The Upper Montgomery Lightning junior varsity returned to action after a long layoff to face off against the Annapolis / Arundel Wildcats in a non-conference tilt of evenly matched programs. It was a wildly entertaining wide open game with plenty of up and down the ice rushes. The Wildcats scored two late third period goals to come back and prevail over Upper Montgomery. It was only the second regulation loss of the season for the Lightning who now sport a 3-2-2 record.
Upper Montgomery started off the game well, settling into the team’s desired playing style and structure. It led to the opening goal three and a half minutes into the game. Upper Montgomery exited the defensive zone led by Lightning ninth grade forward Siddy Bhasin in control of the puck along the right wing boards. He found Lightning sophomore center Jake Hudson exiting the defensive zone into neutral ice. Hudson’s return pass to Bhasin on the right side did not connect as Bhasin was knocked down as the puck approached. The puck slid down the ice into the right corner in the Annapolis / Arundel defensive zone.
A poor Wildcat defensive zone clear was kept in at the right point by Upper Montgomery senior defender Cole Howerton. Howerton dumped the puck down low behind the net to Bhasin. The puck hit Bhasin and bounced in front to Hudson. Hudson’s quick shot missed the mark wide of the net to the left, far side. Hudson retrieved the puck and sent it back to the left point to Lightning sophomore defender Avery Evans. Evans maneuvered around a Wildcat forward and went down the left wing boards. She passed the puck to Hudson in the left faceoff circle. Hudson’s snap shot through traffic was stopped by Annapolis / Arundel goalie Solomon Abramson. Lightning ninth grade forward Max Israfilbek, standing near the right goal post, jumped on the rebound and fired it past Abramson before the goalie could come across the net and get into position to make a save. For Israfilbek it was his first career high school goal.
The Lightning’s lead was short lived. Annapolis / Arundel scored on the next shift to even the score at one. An Upper Montgomery turnover exiting the defensive zone was intercepted by Wildcats forward Nicholas Turchetta. Turchetta headed forward into the offensive zone. His left handed wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circles was an easy stick save for Upper Montgomery ninth grade goaltender Porter Stutsrim-Lyons. The puck was directed into the right corner where Turchetta retrieved the puck. Near the right point the puck was kept in the offensive zone after Upper Montgomery failed once again to clear the defensive zone. Wildcat defender Peter Back dumped the puck back into the right corner to Annapolis / Arundel forward Benjamin Gendell. Gendell drove toward the net where he was cut off by Evans. Thus, he chose to pass the puck back to Back at the right point. Back’s slap shot from long range beat Stutsrim-Lyons low to the blocker side.
Just under seven minutes remaining in the first period, Evans was called for a slashing penalty. Annapolis / Arundel kept up the pressure with several excellent offensive chances with the extra skater. Upper Montgomery was in scramble mode with Stutsrim-Lyons making several saves from in tight to keep the game tied at one. Once the Wildcats powerplay ended, Upper Montgomery again settled into their game and did a nice job stifling the Wildcats until there were eighteen seconds remaining in the first period. A defensive breakdown led to the late Annapolis / Arundel goal after a nice passing play between forward Henry White, defender Robert Levin, and finally over to Kayleb Haley whose shot squirted past Stutsrim-Lyons. The Wildcats outshot Upper Montgomery ten to five in the opening fifteen minutes of play.
The Lightning controlled play during the second period. Halfway through the frame Howerton connected for his third goal of the season to knot the game at two. The scoring play began with a faceoff in the right faceoff circle in the offensive zone. Upper Montgomery senior center AJ Marks won the draw to the right wing boards. Ninth grade defender Lillian Robbins, playing forward in this game, sent the puck back to Howerton at the right point. Howerton’s weak snap shot toward the net found pay dirt low along the ice past Abramson’s feet with Lightning ninth grade defender Luke Hudson setting an excellent screen in front.
A minute and a half later Bhasin would put the Lightning in front with his fourth goal of the season. A flurry of pressure by Annapolis / Arundel was thwarted by Stutsrim-Lyons who made a save on a close range shot. The puck bounced behind the net where Evans and Marks converged on a Wildcat forward. Marks gained possession of the puck and came around the net to the left side of the ice. Marks fired the puck hard off the boards and out of the defensive zone. The puck went to Bhasin coming toward the defensive zone from the bench after a line change. Behind the Wildcats defense, Bhasin was in all alone on a breakaway coming down the left wing. He made a head fake as if he was going to go to his left on his backhand which froze Abramson. Bhasin then took a stride to the right and deposited the puck into the open far side of the net before Abramson could recover and come over to prevent the goal.
Over the final five minutes of the period Upper Montgomery had to kill off two penalties. The first was a tripping penalty to senior defender Patrick Sell. The Lightning did a much better job neutralizing the Wildcats and preventing several zone entries by hemming up the neutral zone. The second penalty with just under a minute remaining in the period was to Israfilbek for cross checking. Again, Upper Montgomery did the job while shorthanded with the teams retiring to their benches at the end of the second period with the Lightning holding on to their 3-2 lead.
After killing off the balance of Israfilbek’s penalty, the Lightning were at even strength for only a minute when Upper Montgomery ninth grade defender Matt Rivera was called for a tipping penalty in the neutral zone. It was a no doubt about it penalty and put the Lightning back on the penalty kill for the third time in the last seven minutes of game action. Upper Montgomery was not as clean on this Annapolis / Arundel extra skater advantage and struggled through the two minutes while shorthanded. But, the puck did not find the back of the net and eleven minutes remained in regulation when Rivera was released from the penalty box.
As the third period crossed the half way mark, Annapolis / Arundel ramped up the offensive pressure. From a faceoff in the left faceoff circle in the defensive zone, Upper Montgomery won the draw but was outraced to the puck in the left corner. The puck was played back to the left point before being dumped back down to the left corner again. The puck was thrown behind the net to the right corner. Upper Montgomery’s clear up the boards was kept in at the right point by Wildcats defender Matthew Keys. He sent the puck down to the right corner to Annapolis / Arundel forward Ethan Xie. Xie’s pass to the middle of the slot was shot wide of the net. The puck was retrieved by Haley who sent it back to the left point to Wildcats defender Samantha Scott. Scott sent the puck back down the boards to Haley. Haley’s short side shot from a bad angle was saved by Stutsrim-Lyons. White picked up the puck and went around the net from left to right. He curled the puck around the right goal post sneaking the puck inside the right post and Stutsrim-Lyons’ left skate for a wrap around goal to tie the score at three with seven minutes remaining in the game.
A minute and a half later the Wildcats jumped in front. An Upper Montgomery defensive zone clear to neutral ice was taken by Annapolis / Arundel forward Gavin Hare. From the right circle his wrist shot was saved by Stutsrim-Lyons. The puck landed behind the net and was reversed by Hare to the right point to Scott. Scott’s shot from the middle of the ice above the faceoff circles was deflected just below his shoulders by Wildcat forward William Woodson-Potter in the low slot. Woodson-Potter’s deflection changed the flight trajectory of the puck down past Stutsrim-Lyons body and into the net.
Now down by a goal with five minutes remaining in the game, Upper Montgomery went on the offensive pushing defenders forward looking for the game tying goal. There were several super chances generated by the Lightning. However, the puck either squirted just wide of the net or hit Abramson and somehow stayed out of the net with lots of Lightning skaters charging the front of the net looking for rebounds. With a minute left in the game Upper Montgomery pulled Stutsrim-Lyons replacing him on the ice with an extra skater. The team continued to apply pressure which led to a penalty being called on Wildcat defender Levin for cross checking. With 38 seconds left in the game and now with a two skater advantage, Upper Montgomery continued to shoot pucks toward the net. All available slaters crashed at Abramson’s feet looking for any loose pucks. Unfortunately, the puck deflected just over the net on one shot. A cross crease centering pass went just past Bhasin standing at the right post for potentially an easy tap in. The Wildcats were able to exhale after the final buzzer sounded with the Lightning buzzing all around the net unable to get the tying goal.
The Lightning must now look forward to trying to win their season concluding regular season game against the Whitman Vikings and advance their conference record to 4-1-2 on the season. A win likely guarantees the team a first round bye in the junior varsity playoffs. The Lightning will be looking to win their first playoff game in three seasons when the playoffs kick off in mid-January. A few weeks of practice commence after the winter holiday break for the Lightning to get ready for what is hopefully a long playoff run.
Game Notes:
- Annapolis / Arundel outshot the Lightning 31 to 18 for the game.
- Lightning ninth grader netminder Porter Stutsrim-Lyons gave up more than two goals in regulation for only the second time all season. He still sports an incredibly low 1.98 goals against average and a very high .928 save percentage.
- Upper Montgomery was clean on the penalty kill subduing all four Wildcats powerplay opportunities.
- It was the first ever meeting between the two programs.
- Lightning defender Max Curtusan made his program debut in the game.
- Upper Montgomery’s junior varsity team is scheduled to conclude regular season conference play on Friday, December 20th when the Lightning play an important contest against Whitman. An Upper Montgomery victory over the Vikings would secure the number four seed in the Montgomery Hockey Conference playoffs. It would guarantee that the Lightning are exempt from having to play an opening round playoff game and would give the Lightning the last line change in their quarterfinal matchup. Game time is 5:30 pm at Rockville Ice Arena.
Three Stars of the Game:
First Star—Henry White—Annapolis / Arundel Forward—1 Goal, 1 Assist
Second Star—Siddy Bhasin—Upper Montgomery Forward—1 Goal
Third Star—AJ Marks—Upper Montgomery Center—2 Assists