Skaneateles Chad Lowe (30) with the pad save on the shot from Pelham's Nick Scampoli (7). It would be championship Sunday from the LECOM Harbor Center in Buffalo, NY and New York State Boy's Hockey Division II would be first up with the #2 Skaneateles Lakers taking on the defending state champion and currently number #3 in the state Pelham Pelicans. It wouldn't take long for the upstart-minded Lakers to get on the board and take the 1-0 lead in the game when Henry Major would score just 2:05 into the game. The Lakers would keep on the accelerator and expand their lead to 2-0 at the 7:58 mark of the period on the Andrew Falkenberg power play goal. Then at the 11:11 mark of the period the Lakers would take control of the game on the Andrew Witlock goal and make it 3-0. When the teams returned for the second period the Lakers would stay and take a 4-0 lead just 33 seconds into the period on Andrew Whitlock's second goal of the game. The game would stay there till there were just about 90 seconds left in the period when the Pelicans would get on the board with the Sebastian Esposito goal and make it a 4-1 game and give the Pelicans hope in the third period. Although the defenses would stand tall for both teams in the third period as there would be no scoring the defending champions Pelicans would fall to the Skaneateles Lakers to give them their first title in four years. Gallery

Pelham's Reid Finster (21) with the hit on Skaneateles' Trevor Jensesn (3) to break up the play in the corner. Gallery

Saranac's Zack O'Connell (88) starts the celebration as he gets the Chiefs' second goal. It was the first game of the NYSPHSAA Division II semi-finals. It would feature the #11 Saranac Chiefs from Section VII making their first appearance in the final four and the Pelham Pelicans from Section I and the defending state champions. The game would start off well for the defending champs as they would score just 2:16 into the game on the powerplay goal from Will Crotty for the 1-0 Pelicans lead. The Chiefs would answer back just about halfway through the period and tie the game at one on the Landon Giroux goal. Then just over four minutes later the Pelicans would regain their one-goal lead on the goal by Reid Finster for the 2-1 game. With just about thirty seconds left in the period, the Pelicans would extend their lead to 3-1 n the Joseph Vassalotti goal. The game would stay there till the 6:41 mark of the second period when the Pelicans would score on the Daniel Mitrione goal to make it a 4-1 game. The Chiefs would keep fighting and make it a two-goal game again at the 11:00 mark of the period on the Zack O'Connell goal to make it 4-2. Although the Pelicans would come back on fire after that and score 3 goals in the final five minutes of the period to take a commanding 7-2 lead on goals from Griffin Evans twice and Chris Franchini. Then in the third period with the game in hand, the Pelicans would let up and get the other kids in the game along with the Chiefs doing the same thing although the Pelicans would get one in the last minute of the period from James Vassakotti to secure the 8-2 win. In the winning effort, the Pelicans will advance to the championship against the winner of Salmon River and Skaneateles. In the losing effort, Joey Mitchell would make 44 saves on 52 shots as they finished their season at 13-8-2. Gallery

Saranac's Ashtyn Catlin (3) and Pelham's Zyde Karame (28) meet as they enter the zone going after the loose puck. Gallery

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