For the first half of Tuesday evening’s game, it looked like the Upper Montgomery Lightning would secure their initial victory of the 2023-2024 season. Then, the Sherwood Warriors stormed back and made it a haunted Halloween evening for the green and gold. The loss dropped the Lightning’s record on the season to 0-4, with defensive miscues, late game collapses, and shaky goaltending continuing to impact the team’s performance. A very tough stretch of games is upcoming with BCC, Mount St. Joseph’s, Walter Johnson, and Churchill looming on the schedule over the next month of action.
The Lightning controlled play from the opening faceoff attacking and firing shots on Sherwood’s backup netminder Alexander Crotzer-Scartascini who drew the starting assignment against Upper Montgomery. In the opening minutes of the game, Lightning senior center and co-captain, Chris Hassett had a semi-breakaway that was stopped by Crotzer-Scartascini’s leg pads. However, six minutes into the game Hassett would get redemption putting Upper Montgomery ahead to start the scoring. Lightning forward Nathan Cassel intercepted a Sherwood clearing attempt along the right wing boards in the offensive zone. He cut toward the middle of the ice and was hooked from behind. While spinning to the ice he sent a backhand twirl pass over to Hassett standing at the left post. Hassett spun a backhand shot through Crotzer-Scartascini’s five hole from a forty-five degree angle to put Upper Montgomery ahead.
Two minutes later Upper Montgomery would increase its lead with the same forwards once again combining on the scoring play. This time it was Hassett who set up Cassel for the tally. A bouncing puck was batted around in the neutral zone. A Sherwood defender shot the puck off of Hassett’s skates with the puck deflecting to Cassel. Cassel cut into the offensive zone down the left wing where he lost possession of the puck while going around the Sherwood defense. He kicked the puck back onto his stick before he too went five hole, finishing on his forehand.
A minute later the barrage continued. Upper Montgomery 9th grade defender, Miles Wendland bumped a Sherwood forward off the puck in the slot in front of Lightning netminder Landon Bernard. Wendland’s poke check separated the Sherwood skater from the puck. The puck laid in the slot until Upper Montgomery forward Henry Honacki bumped the puck forward to Lightning senior Brandon Bernard who headed up ice into the neutral zone. Bernard skated down the right wing with his speed enabling him to beat the Warriors’ defender wide. Bernard cut to the front of the net and scored on the forehand, again going five hole. With six minutes left in the first period, the Lightning led 3-0 and Crotzer-Scartascini’s night was over having been replaced in net by Sherwood’s starting goalie, Samuel Hutt. Shots on goal in the first period were even with Bernard making saves on all nine Sherwood shots and the Warriors’ goalies facing ten total shots.
The start of the second period brought with it the beginning of an ominous final two periods of play for the Lightning. A little over a minute into the frame, Sherwood forward Cameron Colandro would get the Warriors on the scoreboard. Off the rush, Upper Montgomery turned the puck over just inside of the Sherwood blue line. Colandro sent a pass up ice to Sherwood center Aiden Cook. Cook skated through the middle of the neutral zone but fumbled the puck into the right corner. He retrieved the puck and sent a pass up to Colandro along the side boards. Colanrdo sent a return pass to Cook who then sent a backhand shot wide of the net. Colandro recovered the puck and lifted a backhander of his own over Bernard’s left leg pad.
Upper Montgomery was not deflated by the initial Sherwood goal. A minute and a half later the lead was back to three goals. Cassel rewound in the neutral zone and passed cross ice to Hassett at the left wing boards. Hassett entered the offensive zone under control and sent a cross ice feed into the empty right corner. Cassel retrieved the puck and fed Lightning defender Brady Berkhammer at the right point. Berkhammer’s near side snap shot was deflected by Hassett up over Hutt’s pads and into the net.
As the clocked moved under ten minutes remaining in the second period, Berkhammer was called for hooking. Upper Montgomery was within ten seconds of killing off the penalty when Sherwood again closed to within two goals. Upper Montgomery cleared the puck down the ice behind Hutt’s goal. Hutt handed the puck off to Sherwood’s leading scorer and extremely talented forward Grayson Winckler. Winckler sent a pass to Sherwood’s other dynamic skater, center Noi Jonasson who rocketed through the neutral zone down the right wing and around the Lightning defense. Jonasson cut in on Bernard who made the initial save. Jonasson was able to gain control of the puck and rewind for another drive toward the net this time from the left side of the ice. Bernard again made the save on Jonasson’s shot, with the puck rebounding into the slot where Oz Sacks fired to the roof of the net over Bernard’s glove hand.
Two minutes later the Upper Montgomery lead would shrink further. Off of a misplay in the neutral zone by the Lightning defense, Winckler sped around the Lightning defenders and into the offensive zone. He pulled up at the right faceoff circle and fired past Bernard stick side. A minute later the score was tied as Winckler had his second goal of the same shift. Sherwood defender Tyler Payson cleared the puck around his own net to Winckler on the right wing. Winckler skated through the middle of the neutral zone and split the Lighting defense with some nifty stickhandling. In alone on Bernard, he lifted a backhander up over Bernard’s blocker and stick. Sherwood’s three goals in three minutes evened the score at four with five minutes left in the second period.
With two minutes remaining in the second period, Sherwood would take its first lead of the game. Payson cleared the puck from in front of his own net to a streaking Jonasson charging up ice along with Winckler. The outlet pass sprung both of Sherwood’s most talented skaters in on a two on one rush. Jonasson passed the puck wide to Winckler on the right wing heading into the offensive zone. Winckler unleashed a slap shot on Bernard which the netminder saved using his right leg pad. The rebound squirted out in front and was kicked into the net by Jonasson at the far post. High school hockey does not employ replay and there are no coaches challenges so the goal was allowed to stand.
Upper Montgomery would respond on the very next shift a mere thirty seconds later. In the offensive zone, the Sherwood defense turned the puck over again. Honacki fanned on his shot attempt with the puck going directly to Brandon Bernard. Bernard’s shot from the right faceoff circle was saved by Hutt. Honacki had crashed the net and poked the loose puck under Hutt’s leg pads to even the score. A wild second period saw Sherwood score five times, including four consecutive goals, and Upper Montgomery tally twice turning a comfortable Lightning lead into a one period slugfest to determine the victor.
Playing with a short bench for much of the opening portion of the season, the Lightning have had difficulty finishing games. Their play in the third periods of games has looked ragged and sloppy. The final fifteen minutes against Sherwood was no different. Thirty seconds into the third period, Sherwood had regained the lead. Jonasson sent an outlet pass to a streaking Winckler down the right wing entering the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. Winckler skated around the Upper Montgomery defense and into the slot. He faked backhand to forehand and went high over Bernard’s glove.
With Upper Montgomery trying to claw back even, Sherwood would increase their lead to two goals with just under nine minutes to play. From his defensive right corner, Sherwood defender Roman Khrizman sent the puck up the left wing boards to his defensive partner Payson. Payson cruised diagonally through the neutral zone, into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone, and pulled up at the top of the right faceoff circle. He dished the puck to Warriors’ forward Ryan Green. Green’s shot from far outside the right circle along the right wing boards deflected off Lightning defender, senior co-captain Hunter Cameron stationed in front of the goal and past Bernard.
Two minutes later, Sherwood’s lead would increase to 8-5. Payson stopped the puck at his own blue line and advanced the puck to Winckler headed up ice. Tired Upper Montgomery skaters were changing behind the play. The poor line change provided Winckler and his running mate Jonasson another two on one rush. Winckler stick handled into the slot and pushed the puck over to Jonasson. Jonasson stick handled back into the slot from the bottom of the right circle and slid a backhanded shot past Bernard stick side.
Upper Montgomery would not quit. Ten seconds after Jonasson’s goal, the Lightning would be right back in the game. Off of the ensuing faceoff at neutral ice, Hassett won the draw by kicking the puck left over to Cassel. Cassel motored up ice and cut to his right entering the offensive zone. He went wide. At the bottom of the right faceoff circle Cassel sent a pass across the net to Lightning forward Philip Shkeda. From in front, Shkeda’s first shot was saved by Hutt, but he stayed with the play and banged in the rebound.
A little over a minute later, the game was back to a one goal game. Cameron fought for the puck in the corner and cleared the puck up the boards. The puck took a funny bounce and was collected by Hassett. Hassett skated the puck into the Sherwood defensive zone. From the outer edge of the right circle he sent a pass to Honacki. Honacki cut to the slot and shot at Hutt. Hutt made the save with the puck rebounding to the side of the net where it was knocked home by Cassel at the left post.
With six minutes left, Sherwood now led 8-7. Unfortunately for the Lightning faithful, that would be as close as Upper Montgomery would get. Closing to within one goal seemed to take all of the energy out of the team with Sherwood controlling most of the play in the waning minutes of action. Upper Montgomery had difficulty establishing in the offensive zone, and could not get Bernard out of the net for an extra attacker until there were 45 seconds remaining in the game. Then, once Bernard had been pulled for the extra skater, Payson was able to get to a loose puck in his defensive zone. From the bottom of the left faceoff circle, he turned and fired down ice into the empty net sealing the come from behind victory for the Warriors.
Game Notes:
- Upper Montgomery gave up four more goals in the third period. The team now has a minus twelve goal differential in the third period over the first four games of the season.
- Upper Montgomery was outshot by Sherwood 34-26, getting dominated over the final two periods of play, 25-16.
- Upper Montgomery blew a three goal lead in the first period and again after regaining their three goal lead halfway through the game.
- Wendland’s assist was his first career high school point.
- Upper Montgomery did not have a powerplay for the second consecutive game.
- Upper Montgomery looks to secure the first win of the season when the team returns to action on Friday evening, taking on the BCC Barons. Game time is 8:50 pm at Rockville Ice Arena.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Grayson Winckler—Sherwood Forward—3 Goals, 3 Assists
Second Star—Nathan Cassel—Upper Montgomery Forward—2 Goals, 3 Assists
Third Star—Noi Jonasson—Sherwood Center—2 Goals, 2 Assists
