Northeastern Clinton’s Ryan Racine and Pelham’s Eric Elbery jostle for position as they arrive at the loose puck along the half boards. The Northeastern Clinton Central School boys hockey team’s season came to an end Saturday with an 8-3 loss to the top-ranked team in NYSPHSAA Division II hockey in the regional round of the state championship tournament.
The Cougars played hard to the end, but they were unable to overcome the Pelicans of Pelham Memorial High School.
Pelham put pressure on the Cougars early, keeping the puck in the offensive zone for much of the third period. The Pelicans led shots by a 31-4 margin at the first intermission, with a pair of goals by sophomore Griffin Evans - both assisted by junior Louie Marcelino - the difference on the scoreboard.
The Cougars came out of the locker room looking to get back even and accomplished half of that job when senior Reid Lavalley notched the team’s first tally of the game.
Any momentum the Cougars wanted to take from that was stifled quickly, as senior captain Luke Green restored the Pelicans’ two-goal lead just 27 seconds later.
Pelham Memorial piled on a further two goals, by Marcelino and junior defenseman Eric Elbery, to build up a comfortable 5-1 lead. A couple of breaks for the Northeastern Clinton team threatened to put them right back in the game before the end of the period, though.
The first came as senior defenseman Blake Chevalier launched the puck up the ice 175 feet from behind his own goal line. Instead of going behind for icing, the bouncing puck hit the pads of goaltender Jake Mallinson and deflected into the net.
The second break came just 46 seconds later, as freshman Winfred Simpson scored off assists from Lavalley and freshman Ryan Racine to bring the Cougars within two goals.
That was the closest the Section VII champions would get, however, as the Pelicans added another goal by Marcelino before the end of the period, with Evans and senior Ben Rosenberg getting the assists.
The third period was once again one controlled by Pelham Memorial, with an 18-4 advantage in shots in the final frame. Freshman Mark Rosa got on the score sheet at 11:28 of the third period, assisted by freshman Reid Finster and Rosenberg, before Marcelino completed his hat trick 23 seconds later.
Rosenberg recorded assists on Pelham’s last five goals of the game.
Mallinson made 14 saves for Pelham, while senior Alain Juneau’s 66 saves in net for Northeastern fell short, as the Pelicans outshot the Cougars 74-17 in the contest.
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Pelham’s Angus Deeney skates in on goal as Northeastern Clinton goaltender Alain Juneau prepares to make one of the 66 saves he would make in the game. Gallery

Northeastern Clinton's Reid LaValley (2) with the goal over Beekmantown's Austin Doser (31 as he gets hit and sent to the ice. It would be a match-up of the top two teams in the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference as the #1 Beekmantown Eagles would faceoff with the #2 Northeastern Clinton Cougars for the conference championship at the Plattsburgh State Fieldhouse. The game would start out very evenly matched through the first period as there would be no score after one but that doesn't mean that there weren't chances by both teams to get on the board. The Cougars would finally break the ice and get the opening goal of the game from Reid LaValley for the 1-0 lead 4:12 into the second period. The game would stay there till the 10:34 mark of the period when Reid Fessette would get the equalizer on the unassisted goal. Then in the final 90 seconds of the period, the Eagles would pull ahead on the Luke Moser powerplay goal to take a 2-1 lead into the second intermission, The game would stay there till the ten-minute mark of the third period when Reid Levalley would strike for the second goal of the game and tie the game at two. The game would stay there through the rest of the regulation and we were headed into that all-important overtime. It would take until there were eight seconds left in the second overtime when Reid LaValley would strike for the third time and get the championship. With the win, the Northeastern Clinton Cougars will be headed to the NYSPHSAA Division 2 tournament and will take on the #1 team in the state Pelham on March 5th for the right to go to the NYSPHSAA Final Four March 12th-13th. Gallery

Beekmantown's Sam Bingel (11) with the hard hit on Northeastern Clinton's Wayne Simpson (18) that sends him flying into the glass. Gallery

Northeastern Clinton's Reid LaValley (2) comes in on the break and flips it over Saranac's Mason Patnode for the goal and 1-0 lead. It would be semi-finals boys hockey in the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference as the #2 Northeastern Clinton Cougars would host the #3 Saranac Chiefs. The game would start off quick for the home Cougars as they would get the opening goal of the game from Reid LaValley for the 1-0 lead. Although the Chiefs would answer back fast and furious as they would answer back with three goals of their own in the next few minutes from Caitlin, Hayden Buckley, and Zack O'Connell and take the 3-1 to the end of the period. In the second period, there would be no scoring although it wouldn't be for the lack of trying and the Chiefs would keep their 3-1 lead as they head to the third. The game was starting to look like the Chiefs were going to the upset win but at 2:24 left in the game, the Cougars would make it a one-goal game at 3-2 Reid LaValley. Then with 1:27 left the Cougars would tie the game up on the Ryan Racine goal and from there the game would go to overtime. In the overtime, the Cougars would come all the way back and get the win at 4-3 on the Chase Letourneau with 3:38 left in the overtime. With the win, the #2 Northeastern Clinton Cougars are headed to championship Gallery

Saranac's Landon Duprey (16) meets up with Northeastern Clinton's Winfred Simpson (18) and go head to head collision chasing after the loose puck. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Hayden Colburn (20) and Saranac Lake/Lake Placid's captain battle for the puck along theside boards for control. It would be the start of the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference Boy's Hockey playoffs and it would begin with the play in-game as the #4 Plattsburgh Hornets would host the #5 Saranac Lake/Lake Placid Lakers with the winner getting the #1 Beekmantown Eagles in the semi-finals on February 24th. The upset-minded Lakers would get the opening goal of the game just 3:02 into the game from Brady Tremblay for the 1-0 lead. The Hornets would keep up the fight and tie the game at the 6:38 mark of the period on the Bostyn Duquette goal. and that is where the first period would end. In the second period, the Hornets would take the lead at 2-1 at the 3:41 mark of the second period on the Hayden Colburn goal. The game from there would get very physical til the end of the game the Lakers would have many good opportunities to get the equalizer but just couldn't get there. In the closing seconds of the game, the Hornets would add the empty netter from Drew Knowles to secure the 3-1 victory. In the winning effort, Ty Calkins would make 20 saves as the Hornets advance to the Semi-finals of the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference and face off with the #1 Beekmantown Eagles Gallery

Saranac Lake/Lake Placid attacker with the hard shot on Plattsburgh's Drew Knowles behind the net that drops him to the seat of his pants. Gallery