Category: Game Previews

The Upper Montgomery Lightning will face a stiff test in the quarterfinal round of the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity playoffs. Don’t be deceived by the Barons 3-4-1 record. The BCC program has a history of playing its true junior varsity student athletes during the regular season and then supplementing those students with more high end talent once the playoffs begin. Although Upper Montgomery finished the regular season with a program record 9-01- record, many throughout the conference have the Barons favored in the game. Game time on Friday is late night, 10:00 pm puck drop at Cabin John Ice Rink.

The game will be a rematch of an October clash between the two squads won by Upper Montgomery by a score of 3-2. It was a tight checking defensive game that was impacted more by which students did not play in the game rather than those that participated. Both BCC and Upper Montgomery used some roster management decisions in the regular season matchup choosing to scratch certain student athletes.

Friday’s playoff game will be determined in large part by the following factor; which student athletes will be out-of-town with their external travel teams? The Lightning will be missing two primary defenders in Jake Roth and Avery Evans, both of whom will be up north playing with their external travel team in tournaments over the holiday weekend. The Lightning may also be missing leading scorer TJ Gottesman who could be out of town as well. It is unknown if any of the Barons’ student athletes will likewise miss the game.

Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg who had a superb regular season will need to steal this game. He had fabulous individual statistics in his first high school season. His record was 8-0-1 with three shutouts, a 1.67 goals against average, and a .931 save percentage. He will have to come up huge for Upper Montgomery to prevail over the Barons. With a shortened bench, the Lightning will begin to tire as the game progresses causing the game to tilt toward the Barons over the latter portion of the game. Shterenberg will need to slam the door shut and prevent BCC from scoring. In net for the Barons is expected to be Tycho Narrod-Malcolm. Narrod-Malcolm is a big goalie and tough to score against. Upper Montgomery was able to poke three past him in October and will be looking to do so once again. Narrod-Malcom posted a 1-2-1 record with a 2.25 goals against average and an .895 save percentage. If unavailable, BCC’s other goaltender option would be Lucy Barron who had a 2-1 record, a 3.78 goals against average, and a .750 save percentage.

Upper Montgomery came alive offensively as the season progressed in large part because of a coaching decision. Midway through the season the coaching staff began playing Adam Levine at center separating him off of a line with high scoring center Josh Nadler. The change brought more balance to the lineup and Levine’s faceoff prowess has led directly to seven goals over the past several games. Expect Nadler (9GP, 11G, 1A) to center Jason Woodman (three assists recently against Oakdale) and Sean Levine (10GP, 2G, 5A). If Gottesman (9GP, 11G, 5A) is available for the game, he would play as the other wing with Nadler centering the line. Sean Levine would then drop back and play defense. It is anticipated that the other forward line will have Adam Levine (10GP, 3G, 8A) centering ninth grade forward Aiden Zheng (10GP, 4G, 2A) and AJ Marks (8GP, 3G 4A).

BCC will counter with two very good student athletes who both play on BCC’s varsity squad as well. Peter Lanpher led the Barons in scoring with (4GP, 6G, 5A). He is a smooth skater with good playmaking ability. Kiran Maltby has produced as well and was tied for second on the Barons in goals (7GP, 5G, 1A). The Barons have five other forwards with either two or three goals and four to six points.

Junior offensive minded defender Cole Howerton will lead a defensive corps that will likely only have four skaters. Howerton has played very well of late. His offensive contributions (9GP, 5G, 3A) and skating ability are huge assets for a team that has trouble scoring. He will likely pair with hulking defensive defender Patrick Sell. Sell has begun to use his body more to his advantage. His long reach often gets to pucks breaking up plays. Behr Schicker has been a nice surprise this season. Schickler looked more comfortable in his sophomore season. He will be paired with ninth grade defender Miles Wendland. Wendland is a steady defender that uses very good positioning and stick work to derail the opponent’s offensive chances. BCC has a very talented group on their backend. Sophomore standout Ben Lyons (7GP, 5G, 2A) leads the crew with Jeronimo Castano Tellez (8GP, 3G, 3A) and ninth grade defenders, Nick Sexton (8GP, 2G, 2A) and Ava Summerfield (8GP, 2G). A rotation of forwards may pick up some defensive shifts for the Barons or BCC could go with four defenders similar to the Upper Montgomery game plan.

Upper Montgomery has by far the most difficult quarterfinal matchup of the top four seeds. Something that you would not expect for the number two seeded Lightning. If Upper Mongomery wins, the team will almost certainly play Richard Montgomery in the semifinal round. Richard Montgomery should have no trouble getting past Whitman. The other side of the bracket has top seeded Wootton playing the winner of Churchill and Blair while Walter Johnson will host the DC Stars.

The Lightning will need to maintain focus throughout the entire game, something that will be even more critical in the latter stages of the game as the team begins to tire. Upper Montgomery played in so many close tight games this season that pressure should not be an issue. The penalty kill was outstanding during the regular season, 23 killed penalties out of 25 chances, a success rate of 92%. The two powerplay goals given up were in the one game Shterenberg did not play in. Special teams and faceoffs may play a big role in the outcome as they have all season for the Lightning. It is a win to keep playing game. A loss would end the Upper Montgomery season. It would be a shame for the Lightning’s season to end so early in the playoffs after an undefeated regular season.

#Get it Done, #Advance to Semis, #Remain Undefeated, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity concludes its regular season with a makeup game against the Blair Blazers. Earlier this season, Blair failed to show up for the team’s regularly scheduled game. Thursday’s contest begins at 5:45 pm at Wheaton Ice Rink. A victory over the Blazers will cap an undefeated regular season for the Lightning who enter the game with an 8-0-1 record after Tuesday’s thrashing of non-conference opponent Oakdale.

The path to success for Upper Montgomery every game is to rely on the team’s strengths, its trademark team defense, full out hustle, and playing ugly hockey. The Lightning will have to bring their compete level so that they do not play down to the Blair’s level. Hopefully, setting the junior varsity program record for wins in a season will be plenty of motivation for the squad.

The Blair game marks the return of super talented 9th grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg. Shterenberg missed the Oakdale game with pre-scheduled family travel plans. Junior defender Cole Howerton may also return after missing the game against the Bears dealing with a short-term medical issue. With the Oakdale individual statistical performance yet to be finalized by video review, going into the game against the Bears, Upper Montgomery had been led offensively by junior T.J. Gottesman (7GP, 6G, 3A), senior co-captain Adam Levine (8GP, 2G, 7A), and junior co-captain Josh Nadler (7GP, 7G). Junior AJ Marks (6GP, 2G, 3A) has continued to play well having his best game of the season recently against the Churchill Bulldogs with a goal and two assists. He will be looking to show consistency and that level of production once again. Sean Levine is coming off a pretty backhanded goal to finish off a breakaway in the team’s recent victory over the DC Stars. Ninth grade forward Aiden Zheng is coming on strong and now has (8GP, 3G, 1A). Jason Woodman threw his body around in the Oakdale game and several of his hits dislodged the puck. Avery Evans is the team’s top defender in points with (6GP, 4A) and scored her first career high school goal against Oakdale.

The Blazer may play any one of four students in net during the game. All four goalies have struggled this season with Blair having given up 35 goals in just five games, an average of seven goals against per contest. Conversely, Blair has tallied only twelve goals. Thursday’s game will be the second of back to back contests for the Blazers as Blair also plays late Wednesday night. Blair is led offensively by William Campbell who has five goals in three games. Mason Boucher with two goals is the only other Blazer with more than one goal.

On defense the Lightning will likely have a rotation of Avery Evans paired with Jake Roth and Patrick Sell paired with Miles Wendland. Anticipate that Behr Schickler will see time in the rotation as the fifth defender. Upper Montgomery will need to maintain its defensive focus throughout the entire game. Prior to the Oakdale game with Chris Hassett (a skater playing goalie), the Lightning had been perfect on the penalty kill this season sitting at 21 for 21 while playing a skater short. This unprecedented success has definitely helped in all of the close games Upper Montgomery has been a part of. If shorthanded on Thursday, the Lightning may very well score a shorthanded goal or two against the Blazers.

The Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to a program record ten straight games to open the season with a victory over the Blazers. The final regular season game is on Thursday evening with a chance at an undefeated campaign. Many student athletes also have long scoring streaks that they would like to continue. Upper Montgomery has grown accustomed to playing in tight games, something that should be of benefit as the season winds down into the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity playoffs which are just ten short days away.

#Finish Strong, #Extend the Streak, #Undefeated, #Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity returns to action on Tuesday, January 2nd against the Oakdale Bears. Game time is 8:35 pm. The program historically schedules a non-conference game against a challenging opponent just prior to the Montgomery Hockey Conference playoff tournament. Scheduling a high quality opponent late in the season helps prepare the junior varsity squad for the rigors of the county playoff tournament, and Oakdale is a very accomplished team. After the Oakdale game, the Lightning finish off the conference portion of the regular season against the Blair Blazers on Thursday evening with plenty on the line.

Over the next two games, the team (7-0-1 record) will be looking to tie the junior varsity program record for wins in a season (eight set during the 2021 – 2022 season). The path to success for Upper Montgomery every game is to rely on the team’s strengths, its trademark team defense, full out hustle, and playing ugly hockey. The Lightning will have to bring their compete level up a notch against the Bears. The Frederick County teams are permitted to play student athletes that play at a higher level than what is allowed in Montgomery County junior varsity games. Thus, the Bears will be permitted to play students that would not be eligible for the contest if the game was a Montgomery Hockey Conference sanctioned game.

Making the game even more challenging is that super talented 9th grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg will miss the game with pre-scheduled family travel plans. In addition, junior defender Cole Howerton, third on the team with four goals, will miss the game dealing with a short-term medical issue. Upper Montgomery is led offensively by junior T.J. Gottesman (7GP, 6G, 3A), senior co-captain Adam Levine (8GP, 2G, 7A), and junior co-captain Josh Nadler (7GP, 7G). Junior AJ Marks (6GP, 2G, 3A) had his best game of the season last time out against the Churchill Bulldogs with a goal and two assists. He will be looking to show consistency and that level of production once again. Sean Levine has played against this higher level of competition before. He is coming off a pretty backhanded goal to finish off a breakaway in the team’s recent victory over the DC Stars. Ninth grade forward Aiden Zheng is coming on strong and now has (8GP, 3G, 1A). Avery Evans is the team’s top defender in points with (6GP, 4A).

Filling in for ninth grade netminder will be Chris Hassett, dropping down from the varsity. Not a goalie, Hassett filled in last season to help manage Landon Bernard’s games played restriction and won two junior varsity games posting a 3.89 goals against average and an .800 save percentage. If Hassett can limit the Bears to just four goals, the team will be ecstatic and will have a chance for an uplifting victory. There is no doubt that the team will miss Shterenberg and his 1.50 goals against average, .937 save percentage, and three shutouts.

In net for the Bears will be Zachary Sanford. Sanford has been solid in net authoring a 4-2 record, a 4.83 goals against average, and a .805 save percentage. He has had some very good games, and in other games the Bears defense has let the team down. Depending upon which skaters the Bears dress for the non-conference game, Oakdale may rely on some forwards dropping back to play on defense.

Offensively, the Bears have a host of Upper A and AA level travel skaters in their lineup. These skaters will pose problems for the Lightning with their speed and skill level. Oakdale’s top scorer is Micah Venezie (5GP, 10G, 2A). His brother Morgan leads the Bears in assists (6GP, 5A). Daniel King has played in four games and has scored almost two points per game (4GP, 5G, 2A). Tyler Yuhas has six points in two games (2GP, 3G, 3A). Gavin Timberlake has five goals in three games. It will be quite a challenge for the Lightning on the defensive side of the ice. With Hassett in net, a position skater filling in as goalie, the Bears high powered offense may have a field day.

On defense the Lightning will likely have a rotation of Avery Evans paired with Jake Roth and Patrick Sell paired with Miles Wendland. Anticipate that Behr Schickler will see time in the rotation as the fifth defender. Upper Montgomery will need to maintain its defensive focus throughout the entire game. The Lightning defense can’t get caught pinching at the offensive blue line or the Bears will constantly skate right past them into breakaways and two on one rushes. The Lightning have been perfect on the penalty kill this season and currently sit at 21 for 21 while playing a skater short. This unprecedented success has definitely helped in all of the close games Upper Montgomery has been a part of. Absent a penalty free game, it will be challenging for the penalty kill to remain perfect again on Tuesday evening.

The Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to a program record nine straight games to open the season with a victory over the Bears. It will be very tough to achieve another win or a tie against Oakdale. Upper Montgomery has grown accustomed to playing in tight games, something that should be of benefit as the season winds down towards the playoffs. The stretch run continues for the junior varsity on Tuesday evening with only two more regular season games before the start of the playoffs.

#Extend the Streak, #Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity has a prime opportunity and several goals to achieve over the closing games of the regular season. However, to earn those accomplishments the team will have to bear down over the last three regular season games. First up is a pivotal league matchup against the Churchill Bulldogs. An Upper Montgomery victory will secure a first round bye in the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity playoffs which kick off in early January.

If the Lightning should prevail on Wednesday afternoon, they will be well positioned for the playoffs, with a top two seed within reach. Thus far, the 2023 – 2024 season has been a welcome change for the program rebounding from last season’s 4-5-2 record. The team’s seven game winning streak is the longest in program history and the team has a very good chance to run that streak to eight against Churchill. There are two very winnable games upcoming on the Lightning’s schedule. With a deep playoff run, the team could threaten the junior varsity record for wins in a season, eight, set during the 2021 – 2022 junior varsity championship season (8-4-2 overall record).

The path to success for Upper Montgomery on Wednesday will be to continue its trademark team defense, full out hustle, and playing ugly hockey. If the Lightning bring their compete level and are able to lock down the Bulldogs, they should be able to score enough to once again emerge victorious. The return of two of the team’s top three leading scores, junior co-captain Josh Nadler (6GP, 7G) and junior T.J. Gottesman (6GP, 4G, 3A) will be a boost for the team. Senior co-captain Adam Levine has points in four straight games and leads the team in assists (7GP, 1G, 6A). His highlight reel (and amazing) goal against the DC Stars last time out is sure to raise his confidence. Junior Cole Howerton has also been a key component of the team’s offense (7GP, 4G, 2A). Sean Levine scored a pretty backhanded goal to finish off a breakaway in the victory over the DC Stars (7GP, 2G, 3A). Ninth grade forward Aiden Zheng is coming on strong and now has (7GP, 3G, 1A). Avery Evans is the team’s top defender in points with (5GP, 4A). For the first time in a while, Upper Montgomery will have its entire roster available for the game minus long-term injured ninth grade forward Jackson Schickler. Expect Howerton to remain at forward for the rest of the season to give the Lightning an additional offensive threat.

Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg began his high school career authoring two shutouts. He followed up the strong start by allowing only two goals against in each of his next four outings. In last Wednesday’s contest against the DC Stars, he posted yet another shutout. Shterenberg owns the junior varsity program record for shutouts in a season with three. His personal statistics over the first seven games of his junior varsity career are a 7-0 record, an eye popping, minuscule 1.16 goals against average, and a .950 save percentage. He will again need to remain sharp to allow the notoriously slow starting Lightning to get on track offensively.

In net for the Bulldogs will be Angelina Duke. She has had a trying season playing behind a porous Bulldog defense. Churchill may drop down some of their second team varsity rostered student athletes to provide support and assistance for the younger less experienced skaters. Duke’s season statistics are a 1-4 record, an 8.95 goals against average, and a .731 save percentage. Upper Montgomery should have a distinct advantage in net during the game. Upper Montgomery is averaging just over three goals scored per game, while the Bulldogs have given up an average of eight goals per game. It would seem that the game lines up nicely for the Lightning to have an offensive breakout.

Offensively, the Bulldogs are led by forward Cash Levenberg who has (2GP, 3G, 2A). Three other forwards have four points, Ahmed Elkousy (4GP, 3G, 1A), Tye Glazer (5GP, 3G, 1A), and Adam Klewans (4GP, 4G). Depending upon how much Churchill utilizes their varsity student athletes called down for the game, these students may or may not play significant minutes.

On defense the Lightning will likely have a rotation of Avery Evans paired with Jake Roth and Patrick Sell paired with Miles Wendland. Anticipate that Behr Schickler will see time in the rotation as the fifth defender. Upper Montgomery will need to maintain its defensive focus throughout the entire game. The team can’t get caught up ice cherry picking for offense and allow the Bulldogs to get into a transition offensive game. The Lightning are a perfect 20 for 20 on the penalty kill for the season and that unprecedented success has helped in all of the close game Upper Montgomery has been a part of. It would also not be surprising for the Lightning to score a shorthanded goal during the game as the Bulldogs have given up ten shorthanded goals on the season.

With Adam Levine’s face off success so far this season (73% win rate), the Lightning should have total control of the faceoff dots, enabling clean defensive zone exits while on the offensive end many good scoring chances as a result of sustained zone pressure. If the team competes in the dirty areas across the ice the extra puck possession in the offensive zone will create additional scoring opportunities. Likewise, winning defensive zone draws will limit the Bulldogs offensive zone time. Expect Levine to take the majority of the high danger faceoffs especially if the game is close late or if the Lightning find themselves on the penalty kill. The dominating faceoff performances have led directly to five Upper Montgomery goals over the last three games.

Upper Montgomery has been terrific late in games preventing the opposition from scoring. The Lightning have given up only two third period goals all season while playing with slim leads in most games. Upper Montgomery has grown accustomed to playing in tight games, something that should be of benefit as the season winds down towards the playoffs. The Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to a program record eight straight wins to open the season with a victory over the Bulldogs. The stretch run continues for the junior varsity on Wednesday afternoon with a sprint towards the start of the playoffs.

#Extend the Streak, #Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

The Upper Montgomery Lightning face an uphill battle on Wednesday evening against the DC Stars. The team’s leading scorer and co-captain, forward Josh Nadler will miss the game serving his one game supplemental disciplinary action. The team’s standout goalie, Ilan Shterenberg will be returning from a school sponsored trip to New York. Emergency backup netminder Chris Hassett will be on standby in case there is a travel delay with Shterenberg getting back to the DC area. The team’s second leading scorer, TJ Gottesman will also miss the game. And, with illness traveling around the DC Metropolitan area, the number of available skaters could decrease further before puck drop.

If the Lightning should prevail on Wednesday evening, they will all but certain need just one more victory over their final two games to secure a bye in the opening round of the junior varsity playoffs. Receiving a top seed in the playoffs is certainly something to shoot for. It has been a welcome change this season for the Lightning junior varsity rebounding from last season’s 4-5-2 record to record wins in each of their first six games this season. There are two very winnable games upcoming on the schedule. With a deep playoff run, the team could threaten the junior varsity record for wins in a season, eight, set during the 2021 – 2022 junior varsity championship season (8-4-2 record).

The path to success for Upper Montgomery on Wednesday evening will be its trademark team defense, hustle, and playing ugly hockey. The team’s effort will need to be extraordinarily high as Nadler will not be available to skate the puck out of harm’s way. If the Lightning are able to lock down the Stars, they may be able to score just enough (one or two goals) to emerge victorious. The team is a perfect 18 for 18 on the penalty kill and that unprecedented success surely has helped in all of the close game Upper Montgomery has been a part of.

Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg began his high school career authoring two shutouts. He has followed up allowing only two goals against in each of the last four outings. He will be counted on to continue his strong play to give Upper Montgomery any chance at a victory over the Stars. Shterenberg’s statistics over his first six junior varsity games are an eye popping 1.36 goals against average and a .941 save percentage. A case can be made that Shterenberg, along with Nadler are two of the most valuable student athletes on the roster. In net for the DC Stars will be Gabriel Sokol. Sokol has had a very good start to the season as well and has a 2.14 goals against average and an .895 save percentage. If both netminders play up to their capabilities, scoring goals may be very difficult on Wednesday night. The goaltenders strong play coupled with the trouble each team has scoring goals, Upper Montgomery is averaging 3.5 goals per game and the DC Stars are averaging 2.6 goals per game, could make this a very low scoring affair.

Offensively, the Stars are led by forward Kai-Handy Kanegis who has three goals and an assist in five games. Harry Fishman and Nicholas Rosenberg have each scored twice. Usually, Upper Montgomery is led on offense by junior co-captain Josh Nadler. Nadler has scored in each of the team’s six games this season and has scored seven goals. However, he will be unavailable for the game. Also unavailable will be junior forward, TJ Gottesman. Gottesman has an uncanny ability to rack up points by being in the right place at the right time. His four goals and three assists will be missed. Junior Cole Howerton will likely play offense against the DC Stars. He has scored four goals and added two assists over the first six games of the season. Senior co-captain Adam Levine leads the Lightning with five assists in six games having set up Nadler multiple times on nice give and go passing plays and helping generate key goals off of faceoff wins. Howerton and Levine are likely to play on the same line on Wednesday as the team looks to generate offense without its top two points leaders.

On defense the Lightning will likely have a rotation of Avery Evans paired with Jake Roth and Patrick Sell paired with Miles Wendland. Anticipate that Behr Schickler will see time as both a defender and a forward during the game. Upper Montgomery will need to maintain its defensive focus throughout the entire game and not get caught up ice allowing the Stars to get into their transition offense and counterattack with odd skater rushes.

If the Lightning can control the faceoff dot and get clean zone exits, and if the team competes in the dirty areas across the ice the extra puck possession in the offensive zone may create additional scoring opportunities. Likewise, winning defensive zone draws will limit the DC Stars offensive zone time. Expect Adam Levine to take the majority of the high danger faceoffs especially if the game is close late. Levine, shifted to center by the coaching staff for the Urbana game, is coming off of winning 20 of 24 faceoffs against the Hawks and 11 of 19 faceoffs versus Richard Montgomery. The dominating performances have led directly to four Upper Montgomery goals including the last two game winning goals.

The Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to extend their unbeaten record to seven with a victory over the Stars. It will not be easy playing without two key contributors. As has been the case all season long, Shterenberg will need to be a difference maker and stonewall the Stars. If he does, and if the team’s stout defense shows up, the Lightning can remain competitive deep into the game. Upper Montgomery has been terrific late in games preventing the opposition from scoring. The Lightning have given up only two third period goals all season while playing with slim leads in most games. Upper Montgomery has grown accustomed to playing in tight games, something that should be of benefit as the season winds down towards the playoffs. The stretch run continues for the junior varsity on Wednesday with a sprint towards the playoffs.

#Extend the Streak, #Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

On Friday evening just before midnight, the Montgomery Hockey Conference junior varsity playoff seedings will begin to take shape. Even though only halfway through the season, Friday night’s prime time showdown, a show me game so to speak, between the Upper Montgomery Lightning and the Richard Montgomery Rockets will be enlightening. The 5-0 Lightning will play host to the 4-0 and top ranked Rockets. Game time is late, 10:00 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink. Upper Montgomery will need a superior team effort to come out victorious as the strength of the teams the Lightning have beaten to date are not of the caliber of the high flying Rockets. The team defense and Ilan Shterenberg’s goaltending will need to be incredibly sharp, and the forwards will need to provide much more offense than has been generated thus far to propel Upper Montgomery to victory.

Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg began his high school career authoring two shutouts. He has followed up allowing only two goals against in each of the last three outings. He will be counted on to continue his strong play to give Upper Montgomery a punchers chance at the upset. Shterenberg’s statistics over his first five junior varsity games are an eye popping 1.23 goals against average and a .939 save percentage. Shterenberg will be tested as most of the Richard Montomery junior varsity skaters also play for the Rockets’ varsity squad. In net for Richard Montgomery will be Gregory Saffell. Saffell also has outstanding statistics in the three games he has played, with a 1.07 goals against average and a .941 save percentage. He also has two shutouts this season, against Rockville and the DC Stars. If both netminders play up to their capabilities, scoring goals may be very difficult on Friday night.

Offensively, Richard Montgomery has run through both Churchill and Rockville scoring 21 of their 26 goals in those two games. The Rockets are led by senior forward Jack Evans who has nine goals in three games and 9th grade forward Aaron Hwang who has scored eight goals in four games. Against better competition the Rockets have been held to four goals against BCC and only one goal in their shutout win over the DC Stars. Richard Montgomery has received evenly distributed offensive production from the rest of their lineup with eight other skaters having scored between five and three points each. Upper Montgomery is led on offense by junior co-captain Josh Nadler. Nadler has scored in each of the team’s five games this season and has scored six goals. Junior Cole Howerton has scored four goals over the first five games of the season playing mostly on defense. Junior TJ Gottesman has chipped in with five points on three goals and two assists. Senior Sean Levine has four points. Senior co-captain Adam Levine leads the Lightning with four assists having set up Nadler multiple times on nice give and go passing plays. Against Urbana in the Lightning’s most recent game, the defense chipped in nicely, Miles Wendland scored, and Avery Evans had two assists.

On defense the Lightning’s experienced defenders are beginning to jell. Senior Jake Roth will see extensive action likely paired with Patrick Sell. Ninth grade defenders Miles Wendland and Avery Evans have played together for much of the season. Both have bright futures with the program. Depending upon game flow, Behr Schicker should cycle through the defensive pairings. With the return of AJ Marks to the lineup, Cole Howerton may drop back and play the entire game on defense. Upper Montgomery will need to maintain its defensive focus throughout the entire game to stay competitive versus the Rockets.

If the Lightning can control the faceoff dot similar to how they dominated Urbana, the extra puck possession in the offensive zone may create additional scoring opportunities. Likewise, winning defensive zone draws will limit Richard Montgomery’s offensive zone time. Expect Adam Levine to take the majority of the high danger faceoffs especially if the game is close late. Levine, shifted to center by the coaching staff for the Urbana game, is coming off of winning 20 of 24 faceoffs against the Hawks. It was a dominating performance that led directly to three Upper Montgomery goals and nullified the Hawks’ two separate two skater powerplay advantages.

The Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to extend their unbeaten record to six with a victory over the Rockets. It will not be easy when two of the three marquee teams in the Montgomery Hockey Conference battle it out on Friday night. The victor will all but guarantee a spot in the top three seeds for next month’s Montgomery Hockey Conference’s junior varsity playoffs. The loser will still have an opportunity at finishing in the top three in the standings but will need to accrue more wins over the second half of the season. Shterenberg will need to be a difference maker and stonewall the Rockets. If he does, and if the team’s stout defense shows up, the Lightning can remain competitive deep into the game. Upper Montgomery has been terrific late in games preventing the opposition from scoring. The Lightning have given up only one third period goal all season. Playing with a slim lead for the majority of its games, Upper Montgomery has grown accustomed to playing in tight games, something that should be of benefit as the season winds towards the playoffs. The stretch run begins on Friday with a sprint towards the playoffs.

#Show Me, #Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity will bring its undefeated 4-0 record into Monday afternoon’s non-conference tilt with Urbana. Game time is 4:00 pm at Skate Frederick. The Lightning will have a short bench for the matchup due to injuries and medical situations and will need a superior effort and teamwork to come out victorious. The defense and Ilan Shterenberg’s goaltending will need to be sharp, and the forwards will need to provide much more offense than has been generated thus far to propel Upper Montgomery to victory once again. After its most recent tepid performance in a win over winless Rockville, the Lightning will need to demonstrate that they can handle success by playing a complete game.

Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg has authored two shutouts over his first four career games, all victories, and he will be looking to continue his strong play. Shterenberg’s statistics over the first four games of the season are an eye popping 1.03 goals against average and a .940 save percentage. Shterenberg’s composure was tested against Rockville and he bounced back from a poor period of play to settle in and shutout the Rams in the second and third periods. In net for Urbana is expected to be Chloe Hanson. She stopped 28 of 33 shots in her only game of the season against Fredreick County.

If Upper Montgomery brings the effort and hustle displayed in their wins against Whitman and BCC, the team should be in good shape. Offensively for the Lightning, Josh Nadler has led the way scoring in each of the first four games of the season. He leads the team with five goals. Cole Howerton has scored three goals in the first four games of the season. TJ Gottesman also has four points on two goals and two assists. Sean Levine has three points, and the depth scoring has started to come through. For the Hawks, Patrick Terrebonne scored both of the Urbana goals against Frederick County.

On defense the Lightning’s experienced defenders are beginning to jell. Senior Jake Roth will see extensive action likely paired with Patrick Sell. Ninth grade defenders Miles Wendland and Avery Evans have played together extensively and have bright futures with the program. Evans has played well in her first two games against BCC and Rockville. Wendland is playing in all game situations, and he has already been a frequent call up to play in varsity games this season.

Upper Montgomery will need to maintain focus throughout the entire game to put away the Hawks. This is something the team did not do very well against Northwest/Quince Orchard and Rockville earlier this season. Every game is an opportunity to shine and impress the coaching staff. Junior varsity student athletes need to demonstrate that they deserve additional ice time and call ups to participate in varsity game competition. Thus, each game, each shift, the student athletes need to play within the system and gain the coaching staff’s trust that they can contribute at the next level. With a limited roster for Monday’s game, all students will receive a ton of ice time.

The Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to extend their unbeaten record to five with a victory over the Hawks. The Lightning will need to take charge early and grasp the momentum. Then, the team will need to continue playing a complete game to finish off what looks to be an inferior opponent. Shterenberg will need to remain sharp and make big saves if called upon. If the Lightning wait around and play a loose style of hockey, like they did against the Rams, the game against Urbana will be closer than it should be.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity will bring its undefeated record into Wednesday afternoon’s tilt with Rockville. Game time is 4:15 pm at Cabin John Ice Rink. Although the Rams are part of the Montgomery Hockey Conference, the game between the teams will be recorded as a non-conference matchup. Even so, the Lightning will need to use the same effort and teamwork that has led to their fast start to help propel Upper Montgomery to victory once again. After its most recent win over the BCC Barons, the Lightning will need to demonstrate that they can handle success. The team must continue to pile up victories throughout the middle portion of the regular season schedule.

The Lightning will be looking to once again play a complete game. Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg has authored two shutouts over his first three career games, all victories, and he will be looking to continue his strong play. Shterenberg’s statistics over the first three games of the season are an eye popping 0.67 goals against average and a .960 save percentage. Shterenberg was tested against BCC and another strong goaltending effort will bolster Upper Montgomery’s chances on Wednesday afternoon. In net for the Rams will be Alexander Crotzer-Scartascini. He has played in each game for the Rams posting a 5.40 goals against average and an .832 save percentage.

If Upper Montgomery brings the effort and hustle displayed against Whitman and BCC, the team should be in good shape. Offensively for the Lightning, Josh Nadler has led the way scoring in each of the first three games of the season. TJ Gottesman leads the team in points with four on two goals and two assists. Sean Levine has three points, and the depth scoring came through against the Barons with AJ Marks netting his first goal of the season and Aiden Zheng scoring his first career high school goal. Old Upper Montgomery friend Rowen Pierson leads the Rams in goals with two. Rockville has had difficulty scoring this season with only one goal in four games before their six goal explosion against Churchill in their last game.

On defense the Lightning’s experienced defenders are beginning to jell. Seniors Sean Levine and Jake Roth will see extensive action. Junior offensive minded defender Cole Howerton who has created many scoring chances will log heavy minutes once again. He will likely pair with hulking defensive defender Patrick Sell. Ninth grade defenders Miles Wendland and Avery Evans have bright futures with the program. Evans playing in her first game against BCC played very well. Wendland will play in all situations, and he has already been a frequent call up to play in varsity games this season.

Upper Montgomery will need to maintain focus throughout the entire game to put away the pesky Rams. This is something the team did not do very well against Northwest/Quince Orchard earlier this season when the Lightning played another opponent that did not match up with Upper Montgomery’s talent. Every game is an opportunity to shine and impress the coaching staff. Junior varsity student athletes need to demonstrate that they deserve additional ice time and call ups to participate in varsity game competition. Thus, each game, each shift, the student athletes need to play within the system and gain the coaching staff’s trust that they can contribute at the next level.

Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to extend their unbeaten record with a victory over the Rams. The Lightning will need to take charge early and grasp the momentum. Then, the team will need to continue playing a complete game to finish off what looks to be an inferior opponent. Shterenberg will need to remain sharp and not develop bad habits. If the Lightning wait around and play a loose style of hockey, the game will be closer than it needs to be.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

The Upper Montgomery Lightning will face its toughest test to date on Monday afternoon versus the BCC Barons. After beginning the season 3-0 without giving up a goal, the Barons will pose a much bigger test than Upper Montgomery’s three prior opponents. Game time is 4:10 pm at Rockville Ice Arena.

The Lightning will be looking to play a more complete game than the team did in last Sunday evening’s contest against Northwest/Quince Orchard, a game in which the Lightning won in spite of a lackluster effort. Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg has authored shutouts in his first two career high school starts stopping twenty shots against Whitman and only needing to make nine saves against Northwest/Quince Orchard. Shterenberg will be tested on Monday and will need to play a strong game to keep Upper Montgomery competitive. If Upper Montgomery brings the effort and hustle displayed against Whitman, the team should be in the game. In net for the Barons is expected to be Tycho Narrod-Malcolm. When the Barons replaced him in their first game of the season, they gave up four goals in the third period using backup netminder Lucy Barron. Tycho Narrod-Malcolm has also yet to allow a goal this season.

On defense the Lightning’s experienced defenders are still looking to jell. Seniors Sean Levine and Jake Roth will see extensive action. Junior offensive minded defender Cole Howerton who created many scoring chances against Northwest/Quince Orchard will log heavy minutes once again. He will likely pair with hulking defensive defender Patrick Sell or Behr Schicker who has been a nice surprise over the first two games of the season. Schickler looks more comfortable in his sophomore season. Ninth grade defenders Miles Wendland and Avery Evans will each play a significant role against BCC. Wendland will return to the lineup after being out of town with his external travel team last weekend. Evans will be making her Lightning debut. BCC has a very experienced roster on their backend. Senior Alex Elias will provide mentorship to sophomore standout Ben Lyons and 9th grade defenders, Nick Sexton and Ava Summerfield. A rotation of forwards may also pick up some defensive shifts for the Barons.

Up front the Lightning have received two goals each from junior co-captain Josh Nadler and junior TJ Gottesman. Senior co-captain Adam Levine has stood out for his stellar play over the first two games of the season. The team’s leaders have played very well against Whitman and Northwest/Quince Orchard leading by example with outstanding effort, hustle, and determination. With the team unlikely to burst out offensively, every single forward will need to contribute. Expect that AJ Marks and Aiden Zheng may chip in offensively on Monday. Jackson Schickler will continue to see lots of ice time, and he is improving with each game.

BCC will be led up front by Kiran Maltby and Peter Lanpher. Maltby has four goals on the season including a hat-trick scored against the Blair Blazers. Lanpher is a slick skater with nifty moves. He is more of a set up skater dishing off passes for easy goals for his teammates. He had one goal and four assists in the Baron’s first two games of the season before he exploded for five goals against Northwest/Quince Orchard in the Barons last game.

Upper Montgomery will need to maintain focus throughout the entire game, something they did not do particularly well against Northwest/Quince Orchard. Every game is an opportunity to shine and impress the coaching staff. Junior varsity student athletes need to demonstrate that they deserve additional ice time and call ups to participate in varsity game competition.

Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to push their record to 4-0 on the young season. However, the Lightning will need to take charge and grasp the momentum playing a complete game to remain competitive. Shterenberg will need to shine and keep the game a low scoring affair. If the Lightning wait around and play a loose style of hockey, the effort will not be enough to beat one of the better teams in the conference.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!

The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity has started the 2023 – 2024 season with two consecutive shutout victories. The team will look to make it three victories to start the season with a win over the Blair Blazers on Friday afternoon. Game time is 4:10 pm at Rockville Ice Arena. The Lightning will be looking to play a more complete game than the team did in Sunday evening’s contest against Northwest/ Quince Orchard, a game in which the Lightning won in spite of a lackluster effort. Depending upon how the game progresses, some roster management may occur as the program has a varsity game later Friday evening in which several of the junior varsity student athletes will participate.

Ninth grade netminder Ilan Shterenberg has authored shutouts in his first two career high school starts stopping twenty shots against Whitman and only needing to make nine saves against Northwest/Quince Orchard. Another strong defensive effort on Friday afternoon will help as he tries for a third consecutive shutout victory. If Upper Montgomery brings the effort and hustle displayed against Whitman, the team should be in control of the game. The junior varsity team should continue to play much better this season, but that will all depend on how well the team defends. Not just the defense, but the forwards backchecking hard and coming back to help in coverage. The team has a significant amount of experience on defense. In net for the Blazers is expected to be a split game between Gavin Masaya and Alexander Azcarate. Masaya faced a potent BCC squad in his only career game while Azcarate was better against an inferior opponent in the DC Stars.

On defense the Lightning’s experienced defenders are still looking to jell. Seniors Sean Levine and Jake Roth will see extensive action. Offensive minded defender Cole Howerton who created many scoring chances against Northwest/Quince Orchard will log heavy minutes once again. He will likely pair with hulking defensive defender Patrick Sell or Behr Schicker who has been a nice surprise over the first two games of the season. Schickler looks more comfortable in his sophomore season. Ninth grade defenders Miles Wendland and Avery Evans will each play a significant role against Blair. Wendland will return to the lineup after being out of town with his external travel team this past weekend. Evans will be making her Lightning debut. Blair has a relatively young roster with no experienced defensive skaters. Upper Montgomery must take advantage of this shortcoming. A rotation of forwards may need to drop back and play defense for the Blazers.

Up front the Lightning have received two goals each from junior co-captain Josh Nadler and junior TJ Gottesman. Senior co-captain Adam Levine has stood out for his stellar play over the first two games of the season. The team’s leaders have played very well against Whitman and Northwest/Quince Orchard leading by example with outstanding effort, hustle, and determination. With the team unlikely to burst out offensively, every single forward will need to contribute. Expect that AJ Marks and Aiden Zheng will chip in offensively on Friday. Jackson Schickler will continue to see lots of ice time, and he is improving with each game.

Blair will be led up front by Eva Caron. She is the team’s best forward playing on a team that is starved for goals. The Blazes have scored only one goal over their first two games. Unfortunately for Blair, there is just not enough talent to compete with the middle and top junior varsity teams in the Montgomery Hockey Conference.

Upper Montgomery will need to maintain focus throughout the entire game, something they did not do particularly well against Northwest/Quince Orchard. If the game is competitive, the Lightning will need to be laser sharp with their defensive assignments and structure. If Upper Montgomery is able to open up a bit of a lead during the game, the team will need to be very focused on attention to details to prevent bad habits from creeping into their game moving forward. Every game is an opportunity to shine and impress the coaching staff and demonstrate that the student athlete deserves additional ice time.

Upper Montgomery junior varsity will be looking to push their record to 3-0 on the young season with a very winnable game. However, the Lightning will need to take charge and grab hold of the game. Waiting around and playing a loose style will not beat the better teams in the conference.

#Our Time, #UML, #Bleed Green, #Go Bolts!