The Richard Montgomery ice hockey team fell 4-2 to the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons last Friday night.
Contrary to the majority of the season so far, the Rockets struggled offensively, B-CC’s solid defensive lines posing a serious threat for RM. Led by captain Adrian Martella and senior Dmitry Bilous, the Rockets had found success in their opponent’s defensive zone, however, tonight it was clear something was off.
B-CC scored a quick goal fresh the game, changing the team dynamic and slashing any momentum they had coming into the game. “It’s hard letting in the first goal,” admitted junior defender Jacob Logsdon.
This early blow hurt the team and hindered the team’s motivation. “Scoring early can motivate a team, but being behind can do the opposite of that,” said Kenneth Trinh. Logsdon, Trinh, and captain Peter Jasperse have been the consistency the Rocket defense needed these past couple of seasons as the team has fluctuated between Divisions I and II.
The Barons kept the lead for the rest of the first period, leading the Rockets 1-0 by the time the first buzzer sounded.
When the second period began, it seemed as though someone had lit a fire in the Rockets. Bilous scored for the team, tying the game at one, and giving them a chance to pull ahead.
However, this turned on a dime when an RM penalty gave B-CC a key advantage, sending Logsdon to the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Barons then took this opportunity to score, making the game 2-1.
For the rest of the period, neither team scored. Countless shots were exchanged between the two teams, both RM goalie Alex Green and B-CC goalie Kyle Koller making impressive saves to keep the score at 2-1 in favor of the Barons.
The first goal of the third period was scored my BCC to put the team up by 2. Minutes later, however, the Rockets scored to put them within one of the Barons.
Much of the third period went by without either team scoring, but with less than two minutes left, the Barons managed to score again, sealing a narrow 4-2 victory over the Rockets.
While the Rockets were defeated, there were several bright moments in the game. RM goalie Alex Green made nearly 30 saves during the game, and the team was able to adapt to the difficult defense.
RM also changed strategies during the game both offensively and defensively. “We initially tried to skate directly into their zone [to score], then we tried to get into the corner, and pass into the middle, to open up more shots,” said Logston.
Defensively, they constantly rotated their first and second lines to keep the players fresh.
The Rockets have a long list of goals before facing the next opponent in their long, competitive season.
“We want to be more consistent, start and finish the game playing hard,” added Logsdon.
“The strategy we’ve had all throughout this season that has really worked is just to jump on them early and dominate from there out,” said Trinh.
The Rockets will face the Montgomery Blair Blazers this Friday at 8:15 pm at the Cabin John Ice Rink, a game that will likely be a fierce matchup.
