The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity found some offensive flair on Friday afternoon against the combined Northwest / Quince Orchard / Wootton team. Unfortunately, defensive breakdowns doomed the team in a 7-4 defeat. Three separate times, Upper Montgomery came back from an early deficit to cut the combined team’s lead to one goal. Each time, a defensive breakdown led to the next Northwest / Quince Orchard / Wootton score. With the loss the Lightning dropped to 1-4 on the season having lost to four of the top six teams in the conference standings. Upper Montgomery will need to get back on track over the second half of the season to qualify for the junior varsity playoffs. With the win the combined squad increased their record to 5-1.
The first couple of shifts of the game were difficult for the Lightning as they adjusted to the combined team’s size. At the beginning of the game, Upper Montgomery failed to play with a physical toughness that the coaching staff has instituted since the pre-season off ice practice sessions. It was very evident a minute into the game when an Upper Montgomery defensive clearing attempt was kept in at the right point by defender Eric Anderson. He skated to the middle of the ice along the blue line before passing to forward Kuba Okrasa. Okrasa skated to the bottom of the right faceoff circle where he fired a wrist shot at Upper Montgomery ninth grade goalie Stephen Rickman. Rickman made the save with his body. The puck dropped to the ice with Amir Karimov knocking in the rebound past Rickman to the goalie’s right into the wide open side of the net. No Lightning defender was near Karimov who could not have scored an easier goal for his fourth of the season.
After the early initial goal both teams retreated into a posture of conservation of energy. The Upper Montgomery varsity was playing the Northwest / Quince Orchard Jaguars varsity directly after the conclusion of the junior varsity game. Both teams had several students playing in the junior varsity game that were going to play double duty. With each team playing their defense way back for the rest of the first period, quality scoring chances were limited. The combined team wound up outshooting the Lightning seven to six in the opening period.
Similar to the first period, Northwest / Quince Orchard / Wootton scored quickly into the second period. Forward Nathan Tian skated from the neutral zone down the right side crossing into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. At the crease he sent a pass to his left. The puck went all the way through the crease to the left wing boards. After a puck battle ensued, Anderson had possession of the puck at the left point. He attempted to make a move before the puck was knocked off his stick by Lightning ninth grade defender Lenny Roth. The puck squirted over to forward Caeden Yi. His long range shot was saved by Rickman. Tian had inside position on the Upper Montgomery defense. He grabbed the puck, took a step to his right, and pushed the puck past Rickman’s outstretched left leg pad just inside the right post for his fifth goal of the season. The combined team led 2-0 less than three minutes into the second frame.
Four minutes later Roth was in the penalty box after being assessed a minor penalty for interference. Seven seconds later the combined team struck off the faceoff to begin the powerplay. From the right faceoff circle in the offensive zone, Upper Montgomery won the faceoff to the corner. Without taking a second to look at the situation on the ice, the Lightning defense smacked the puck up ice. The puck went to the right point to defender Igor Makarevich. Makarevich took at step to his left to better his angle at the net. He then sent a very weak shot which was heading way wide of the net to the left wing corner. As the puck traveled through the slot it clanked off the skates of Lightning ninth grade forward Nolan Veillette changing direction. The puck deflected directly north into the right side of the net that had been vacated after Rickman moved to his right to prepare to stop Makarevich’s shot. The defender’s unassisted goal was his first career high school goal. It left Upper Montgomery in a 3-0 hole half way through the contest.
Halfway through the game the combined team changed goalies. Northwest / Quince Orchard goalie Sean Wyatt was replaced by Wootton goalie Kevin Yu. On the next shift, Anderson was called for a hooking penalty. At the very end of the powerplay, Upper Montgomery got on the scoreboard. A Lightning scoring threat was repelled by the combined team which then iced the puck down to the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. Team captain, senior Jason Woodman raced back collecting the puck in his own end in the left defensive corner. He passed up to Lightning sophomore Decklin Hughes in neutral ice. Hughes carried the puck into the Upper Montgomery offensive zone down the left wing. With the combined team defense sagging back, Hughes had a clear path to the left faceoff circle. He wound up and fired a slapshot from the lower portion of the left faceoff circle. The puck went to the far side of the net under Yu’s left armpit high into the right corner of the net. For Hughes it was his first goal this season. The powerplay marker closed Upper Montgomery back to within two goals at 3-1.
Two minutes later the Lightning inched closer. A combined team turnover at the offensive blue line sent Upper Montgomery up ice in the opposite direction. The puck was taken by Lightning junior forward Mason Jagoz. He skated down the right wing brushing aside back pressure while entering the offensive zone. From the bottom of the right faceoff circle he shot wide of the far side of the net. The puck landed in the left wing corner, wound around the boards, and was kept in the offensive zone at the left point by Upper Montgomery sophomore defender Matt Rivera. Rivera quickly fired toward the net. His shot was blocked just outside the crease by the combined team defense. Upper Montgomery ninth grade center Wyatt Ostrander collected the puck. He took a stride to his right entering the middle of the slot where he unleashed a wrist shot on net. The puck went through Yu’s body seven hole under his left glove hand and arm to the right side of the net. Ostrander’s first career high school goal closed the combined team’s lead to 3-2 with just under four minutes remaining in the second period.
Forty seconds later, the combined team extended their lead to 4-2. Upper Montgomery had the puck in their own defensive zone. The team headed up the right wing side of the ice but the puck did not exit the defensive zone. Wootton defender Isaac Greene, the combined team’s most skilled student kept the puck in the zone before heading down the left wing boards. He cut to the crease around the Upper Montgomery defense. Going across the crease he went to his backhand sliding the puck past Rickman’s extended left leg at the far goal post for his sixth goal of the season. The second period closed with the combined team up 4-2, having outshot Upper Montgomery thirteen to seven.
Upper Montgomery seemingly found another burst of energy to begin the third period. Two and a half minutes into the third period, the Lightning fought back being down by only one goal once again at 4-3. The combined team sent the puck to the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. Lightning ninth grade defender Dylan Kim took the puck behind the net from the right to the left. He dished up the right wing boards to Ostrander. Ostrander carried the puck down ice along the right wing into the Lightning offensive zone. At the top of the right wing faceoff circle he cut to the middle into the slot where he fired a wrist shot on net. Yu made the save with the rebound shooting back out into the slot. Jagoz shot the rebound low along the ice to the left side of the net. The shot entered just inside the left goal post out of the reach of Yu’s right left pad. Jagoz’s fourth goal of the season gave the Lightning additional spirit trailing once again by just one goal with plenty of time remaining in the third period.
Just over a minute later, Greene scored his second unassisted goal of the game, his seventh of the season to take the combined team’s lead back to a two goal bulge at 5-3. After Upper Montgomery cleared the puck down ice, Greene had the puck in his own defensive zone along the left wing boards. Greene skated up ice through the neutral zone and into the Lightning defensive zone. He went around a flat footed Upper Montgomery defender. With a clear path to the net he went in directly at Rickman. Woodman came over from his left defender position laying a massive hit on Greene just as he was firing on net. Greene and Woodman both went flying as a result of the collision. The puck that Greene had shot went into the net five hole on Rickman. Greene took the brunt of the contact and was uninjured on the play. The hit left Woodman laying on the ice for some time. While he pleaded to return to the game, the Upper Montgomery coaching staff held him out for precautionary measures.
Thirteen seconds later off the center ice faceoff, Upper Montgomery was right back in the game. Hughes won the faceoff to his right with ninth grade forward Tima Zamaray jumping to the inside to gain possession of the puck. Zamaray took a circuitous route from the right side of the center ice circle into the offensive zone down the left wing outside the faceoff circle. He took the puck deep into the corner then around the net from the left to the right side of the ice. Advancing north of the goal line extended, with the puck on his forehand, he slammed the puck inside the right goal post and Yu’s left skate for a pretty wrap around goal, his third of the season. With eleven minutes remaining in the game, Zamaray’s goal pushed Upper Montgomery back to within one goal for the third consecutive sequence.
Upper Montgomery began rushing the puck up ice with skaters flying to the crease looking for the tying goal. Over the next four minutes several good Lightning scoring chances were blocked in front of the net. Then, with the puck at center ice along the far boards the teams fought for possession. The puck was taken by Wootton center Joseph Davis. He advanced up the right wing boards into the Upper Montgomery defensive zone. From the right faceoff circle he fired an innocent looking wrist shot at Rickman to the short side. Rickman did not pick up the puck as it went past his catching glove hand into the net for Davis’ first goal of the season. It was a goal that the young goalie would believe he should have stopped. The familiar swapping of goals continued with the combined team restoring it’s two goal margin at 6-4.
Two minutes later the Lightning were provided an excellent chance to get back to within one goal when defender Wilson Dong was called for a roughing penalty. Upper Montgomery went back on the powerplay looking to give itself an opportunity to claw back once again. From the right faceoff circle in the offensive zone, Davis won the faceoff to open the powerplay. He pushed the puck forward beating the Upper Montgomery defense to the puck before skating up ice out of his defensive zone. He continued through the neutral zone. At the Upper Montgomery defensive blue line he cut in between both Lightning defenders. Neither defender took the body allowing Davis to skate right through them. Coming in on Rickman he lost control of the puck before reaching out his stick to poke at the puck. His backhand connected with the puck sending it forward toward the crease. The puck slid under Rickman’s leg pads for his second straight goal, this one a shorthanded marker. Northwest / Quince Orchard / Wootton was up by three goals at 7-4 with four minutes left in regulation. The shorthanded goal took the fight out of the Lightning who had extended so much energy to get back into the game time after time.
The Lightning junior varsity continues to improve each week as the season has gone along. The schedule that Upper Montgomery has faced is has been very tough. The combined records of the teams that have beaten the Lightning are 18-5-1. After a short break, up next for Upper Montgomery will be a non-conference matchup against Harford County. For Upper Montgomery to be successful, the team will need to return to the strong physical style that has worked to keep the faster more skilled teams at bay. The Lightning have been competitive in every game for long stretches of play before the youth of the team gets exploited. A couple of wins over the second half of the season before the Montgomery Hockey Conference playoff begin will be a big boost for the team.
Game Notes:
- The combined Northwest / Quince Orchard / Wootton team outshot Upper Montgomery 29-21 during the game.
- Upper Montgomery ninth grade center Wyatt Ostrander scored his first career high school goal.
- Upper Montgomery junior forward Mason Jagoz scored his team leading fourth goal of the season.
- Upper Montgomery had three students with a goal and an assist; Decklin Hughes, Mason Jagoz, and Wyatt Ostrander.
- Lightning ninth grade goalie Stephen Rickman made his first career start for the team.
- The Lightning gave up their first shorthanded goal of the season.
- The Upper Montgomery junior varsity has a short break before returning to play a non-conference game against Harford County. Game time is 4:40 pm at Ice World in Abington, Maryland, on Monday, afternoon November 24th.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Isaac Greene—Wootton Defense—2 Goals
Second Star—Wyatt Ostrander—Upper Montgomery Center—1 Goal, 1 Assist
Third Star—Eric Anderson—Wootton Defense—2 Assists