Category: Game Recaps

The Quince Orchard Cougars escaped last Friday night with a hard fought 2-1 victory over the Upper Montgomery Lightning. The defending regular season conference champion Cougars received all they could handle from the young, pesky Lightning squad before eventually prevailing and securing two important points in the division standings.

It was a physical contest throughout. The first period saw heavy hitting and five different roughing penalties handed out. The majority of the period was spent with either the Lightning or the Cougars on the power play. Both teams excelled on the penalty kill and stymied chance after chance. Both teams had three power play opportunities falter with the Lightning having a 5 on 3 power play for over a minute. The first period ended scoreless due to the excellent play of the Lightning defense stifling the high powered Cougars. When Cougars offensively gifted forwards Joshua Weitzman and Dylan Eyester were able to find some space, Will Mellen, playing in his first game for the Lightning, shut the door and made many difficult saves look easy.

Early in the second period the Lightning jumped out to the lead. Defender James Botti fought along the boards and won a puck battle sending the puck deep into the Cougars defensive zone. The puck was corralled by Chris Hassett toward the left side of the net. Hassett’s centering feed into the slot was gathered in by Nathan Cassel who fired a quick wrist shot by Cougars goalie Jeremy Eager. It was Cassel’s team leading second goal of the season and gave him goals in back-to-back games for the 9th grade sniper. Soon after the Lightning took the lead, the parade to the penalty box began again. Mirroring the first period, both teams had multiple power play opportunities in the second period. The last Quince Orchard penalty to Joshua Weitzman turned out to be the turning point in the game. Just ten seconds after Weitzman went to the penalty box for roughing, gifted Cougars forward Dylan Eyester went end to end with the puck before finally tucking a shot past Mellen to tie the game at one.

With just 33 seconds left in the second period the Cougars would strike again. After an icing brought the faceoff back into the Lightning defensive zone, the Cougars controlled the puck before Dakota Delcamp eventually found Weitzman at the far post. It was an easy tap in goal for Weitzman off the cross ice feed as he had snuck in behind the Lightning defense. Weitzman’s league leading 8th goal of the season giving the Cougars a lead they would look to protect in the third period.

In the third period Upper Montgomery generated more shots on goal, ten, then they had in the previous two periods combined, eight. However, every Lightning chance was turned away by Eager and the Cougars experienced defense. As disappointing as the outcome of the game was for the young Lightning squad, the difference between last year’s game with Quince Orchard, a 7-0 shutout victory for the Cougars (the final score was not indicative of how lopsided the game really was) the Lighting were very competitive against what will likely turn out to be the top team in the division.

Coming off of two one goal losses, the Lightning will look to earn their first win and standings points of the season versus Blair.

Game Notes:

• The start of the game was delayed by 20 minutes, the result of a full-team bench clearing brawl at the end of the BCC vs St. John’s game.
• Joshua Weitzman scored his league leading 8th goal of the season.
• Quince Orchard outshot the Lightning 29-18.
• Power Plays—Lightning 0-6, Cougars 0-6.
• Andrew Botti had a game high 14 penalty minutes.
• The Lightning have given up short handed goals in back-to-back games.
• Will Mellen stopped 27 of 29 shots on goal.
• The Lightning are next in action on Friday, November 5th at 8:50 pm facing the Blair Blazers at Rockville Ice Arena.

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Joshua Weitzman #36—Quince Orchard Forward—Game Winning Goal
Second Star—Will Mellen #31—Upper Montgomery Goalie–27 saves, .931 save %
Third Star—Dylan Eyester #71—Quince Orchard Forward—Short Handed Goal

The Upper Montgomery Lightning lost its season opener 3-2 against the Rockville/Magruder Rams Monday evening at the Laurel Ice Gardens.  The Lightning had hoped to begin the season strong and carry momentum from their 4-1-1 finish to the 2020-2021 campaign.  But it was not to be.  Senior defender Ryan Iliff scored a short-handed goal from long range with 57 seconds left in the third period to win it for the Rams.

It was a tight contest throughout with the Lightning carrying play for long stretches of the game.  Rams’ goalie Freddie Horowitz was the first star of the game stopping 32 of 34 shots.  He held strong in the third period as the Lightning pressed to take the lead, having three straight power plays in the final ten minutes of the game.  At the conclusion of the final power play, Ryan Iliff controlled the puck in the neutral zone, skated toward the bench for a line change and ripped the puck toward the net from just outside the blue line.  The shot eluded Lightning goalie Landon Bernard far side to the top corner of the net for the eventual game winner.

The Lightning opened the game strong with stout defense limiting the Rams to only three shots in the first ten minutes of the game.  A turnover deep in the Rams defensive zone led to the first goal of the game.  Lightning right winger Hunter Cameron pounced on a loose puck at the top of the right circle.  He quickly turned and fired a wrist shot to the top left corner of the net beating Horowitz.  The unassisted goal giving the Lightning the lead at the 8:30 mark of the first period.  The Rams would respond about six minutes later when Lukas Gold scored a power play goal off a feed from Trey Zeren with 42 seconds remaining in the first period.  

The second period saw the Lightning dominate for long stretches outshooting the Rams 18 to 6.  In the last minute of the period, the Lightning broke the tie as Nathan Cassel buried a nifty pass from Chris Hasset for his first career high school goal.  The tally at 14:17 of the second period appeared to give the Lightning momentum and a lead they would look to protect in the third period.

Early in the third period the Rams were staked to their fourth consecutive power play opportunity after a checking from behind minor to Nathan Cassel.  It did not take the Rams long to capitalize with Shea Walsh finding the net at 2:36 of the period to knot the game at 2-2.  Over the next four minutes the teams settled in and buckled down.  Both teams played a tight checking defensive structure preventing any quality chances.  From the six-minute mark to the end of the game, the Lightning enjoyed three straight power play opportunities.  Although applying pressure to the Rams in the offensive zone, the Lighting were not able to break through and take the lead.  Horowitz made timely saves.  Other shots from the point or the half wall hit players in front and deflected away.  It was at the tail end of the third power play, with a little over a minute left in the game, that an innocent Rams clearing pass into the neutral zone ultimately led to the deciding moment of the game, Ryan Iliff’s shorthanded game winner. 

Game Notes:

• Playing in their first high school varsity game for the Lightning were Andrew Botti, Ryan Jacobson, Nathan Cassel, Henry Honacki, and Josh Nadler.
• The Lightning outshot the Rams 34-20.
• Power Plays—Lightning 0-3, Rams 2-4.
• Nathan Cassel had a game high 14 penalty minutes.
• The Lightning are next in action on Friday, October 29th at 10:00 pm facing the Quince Orchard Cougars at Cabin John Ice Rink

Three Stars of the Game:

First Star—Freddie Horowitz #70—Rockville Goalie—Win, 32 saves, .941 save %
Second Star—Ryan Iliff #44—Rockville Defense–Game Winning Short-Handed Goal
Third Star—Hunter Cameron #17—Upper Montgomery Forward—Season Opening Goal