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

Saranc's Landon Giroux (17) comes in with the check on Beekmantown's Zach Lapier (19) as was he was looking to break in on the goalie. It would be the Section VII D2 Boy's Hockey championship from the Ronald B Stafford Ice Arena and it would feature the top 2 teams as the top-seeded and number 2 in the state Beekmantown Eagles would host the number 2 seeded and number 20 in the state Saranac Chiefs. Although there would be a wrinkle this year as luck would have it with the state tournament brackets both teams would be locked into the tournament so that there would be an even eight teams. With that being said both teams would be giving it their all though so they could have that sectional championship banner hanging from the rafters and the opening goal of the game would come three minutes in on the Sam Bingel goal to give the Eagles the 1-0 lead. Although the 1-0 lead would be short-lived as the Chiefs would answer right back 28 seconds later on the Ethan Barnes goal to tie the game at 1. The Eagles would come back though and retake the one-goal lead at 2-1 on Louis Sweenor's goal at the 8:44 mark of the period. With just over a minute left in the period the Eagles would take the 3-1 lead on Sam Bingel's second goal of the period. The game would stay there till the 9:05 mark of the second period when the Eagles would extend the lead to 4-1 when Keegan Seamone would light the lamp. Although the Chiefs wouldn't go quietly as Landon Duprey would score with 3:40 left in the period to make it a 4-2 game. Although as the period was ending Sam Bingel would score with two seconds left in the period to take the 5-2 lead into the third period. In the third period, the wheels would fall off for the Chiefs as they would give up four goals from Zach Lapier, Copper Burdo, Luke Moser, and Parker Pryce while the Chiefs would answer back with one goal from Nolan Miner as the Eagles would get the 9-3 victory. In the winning effort, Austin Dosier would make 28 saves as they advance to the New York State Division II Quarterfinals and will take on the defending state champions Pelham Pelicans on March 4th. While for the Chiefs Joey Mitchell would make 26 saves as they also head into the New York State Division II Quarterfinals and will travel to take on the Queensbury Spartans on March 4th as they look to head to Buffalo for the state final four the following weekend. Gallery

Beekmantown's Kegan Seamone (6) with the rebound goal on the scramble in front of the net. Gallery

Saranac Lake-Lake Placid's Btaden Munn (31) with the pad save as Saranac's Zach O'Connell (88) breaks in looking for the opening goal. It would be the semi-finals of the Section VII Boy's Hockey Playoffs and we would have the #3 Saranac Lake-Lake Placid Lakers traveling to Plattsburgh to take on the #2 Saranac Chiefs for the right to head to the Section VII Championship on February 27th against the #1 Beekmantown Eagles. It would be a great game between two evenly matched teams that would split their two regular-season meetings with both teams winning on their home ice. Neither team was willing to end their season on this night and they would end up going through the whole regulation game time without either team scoring. So then in accordance with the Section VII playoffs rules they would play a regular length period in overtime with the first team scoring being declared the winner. In that period the Chiefs would get the game-winner 5:27 into the overtime when Nolan Miner would score on the scramble in front of the net off the rebound to give the Chiefs the 1-0 win. In the winning effort, the Saranac Chiefs would advance to the Section VII Championship as Joey Mitchell would make 31 saves as the Chiefs go to 12-7-2 on the season. Gallery

Saranac's Joey Mitchell (30) with the stick save as Saranac Lake-Lake Placid Carson St. Louis (11) would break and Mitchell would keep his 31-save shutout in tack. Gallery

Beekmantown's Luke Moser (10) with the shot from the slot as part of a two-goal game. It would be a matchup of a pair of top 15 teams in the state inside section vii and it would feature the #15 Saranac Chiefs traveling up the road to play the #2 Beekmantown Eagles in the season finale. The Eagles would strike first and quick with the Zach Lapier goal to make it a 1-0 Eagles 3:10 into the game. Then just over five minutes later the Eagles would score again to make it a 2-0 lead on the Sam Bingel goal. Then in the closing seconds of the period, the Eagles would make it 3-0 on the Quinn Brandell goal. The game would stay there till the 9:48 mark of the second period when Louis Sweenor would snip in from the blue line and make it a 4-0 game. Then just two minutes later the Eagles would make it a 5-0 game as Luke Moser would score from the slot. Then with 40 seconds left in the period Parker Broughton would score on the scramble in front of the net for the 6-0 game. The game would stay there always till the last minute of the game when Luke Moser would get his second of the game for the 7-0 win. In the winning effort, the Beekmantown Eagles would win the regular season crown and take the first seed in the upcoming playoffs and will meet up with the winner of Northeastern Clinton and Plattsburgh Hornets in the semi-final. While the Saranac Chiefs would get the #2 seed in the playoffs and will play #3 Saranac Lake-Lake Placid in the semi-finals. Gallery

Saranac's Hayden Pelkey (22) meets up with Beekmantown Lee Jarus (9) for the hard hit along the boards as they are going after the loose puck. Gallery

Saranac's Zach O'Connell (88) beats the goalie over his pads as he breaks in on the net for the score. It would be a matchup between the Saranac's in the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference as the Saranac Lake-Lake Placid Lakers would host the #12 Saranac Chiefs at the Saranac Lake Civic Center The Chiefs would not be a very nice guest as they would score just 49 seconds into the game and get the quick 1-0 lead. Although the Lakers would have a quick response and tie the game at one just 50 seconds later so 98 seconds into the game and we would have two goals already. Just 90 seconds later the home Lakers would take the 2-1 lead on the Carson St. Louis goal. The game would stay there til just under three minutes left in the period the Chiefs would tie the game at 2 on the Zach O'Connell goal. The game would stay there till the 6:25 mark of the second period when the Lakers would regain the one-goal lead on Carson St. Louis's second goal of the night for the 3-2 game. However, the Chiefs would not give up this fight as Landen Duprey would score with three minutes left in the second period to tie the game up once again. In the third period, the Laker's offense would come alive and they would have three unanswered goals including the hat trick goal by Carson St. Louis as the Lakers would get the 6-3 victory. In the winning effort, the Lakers go to 6-7 on the season while the Chiefs fall to 11-6-2 Gallery

Saranac Lake-Lake Placid (8) with the crunching hit on Saranac's Ethan Barnes (11) that sends him to ice.Gallery