that was blocked off and the puck flipped high in the air through the slot toward Ethan Hockey at the right point. Hockey judged the arc of the puck. Just as the puck bounced off the ice he unloaded a booming slap shot from the right faceoff dot that went flying past Russell high, glove side for his second goal of the season. While still trailing by one goal, the Lightning had all the momentum.

With two minutes remaining in the second period a defensive zone coverage breakdown doomed Upper Montgomery. The Warriors gained possession of the puck in the Lightning defensive zone, working the puck down low in the right corner. The puck was then centered into the slot where it eluded two Lightning skaters and found Christian Winkler alone in front. Mellen made a terrific save on Winckler’s quick shot from the low slot. The puck bounced up and off the back end boards where Aidan Sachs fired a quick wrist shot past Mellen low, glove side as he scrambled back into position. The failed clear deflated the Lightning who had fought so hard to get back in the game. The Lightning outshot Sherwood by a wide margin, 19 to 8 in the second period.

Four minutes into the third period Noi Jonasson ended the competitive portion of the game scoring a “Michigan Goal”, lacrosse style to add insult to Upper Montgomery. Warriors’ defender Timothy Rocca retrieved the puck in the neutral zone along the right wing boards. He passed the puck up ice to Jonasson at the attacking blue line. Jonasson skated past three Lightning defenders and curled around the net on his backhand from left to right. He collected the puck, then scooped and spun, flinging the puck past Mellen’s left shoulder into the net making the score 6-3.

Upper Montgomery would score a power play goal with 29 seconds remaining to close out the scoring. Hassett scored on a wrist shot from just right of the slot off assists from James Botti and Benedick. But, by then, it was just a matter of the final score in a game in which the Lightning started slowly and could never quite get over the hump.

Game Notes:

  • The loss was the Lightning’s second straight defeat since a five game winning streak ended.
  • The Lightning outshot Sherwood 46-34 for the game.
  • Will Mellen gave up the most goals he has allowed all season (six). He made 28 saves on the night.
  • The Lightning penalty kill was excellent once again smothering all three Warriors’ powerplay opportunities. The Upper Montgomery penalty kill is now 40 of 43 on the season, 93.0%.
  • The Lightning powerplay finished the game 1-4, but the powerplay tally came with 29 seconds remaining in the game after the outcome had been decided.
  • The Lightning gave up their fifth shorthanded goal of the season in the second period. Upper Montgomery has lost all five games in which they have allowed a shorthanded goal.
  • The Lightning are next in action on Monday, January 24th at 7:00 pm when they travel to Hagerstown to take on the Washington County Northstars.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Jarden Reed—Sherwood Forward—2 Goals
Second Star—Ryan Jacobson—Upper Montgomery Forward–-2 Goals
Third Star—Thomas Russell—Sherwood Goalie—Win, 42 Saves, .913 Save%, 1 Assist

Student Athlete Spotlight—Olivia Robbins

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She’s always been first.  First to the rink.  First out on the ice.  First to offer encouragement to her teammates.  First to celebrate her teams’ goals.  Whether encouraging her teammates or providing instruction and direction on the ice, Olivia Robbins is no ordinary student athlete.  She is in constant motion on and off the ice.

It has been that way since Olivia was six years old and was introduced to ice hockey when the family lived in Seattle, Washington.  For the past decade, the Robbins family has been immersed in the sport of hockey.  With all three of their children playing on different travel hockey teams, Emily and Scott Robbins are constantly on the go.  Although neither Scott nor Emily played hockey competitively, they are mainstays at their children’s games cheering and offering encouragement. 

Olivia is the oldest sibling.  Her brother Owen is two years younger, and her sister Lillian is four years younger.  All three will play with their individual travel hockey teams once again in the fall of 2022. Olivia and Owen will also play together for the first time in years with the Upper Montgomery Lightning high school varsity hockey team.  For Emily and Scott, the new season will bring renewed travel across the United States and into Canada depending upon where Olivia’s 19U Washington Pride AAA travel team is scheduled to play.  The Washington Pride is the pre-eminent women’s college prep ice-hockey program in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.  The Pride plays in the Junior Women’s Hockey League as well as participating in multiple invitational tournaments across North America. 

Olivia immediately took to hockey.  She found the games exciting and liked the physical aspect of the sport.  As she began advancing through the younger age groups it was easy to see her enthusiasm for the game and that she didn’t have a problem competing against the boys she was playing with and against.  When initially eligible, she tried out for the Washington Pride women’s hockey program and was invited to join the elite hockey club to play on their 14U Major team.  Mainly playing left wing for the Pride, she logs heavy minutes and is a mainstay on the Pride’s powerplay and penalty killing units.  According to her coaches, Olivia’s style is hard-nosed and relentless on the puck.  She excels at retrieving pucks in the corners and turning those winning puck battles into high quality scoring chances for her teammates.  Olivia describes her role with the Pride as the playmaker on her line.  She is good with puck possession, zone entry, and excellent at puck retrievals, battling down low, and in the corners.  She is always looking to establish offensive zone possession for her line and to distribute the puck to her teammates. 

A typical hockey week during the school year is three practices a week with the Washington Pride, one hour on the ice and one hour of dryland workouts, either conditioning or in the gym.  Olivia also does additional one-on-one skills development sessions with the local coaches either before practice or on an off day.  These individual sessions include film review of the past weekend’s games and skill development.  Then, Monday evening there is a separate practice with the Lightning.  The Pride’s practices consist of individual skill work, full-ice flow drills, working on situational play, and various small area games.  During weeks where the Pride are out of town for league play or at a tournament, the team practices Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then travels to the location of the weekend games Thursday evening.  Pride league and tournament games are played Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the day, with return travel back to the Washington, DC area on Sunday evening.  During out-of-town travel the Pride has scheduled mandatory study halls that enable the girls to keep up with their school work.  

On weeks where the Pride have home games or travel closer to the Washington, DC area, games are usually just on Saturday and Sunday.  Those weeks, on Friday night Olivia is dressed in her green, gold, and white number 25 Upper Montgomery jersey with the Poolesville letter P patch on her left shoulder.  She is seen streaking around the ice playing on one of the top two forward lines for the Lightning against other high school teams in the Montgomery Hockey Conference, often battling toe to toe with older and more physically mature opponents.  In her ninth grade season with the Upper Montgomery Lightning, Olivia led the varsity team in assists with seven in twelve games, including a four assist game versus Blair.  In addition, Olivia chipped in and scored three goals. 

Olivia’s exploits on the ice are well known within the hockey community and to her family and close friends.  However, many of her fellow students at Poolesville High School are unaware of her hockey accomplishments.  At the age of 12, Olivia first participated in a USA Hockey development camp.  As part of the Southeast District, she participated in a week-long multi-district camp held at Kent State University in Ohio run by USA hockey and college hockey head coaches.  The ladies selected for the camp were separated into four teams and lived together in dorm rooms, spending all on-ice and off-ice hockey related activities with their teammates.  Progressing through her age 12, 13, and 14 seasons, Olivia’s skill and talents were being noticed.  In her age 15 season, after a weekend tryout camp in Nashville, Tennessee, Olivia was one of a limited few young ladies selected to participate in the USA Hockey Girls 15s National Development Camp held in St. Cloud, Minnesota.  A huge accomplishment for Olivia as she takes steps forward in progressing up through the women’s hockey national system in the United States. 

As Olivia remembers the camp, the USA Hockey Girls 15s National Development Camp was like the other regional camps she had previously participated in, but more comprehensive.  In addition to the on-ice and off-ice training, there were lectures on nutrition, mental health and well-being, the college recruiting process, and what it takes to be a successful student athlete with the time commitment both academics and hockey require.  It was understandable that being invited to the camp for the first time was a little overwhelming.  Olivia admitted to being nervous at the beginning of the camp, with all the USA Hockey personnel present and with over ninety percent of the Division 1 and Division 3 college coaches in attendance scouting and analyzing the play of each camp participant. 

Thinking back on the National Camp, Olivia brought up “The speed, skill, compete level, and hockey IQ of all the girls were off the charts good.  It was full speed and maximum effort the entire time.  It was a great experience for me to know that I can compete at that level.  At the same time, it helped me know that I need to work harder with the Pride to improve all areas of my game.” 

At the end of April 2022, Olivia was in Florida trying out again for a spot in the USA Hockey National Camp for the upcoming summer.  She is now in the 16-17 age group and the number of slots available to advance back to the National Camp are greatly reduced.  In late June, Olivia will be notified of the results of her tryout.  About that same time, colleges which have been scouting student athletes in Olivia’s age group at the various camps, showcases, and tournaments will begin making contact.  NCAA rules governing recruiting for women’s ice hockey allow college coaches to begin contacting recruits after June 15th following a student athlete’s sophomore year in high school.  It promises to be a very busy summer in the Robbins household. 

The practices and the sport keep Olivia busy and help balance out her schoolwork, much of which is done while on long bus trips or in hotels far away from Poolesville High School.  It is common for Olivia to use her phone to record video dictations for classes from the passenger seat of her parent’s car. While much time is spent at the rink honing her game, Olivia devotes even more time to her academic studies.  This dedication has led to scholastic achievement in the classroom.  Olivia has been recognized by the Maryland Student Hockey League for her outstanding academic performance in both of her high school seasons.  She has earned straight As all throughout high school and carries a weighted grade point average well above the standard 4.0 associated with straight As.  So, it was no surprise that she has received the Maryland Student Hockey League academic achievement award. 

At the end of the 2021-2022 hockey season the Washington Pride were traveling to play in the Women’s Tier One 14U National Championship Tournament outside of Philadelphia.  Olivia was remotely dialed in to her biology class while traveling to the tournament.  Unexpectedly, the vehicle went through some patchy zones which caused the internet connection to fade in and out.  Olivia messaged her teacher apologizing for the difficulties.  The biology teacher direct messaged Olivia asking her where she was going.  Upon learning of her destination, the teacher blurted out over the open mic “Wow, Olivia!!! Don’t worry about biology right now.”  The entire class had just learned of Olivia’s hockey talents!

Once the Pride’s and the Lightning’s regular seasons conclude, hockey is not finished.  Olivia plays in the spring for the 14/94s Elite 16U AAA team, which is a team made up of young women from around the DC Metro area and north into Philadelphia and New Jersey.  There are two weekend training camps and then three tournaments planned, in Detroit, in Philadelphia, and in Chicago.  And, while not out-of-town, there is the Upper Montgomery Lightning spring season where Olivia is a key contributor.  She enjoys the spring teams because she can meet and play with different teammates and receives exposure to different coaches and styles of play.

Once school ends and the summer begins, there is no break from hockey.  The Pride has two separate weeklong training camps, one at the beginning of the summer and the other at the end of the summer.  To supplement this training, Olivia works out at First-Line Training Center in small group and individual one-on-one sessions to continuously work on her game.  She is looking to improve the velocity on her shot, work on a quicker release, and enhance her evasiveness with the puck.  This level of commitment is necessary as the number of young female hockey student athletes grows. 

Olivia has noticed the increase in interest as popularity in the women’s game grows from just a few short years ago.  “I think last year there were a record number of girls at tryouts for the Pride 14U team which means more girls must be playing.  Locally, the Chesapeake Bay Hockey League (CBHL) has more and more clubs offering girls hockey teams every year.  Some of the top girl’s teams in the CBHL have started to play in the very competitive Mid-Atlantic Women’s Hockey Association against teams from Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York.”

In part, this competition motivates Olivia to continue to improve.  She has her sights set on playing Division 1 college hockey, however, with her outstanding academic credentials, academically prestigious Division 3 programs will also be under consideration and would make an excellent college choice.  With the professional women’s game growing and more teams being added each year, the post college opportunity to continue to play high level hockey is a possibility, one that Olivia would find “very, very cool”.

While women’s hockey is where Olivia’s future lies, she is extremely happy playing with “the boys” for Poolesville High School as part of the Upper Montgomery Lightning program.  With the Pride there are multiple practices a week and in high school hockey there are only a few practices each month.  The most noticeable difference to Olivia is that with high school hockey there is a four year age difference between some student athletes who are seniors and other student athletes who are just entering high school in 9th grade.  With the Washington Pride travel program, the participants are all within one year in age, so everyone is more similarly developed.  With the high-end travel programs, it is common for the participants to have been teammates for many years, playing the same system in 12U, 14U, 16U, etc.  There is more compact play, more movement without the puck, one touch passing, and quick puck movement.  While the high school games are more open with stretch passing through the neutral zone and the shots are harder.   

When she finally leaves the rink and finishes training, Olivia can be found watching hockey on television.  She watches as much hockey on television as she can.  Olivia’s favorite teams are the US Women’s National team and, of course, the Washington Capitals.  When finally pried away from hockey, her outside interests are being with her friends, being part of her local swim team in the summer, going to amusement parks and riding the roller coasters, and watching exciting movies. 

For the Upper Montgomery faithful, the excitement will be in watching Olivia over the next two seasons as she endeavors to help the Lightning advance to the Maryland High School state playoffs for the first time in program history while simultaneously pursuing her dream of landing a coveted position with a college ice hockey program.

This article will be updated as details on Olivia’s collegiate hockey plans are revealed.

Lightning Strike Blog—May 2022

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The Spring 2022 High School hockey season has reached the playoff rounds. Both Upper Montgomery Team Green and Upper Montgomery Team White have made the playoffs and will participate in the semifinal round within their respective divisions.

Upper Montgomery Team Green needed a win or a tie in its final game to advance into the playoffs. Playing one of their more complete games of the spring season, the team buckled down and defeated Wootton to advance into the semifinal round versus Rockville/Magruder. Team Green finished the regular season with a 5-4 record.

Upper Montgomery Team White dominated its division all season finishing with an undefeated record of 9-0. Team White will play Walter Johnson in the semifinal round of the spring league playoffs.

The month of May started out with a bang…the 2021 – 2022 season end Upper Montgomery Lightning Team Party. It was an incredibly successful event attended by almost all of the families in the program. In addition to the presentation of the Montgomery Hockey Conference Junior Varsity Championship Trophy which will circulate to all student athletes’ homes for a week over the next six months, the following awards were presented.

Eighteen of the twenty-seven Lightning student athletes were presented with the Maryland Student Hockey League Academic Achievement Award. Five student athletes received recognition for straight As; Andrew Botti, James Botti, Nathan Cassel, Henry Honacki, and Olivia Robbins. The academic achievement award recognizes outstanding effort in the classroom while participating in high school ice hockey.

Andrew Botti was awarded a certificate for being named one of the two defenders for the Montgomery Hockey Conference 2nd Team All Conference. Andrew was only 9th grader to receive recognition on any of the Montgomery Hockey Conference teams. Andrew also received a USA Hockey Playmaker patch for three assists in a game.

James Botti received a USA Hockey Hat-Trick patch for three goals in a game as well as a USA Hockey Playmaker patch for three assists in a game. James was also recognized for being nominated by Upper Montgomery for the Hobey Baker High School Hockey Award that recognizes Character and Leadership in Hockey and Academics.

Brandon Bernard was awarded a certificate for leading the Maryland Student Hockey League junior varsity in assists this past season with nine. He also was awarded the Upper Montgomery junior varsity Art Ross award for most points scored with 15.

Landon Bernard was awarded a certificate for leading the Maryland Student Hockey League junior varsity in wins this past season with eight.

Nathan Cassel received a USA Hockey Hat-Trick patch for three goals in a game.

Bradley Cupples received a USA Hockey Playmaker patch for three assists in a game.

Chris Hassett was awarded a certificate for being the Varsity Art Ross award winner for most points scored during the season with 33. He also received the Maurice Rocket Richard award for most goals scored for the varsity with 17. Chris was named one of the Montgomery Hockey Conference honorable mention forwards. He received both the USA Hockey Hat-Trick patch for three goals in a game and the USA Hockey Playmaker patch for three assists in a game.

Ryan Jacobson received a USA Hockey Playmaker patch for three assists in a game.

Will Mellen was awarded a certificate for being named the goalie for the Montgomery Hockey Conference 2nd Team All Conference. He also received a USA Hockey Shutout patch for his two shutout victories this past season.

Joshua Miller received a certificate recognizing him with the Maurice Rocket Richard award for most goals scored for the junior varsity with eight.

Patrick Sell Ryan received a USA Hockey Playmaker patch for three assists in a game.

Lightning Strike Blog—April 2022

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning hockey program is now halfway through the Spring 2022 high school hockey season. The Rockville Ice Arena High School Spring League is a great way for the student athletes not participating in another high school spring sport to continue to work on their game and develop their individual skills in a competitive team environment. The league is structured as a way for the student athletes to have fun in a safe environment as there is absolutely no checking allowed during the spring season.

For the first time in program history Upper Montgomery has two teams competing in spring league; Team Green and Team White. The teams are relatively evenly split with varsity and junior varsity student athletes playing on both teams. Upper Montgomery Team Green is competitive with a 2-2 record at the halfway point of the spring season. Upper Montgomery Team White is undefeated with a 4-0 record at the halfway point of the spring season.

Having the student athletes able to play an additional eight or nine games with their teammates helps build chemistry. It is also an invaluable opportunity for the coaching staff to take a look at some different line combinations and defensive pairings. The coaches are able to assess the strengths and the areas in need of improvement of the nine incoming student athletes who are joining the program for the fall 2022 season. The coaches are also able to work with the returning student athletes and use the spring season to focus on improving areas of each student’s game.

Lightning Wins Montgomery Hockey Conference Junior Varsity Championship

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning completed a run for the ages by defeating top seed and undefeated Richard Montgomery 2-1 to win the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity championship game Thursday afternoon at Laurel Ice Gardens. The win completes a stunning turnaround from last season when the Lightning finished dead last in the conference standings, a season in which they were not very competitive. This year, after a slow start to the season, the Upper Montgomery Lightning won their final six games and will forever be CHAMPIONS!

Upper Montgomery was a substantial underdog coming into the championship game against Richard Montgomery even while finishing in second place in the regular season conference standings. The Rockets had blown through the regular season and their first two playoff games to arrive at the championship final with a 10-0 record and having outscored their opponents 53-12. In conversations leading up to the game, it was felt around the league that the final would be a coronation of the experienced and talented Rockets team. Upper Montgomery’s appearance in the final was a nice story but the team had no real chance to prevail. The confident Lightning squad thought otherwise. They were out to prove they belonged and were a worthy adversary.

At the opening faceoff, Richard Montgomery started five student athletes who were all juniors or seniors and saw regular playing time on the Rockets varsity squad. However, it was clear from the beginning of the game that the Lightning would not be intimidated or pushed around. The Lightning competed all over the ice and did not allow Richard Montgomery to generate speed through the neutral zone or many good scoring opportunities. The Lightning forwards backchecked hard and did not allow any outnumbered rushes up ice. With 3:46 seconds left in the first period, the Lightning went on the first powerplay of the game. Rockets forward Jacob Swivel was called for roughing on a check without an attempt to play the puck. As was the case for most of the season, the Lightning generated very little on the abbreviated powerplay which was cut short after only a minute when Lightning center Josh Nadler was called for slashing.

A rather uneventful first period ended with no score and low shots on goal totals for both teams. Richard Montgomery had five shots on goal and Upper Montgomery had four shots on goal in the period. The flow and feel of the game was that the first goal would be critical to deciding the eventual champion. As the game went along in the second period, it appeared that Upper Montgomery continued to gain confidence with the score still tied 0-0. The Lightning were skating strong and playing fast. They exited the defensive zone well and continued to get pucks in behind the Rockets defense. Bradley Cupples found himself in alone chasing down a puck rolling toward the net, but he was only able to get a whack at the puck sending it on net. He was unable to lift the puck high enough to get it over the glove hand of Rockets netminder Ian Hutchinson. Richard Montgomery continued to be thwarted entering the Lightning defensive zone and they were not generating many good offensive scoring chances.

With five minutes remaining in the second period, the Lightning were back on the powerplay after Rockets defender Ellison Mohan was called for hooking. Upper Montgomery had good puck movement and some opportunities with the advantage but were unsuccessful in getting one past Hutchinson. After the powerplay ended, the coaching staff made a subtle line change with Cupples centering Joshua Miller and Adam Levine. Levine who had been out on the recent powerplay for the first minute, was substituted in at right wing. Off of an offensive zone faceoff, Cupples won the draw from the left faceoff circle back to the right point. Lightning defender Geroge Benedick controlled the puck at the blue line and skated left toward the center of the ice as Levine fell back and covered at the right point. With the Rockets blocking up the center of the ice, Benedick dropped the puck down to Cupples in the left corner and retreated back to his right defense position. Levine who had been covering for Benedick at the right point, broke down the center of the slot and received a nice pass from Cupples while in stride. Levine shot low, stick side, back across from where Hutchinson had just moved coming across the goal crease to face up to the impending shot. Levine’s shot slid just inside the left post giving Upper Montgomery the lead late in the second period with 2:38 remaining. It was the monumental moment in the game as the Lightning had grabbed the lead against the heavy favorites.

A holding penalty late in the second period to Lightning defender Andrew Gean provided some tense moments for Upper Montgomery. Once again, the Lightning penalty kill was up to the task and did the job. The second period ended with Upper Montgomery on top 1-0. Shots on goal in the second period were Richard Montgomery again with five while Upper Montgomery had nine. The shots on goal totals through two periods were Richard Montgomery ten and Upper Montgomery 13.

The Upper Montgomery faithful were noticeably tense as the team tried to protect the one goal lead. The Richard Montgomery faithful were also noticeably tense as they never expected to be trailing heading into the third period. The Rockets’ tenseness was palpable on the ice as Richard Montgomery student athletes began trying to do too much and Upper Montgomery was able to create turnovers and easy clearing attempts. Although Richard Montgomery began directing more pucks on net, the shots were from far out near the blue line or very wide bad angle shots outside the faceoff circles. Landon Bernard did not have any difficulty making the saves.

With just over five minutes left in the game, the Lightning would score a very important insurance goal. Stephen Shkeda kept the puck in the offensive zone at the left point after a Rockets’ clearing attempt was not fired hard enough around the boards from the far right corner. He fired a rising wrist shot toward the net. It appeared to be a harmless shot that Hutchinson was following all the way in. As the puck went past him in the left faceoff circle, Joshua Miller stuck his stick out waist high and deflected the puck causing it to begin flipping end over end. The trajectory of the shot changed enough that the puck floated up over the catching glove of Hutchinson and into the top right corner of the net. Now up 2-0, the goal gave Upper Montgomery added energy and a small amount of breathing room. It also created a very nerve wracking five plus minutes of high drama.

Richard Montgomery immediately turned up the offensive zone pressure after falling behind by two goals knowing that their season was slipping away. The Rockets’ renewed tenacity was rewarded when a turnover in the Upper Montgomery defensive zone helped cut the lead to 2-1 with 3:22 left in the game. Off the turnover, Tyler Senko found the puck loose in a pig pile in front of the crease and fired it past Landon Bernard (19 saves, .950 save percentage) setting up a wild finish to the championship.

The final three minutes of the game were intense with Richard Montgomery pressing to score the tying goal. Upper Montgomery forwards and defenders were sliding all over the ice giving everything they had to get pucks across the blue line and out of the defensive zone. Once at the red line with possession, pucks were dumped deep into the Rockets end of the ice, a strategy that worked successfully for the next two and a half minutes of game action. With 47 seconds left in regulation, Richard Montgomery pulled Hutchinson for an extra skater. Upper Montgomery continued to defend with pressure on the puck and prevented the Rockets from getting clean looks at the net. Many Rockets shots were blocked in front, and others went wide of the net. One last clearing effort into the neutral zone as the clock reached zero coincided with the Lightning streaming off the bench in celebration. Sticks and gloves were thrown into the air and strewn across the ice as the team swarmed around Bernard celebrating the first championship in Upper Montgomery history.

Game Notes:

  • Shots on goal in the championship game were relatively even, Richard Montgomery with 20 and Upper Montgomery had 18.
  • The Lightning gave up only eight goals over their final six games of the season.
  • Landon Bernard led all Maryland Student Hockey League (MSHL) junior varsity goalies with eight wins.
  • Landon Bernard finished the season with an .880 save percentage and a 2.69 goals against average.
  • Brandon Bernard led all Maryland Student Hockey League (MSHL) junior varsity skaters with nine assists. His 15 points led the team.
  • Joshua Miller scored his team leading eighth goal of the season in the third period, a key insurance goal that eventually became the game winner.
  • Greg Felder finished the season as the team’s penalty minutes leader with 32 penalty minutes in only six games played.
  • Adam Levine scored goals in back-to-back games, his first two goals of the season. Both goals were the first goal scored by the Lightning in the semi-final game and also in the championship game.
  • The Lightning penalty kill was again perfect in two opportunities against the Rockets and finished the season 43-48, 89.6%.
  • The Lightning junior varsity finished the season winning six games in a row and were undefeated in their last seven games, 6-0-1.
  • The Lightning finished the season with a record of 8-4-2. A significant turnaround from last season’s 1-6-1 record.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Adam Levine—Upper Montgomery Forward—1 Goal
Second Star—Landon Bernard—Upper Montgomery Goalie—Championship Win, 1 GAA, .950 Save %
Third Star—Bradley Cupples—Upper Montgomery Center—1 Assist

Lightning Junior Varsity Storms Back to Dominate Rams, Advances to Junior Varsity Championship

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity advanced to the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity championship game with a dominating 6-2 win over Rockville/Blair on Wednesday. The Lightning will play undefeated and highly favored Richard Montgomery tomorrow afternoon at Laurel Ice Gardens. Game time is early at 4:15 pm.

After falling behind early on a fluky goal, the Lightning roared back with a complete team effort. Six different student athletes scored goals and only three student athletes had more than one point; Joshua Miller with one goal and two assists, Adam Levine with one goal and one assist, and Patrick Sell setting an Upper Montgomery junior varsity program record with four assists.

The game started ominously for the Lightning as just one minute and thirty seconds into the game the Rams went out in front 1-0. It was not a very good goal to give up. Rams’ defender Connor Combs innocently dumped the puck down ice from his own blue line. The puck went harmlessly on net and Lightning goalie Landon Bernard nudged the puck ahead three feet in front of the cage. Rams’ forward Ari Gardner outraced everyone on the ice from the Lightning blue line and knocked the puck past Bernard before he could re-set in the net. That sequence would be the only two shots on goal for Rockville/Blair in the first period.

Five minutes later the Lightning would start to take over and dominate the game. Controlling the puck in the neutral zone, Josh Nadler entered the offensive zone on the right wing. His snapshot toward the goal went wild and high over the net. Patrick Sell raced forward on the opposite side of the ice in an attempt to keep the puck in the offensive zone at the left point. He was able to bat the puck out of mid-air and down the left wing boards. Adam Levine gathered the puck, turned, and skated toward the bottom of the left faceoff circle. He directed a wrist shot on net from the sharp angle. His shot deflected off a Rams’ defender’s stick, down and past Rams’ goalie Sean Connelly for his first goal of the season.

Three minutes later James Hyman put Upper Montgomery in front 2-1 when he tapped in a rebound that snuck behind Connelly. Sell pushed the puck down the right wing boards to Joshua Miller. Miller fired a wrist shot from a bad angle on net. Connelly made the save, but the puck snuck behind his pads. Hyman beat the Rams defense to the puck and pushed it over the line with four minutes remaining in the period for his third goal of the season, all coming from the crease area.

With just under two minutes before the end of the period Brandon Bernard upped the Lightning’s lead. Both Levine and Bernard came back hard on the backcheck. The Rams turned the puck over just inside the Lightning defensive zone blue line. Levine nudged the puck forward to Bernard who had already circled around to race up ice. Bernard carried the puck down the center of the ice through the neutral zone and into the Lightning offensive end. At the top of the faceoff circles, directly in front of Connelly, he fired a wicked wrist shot high between both Rams defenders, and then by the blocker side of Connelly into the net. For Bernard it was his sixth goal and team leading 15th point on the season. With the majority of play in the offensive zone, at the end of the first period the Lightning had a 3-1 advantage and were outshooting Rockville/Blair 10-2.

Upper Montgomery extended the lead to 4-1 early in the second period. From just inside his defensive blue line, and while the Rams were in a line change, Sell banked the puck off the boards on a nice indirect pass. In stride, Miller collected the puck in the neutral zone and raced wide into the offensive zone on the right wing. He went around the Rams defense on a semi-breakaway and cut in toward the net. Connelly made the initial save on Miller’s forehand shot but was helpless when Bradley Cupples knocked in the rebound into the wide open left side of the net. The Lightning had a 4-1 lead and there was no real pressure being applied by the Rams.

Lightning defender Ethan Hockey was called for interference and Upper Montgomery had no difficulty killing off the minor penalty. Later in the second period, Lightning defender Andrew Gean was called for cross checking behind the net. Once again, the Lightning killed the penalty with ease. For the majority of the second period, the Lightning played responsible defensive hockey. Landon Bernard did not face many high quality scoring chances throughout the entire game.

With a three goal lead to start the third period, the coaching staff’s message to the team was to play disciplined hockey and to make the correct plays. Pucks out of the zone, pucks in deep behind the Rams net, and absolutely to avoid any extracurricular play after the whistle. Even with that message, Rockville/Blair scored just 45 seconds into the third period on a broken play. Off of a faceoff win from the left circle of the offensive zone, Rams center Brendyn Illif won the draw back to defender Aiden Ward. Ward wound up for a slapshot that was blocked by Ethan Hockey. A second attempt by Ward was also expertly blocked by Hockey. Unfortunately for the Lightning, both blocked shots went directly back to Ward. Ward’s third attempt went past the Lightning defense and also past a screened Landon Bernard to provide the Rams with momentum.

However, on the very next shift, momentum changed once again. Rams’ defender JJ St. Aubin was called for boarding Brandon Bernard. The Rams were forced to kill the penalty and all two minutes were played in their defensive zone. Momentum gone. While Upper Montgomery did not score on the powerplay advantage, the Lightning were able to change the momentum of the game after the Rams early third period goal. Ten seconds after the powerplay ended, the Lightning caught a break. Sell fired a wrist shot from the mid-point toward the net. TJ Gottesman was skating through the slot and bent over in an attempt to get out of the way of the puck. He could not and the puck hit him in the lower back. Somehow, the puck tricked over Gottesman’s right shoulder rolled forward and into the net just inside the right post. Gottesman’s first career high school goal again provided Upper Montgomery some breathing room with nine minutes left in the game.

With five minutes left in the contest, a late goal by Miller provided the finishing touch in a game that showcased how well the junior varsity has progressed since the beginning of the season. Miller took a pass from Ethan Hockey and fired a wrist shot past Connelly for the final tally. Tomorrow, the biggest challenge awaits the team in the junior varsity championship game. Upper Montgomery will need to find a way to conquer the Richard Montgomery Rockets who have outscored their opponents 53-12 on the season. The Rockets are undefeated with their 10-0 record, including a 5-2 victory over Upper Montgomery in early November. They have blown through the conference regular season and handled two very good teams in the playoffs. To win tomorrow, the Lightning will have play close to a perfect game and capitalize on the chances they are able to generate.

Game Notes:

  • The Lightning held Rockville/Blair to only 14 shots on goal for the game, with just two shots on goal in the first period.
  • Upper Montgomery scored on six of its 26 shots on goal in the game.
  • The Lightning penalty kill was again perfect in two opportunities and is now 41-46 on the season, 89.1%. The penalty kill has been an area where Upper Montgomery has excelled all season.
  • The Lightning junior varsity have won five games in a row.
  • The Lightning have upped their record to 7-4-2 on the season with all seven wins coming against conference opponents.
  • With the victory, the Lightning advance to play highly favored Richard Montgomery in the junior varsity championship game on Thursday, February 18th at 4:15 pm at Laurel Ice Gardens.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Joshua Miller—Upper Montgomery Forward—1 Goal, 2 Assists
Second Star—Adam Levine—Upper Montgomery Forward—1 Goal, 1 Assist
Third Star—Patrick Sell—Upper Montgomery Defense—4 Assists

Lightning Junior Varsity Beats Northwest in Thrilling Shootout, Advances to Junior Varsity Semi-Finals

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The Upper Montgomery Lightning won its first ever junior varsity playoff game late Friday night with a come from behind 2-1 shootout victory over the Northwest Jaguars at Cabin John Ice Rink. With the win, Upper Montgomery advances to the junior varsity semi-final round hosting Rockville/Blair on Wednesday evening at 6:40 pm at Laurel Ice Gardens.

In a gritty and tightly contested game, Upper Montgomery defended all over the ice and limited the Jaguars to just nine shots on goal through regulation and overtime. The Lightning’s game plan was executed very well by the entire team, to identify and defend against Jaguars leading scorer, roving defender Brady Graham. By running multiple skaters at Graham all game long, and constantly applying pressure, the Lightning were able to hold him to a single assist on a broken play. Graham had entered the game scoring eleven goals in six junior varsity games and his eleven goals led the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity by almost double the next highest scoring skater.

The game started slowly as both teams were feeling each other out. A tripping penalty to Jaguars center Nikhil Mudunuri a minute and a half into the game gave Upper Montgomery an opportunity to jump out in front early in the game. However, the Lightning powerplay which has been inept all season failed to generate any good scoring chances. The first period would end with up and down skating, a lot of shots missing wide of the net, and a feeling that the game would be a battle right to the end. Shots on goal in the first period were a paltry four for Upper Montgomery and one for Northwest.

The second period could best be defined as a slog. Upper Montgomery was tough and physical and continued to clamp down on Graham. Coincidental roughing penalties to Graham and Upper Montgomery center Bradley Cupples opened the period. While they were in the box, Jaguars defender Micah Chin was also called for roughing. Upper Montgomery generated nothing on the four on three powerplay. More tight defensive play ensued until Lightning defender Patrick Sell was called for hooking halfway through the period. At this point the game opened up just a bit. Adam Levine sprung Brandon Bernard on a shorthanded breakaway with a nice indirect pass off the boards and immediately went to the bench for a line change (second period line change is the far bench). Bernard cut in alone and faked backhand, forehand and was stopped by Northwest goalie Joseph Dean’s pads. After his shot attempt was saved, Bernard wiped out in the offensive zone corner boards.

Graham collected the puck for the Jaguars in the defensive zone and skated past the Upper Montgomery defense leading to a two on one advantage with Ben Weiner. Graham centered the puck to Weiner in the slot and he whipped a quick wrist shot past Landon Bernard’s glove. The powerplay goal gave the Jaguars a 1-0 lead on just their third shot of the game. It was an unfortunate turn of events with both Lightning forwards caught up ice behind the play. At the end of the second period the shots on goal remained very low, seven for Upper Montgomery and three for Northwest.

The competition for every inch of the ice continued in the third period. With 9:30 left in regulation, Jaguars forward Josh Podsiadlik and Lightning center Josh Nadler were called for coincidental minors, Podsiadlik for roughing and Nadler for slashing. With five and a half minutes to play, the Lightning received the break they needed. Graham was called for hooking on the backcheck and Upper Montgomery went to the powerplay. The Jaguars most talented student athlete was in the penalty box and unable to defend in front of the Northwest net on their penalty kill.

The game tying goal started with a rewind from the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. Bradley Cupples corralled the puck along the left wing boards. He passed cross ice to George Benedick at the offensive blue line along the right wing boards. Benedick entered the offensive zone down the boards and centered the puck looking for Adam Levine cutting to the back post. The pass was intercepted by the Jaguars defense and the attempted clearing attempt was kept in at the mid-point of the blue line by Cupples. Cupples passed the puck over to Benedick at the right point. Benedick’s shot with Levine in front screening Dean was well wide of the net short side. Josh Nadler collected that errant shot behind the net and attempted a wrap around shot coming from behind the net from the right side to the left post. Both Northwest defender were occupied with Levine in the crease area and Nadler’s wrap around attempt banked into the net off the right goalie skate of Dean. With 4:45 left in regulation, the game was tied at one. It had been four games and 16 powerplay chances since the last Lightning powerplay goal.

The final minutes of regulation were played more wide open with both teams pushing up ice looking for the victory. At the end of regulation the shots on goal were Upper Montgomery 15 and Northwest eight. Junior varsity playoff overtime is played three on three for five minutes, and if scoreless, a five round shootout decides the winner. The five minute overtime period was full of wild action. Graham stayed on the ice for the full five minute overtime for the Jaguars and provided matchup problems for the Lightning with the extra open ice. Only five Lightning skaters played in the overtime period; Benedick, Cupples, Brandon Bernard, Cole Howerton, and Nadler.

Cupples found himself in alone on two separate breakaway attempts in overtime. Both coming in alone along the right wing boards toward the net. Dean made a nice glove save off of Cupples wrist shot on the first chance and a desperation pad save on a backhand, forehand move on the second chance with a minute and a half left in overtime. The second breakaway attempt drew a hooking penalty to Jaguars forward Schiab Younis. Upper Montgomery could not convert on the four on three overtime powerplay and the overtime period ended scoreless. Upper Montgomery outshot Northwest eight to one in overtime and for the first time in the game appeared to be the better team.

As the home team, Upper Montgomery had the choice of shooting first or second in the five round shootout. The Lightning coaching staff chose to shoot first.

Joshua Miller came in and faked backhand, forehand and easily scored around the left pad of Dean.

For the Jaguars, Micah Chin faked forehand, backhand and roofed a shot over Lightning netminder Landon Bernard’s outstretched pads and blocker.

Bradley Cupples was the second shooter for Upper Montgomery. He also faked backhand, forehand similar to Miller and scored over top of Dean glove hand.

The second shooter for the Jaguars was Graham. If he scored, the shootout would be tied two apiece and the Jaguars would have used their two most talented shooters in the first two rounds of the shootout. Graham skated in and attempted the same faked used by Chin. His backhand shot was not as high and Landon Bernard got enough of his right leg pad on the shot to block the shot into the goal post where it deflected wide into the corner giving the Lightning an early 2-1 lead in the shootout. It was an enormous save on the county’s most prolific offensive student athlete.

Next up for the Lightning was Josh Nadler. Nadler continued the theme of going backhand, forehand and easily deposited the puck into the top portion of the net putting Upper Montgomery in front 3-1.

Up next for the Jaguars was Ben Linteris. Linteris took a different approach and came in on Landon Bernard and sent a wrist shot on net from the high slot. The shot hit Bernard’s leg pads and bounced back at Linteris. The Lightning student athletes streamed off the bench in celebration. The only problem was that the shootout was not yet over. Upper Montgomery held a 3-1 lead with two rounds of the shootout remaining.

Upper Montgomery’s fourth shooter, Brandon Bernard, had a chance to end the game by scoring. He followed the pattern of all three shooters before him and used the exact same move, backhand, forehand. Bernard whipped his left handed wrist shot high above Dean’s blocker and into the net. A wild celebration ensued around both Bernards as Upper Montgomery won its first playoff game in program history. The gritty and well deserved win advanced the Upper Montgomery junior varsity into semi-finals.

The remaining teams alive in the junior varsity playoffs are:

Whitman (5) versus Richard Montgomery (1)

Rockville/Blair (3) versus Upper Montgomery (2)

Game Notes:

  • The Lightning held Northwest to only nine shots on goal in 41 minutes of action.
  • Upper Montgomery had eight of their 23 shots on goal during the five minute overtime period, including two breakaway chances for Bradley Cupples.
  • The Lightning junior varsity have now won four games in a row.
  • The Lightning powerplay finally scored after a four game and 16 opportunity drought. It was the biggest goal of the season thus far.
  • All four Lightning shooters scored in the shootout. The first ever shootout in program history.
  • With the victory, the Lightning advance to play Rockville/Blair in the junior varsity semi-finals on Wednesday, February 16th at 6:40 pm at Laurel Ice Gardens.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Bradley Cupples—Upper Montgomery Center—1 Assist, Shootout Goal
Second Star—Joseph Dean—Northwest Goalie—1 Goal Against, 22 Saves, .956 Save %
Third Star—George Benedick—Upper Montgomery Defense—1 Assist