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

Northeastern Clinton's Lucas Hemingway (13) takes it around Beekmantown's Louis Sweenor (55) as they pass the blue line into the offense zone. It would be the semi-finals of the Section VII Boy's Hockey D2 playoffs. The #1 Beekmantown Eagles would be hosting the #4 Northeastern Clinton Cougars who advance to the semi-finals earlier in the week with a win over the Plattsburgh Hornets. The winner of this semi-final match would advance to the Section VII Championship on February 27th against the winner of the Saranac Chiefs and Saranac Lake-Lake Placid Lakers game. The game would start off well for the home Eagles as they would get the opening goal of the game just 29 seconds into the game on the Luke Moser goal. The Cougars would come right back though and tie the game up at the 5:41 mark of the period on the Marcus Bedard goal. The Eagles would keep swinging and take the lead back at the halfway mark of the period when Zack Lapier would light the lamp and give the Eagles the 2-1 lead. The Eagles would be able to expand their lead to two goals at 3-1 at the 14:11 mark on the Sam Bingel goal and that's where the first period would come to an end. When the teams returned for the second the Cougars would score 3:50 into the second to make it a one-goal game at 3-2 on the Willie Simpson goal. Although the one-goal game would be short-lived as Luke Moser would answer just 68 seconds later to make it a 4-2 game again. Then with just over a minute left in the period Eagles Sam Bingel would get the second goal of the game to send them into the locker room with a 5-2 lead. The Eagles would extend their lead to 6-2 on the short-handed goal at the 10:10 mark of the third period when Zack Lapier scored. Then in the final four minutes of the game, the Eagles would add three more goals from Lee Jarus, Louis Sweenor, and Keegan Seamone as they would get the 9-2 victory. In the winning effort, Austin Dosir would make 26 saves on the night as the Eagles advance to Section VII Championship and the Northeastern Clinton Cougars season would come to end at Gallery

Beekmantown's Lee Jarus (9) with the rebound that he puts in the open net past Northeastern Clinton's Peter Judkins (1) for the goal. Gallery

Northeastern Clinton's Owen Ebersol (14) and Plattsburgh's Hutch Ovios (13) battle for the loose puck just outside the blue line. It would be the opening game of the New York State Section VII Boy's Hockey Quarterfinals and the #5 Plattsburgh Hornets would travel up to the Rouses Point Civic Center and take on the #4 Northeastern Clinton Cougars with the winner getting the right to play the #1 Beekmantown Eagles. The game would start off well for the visiting Hornets as they would get the opening goal of the game on the Jace Lacey goal at the 12:07 mark of the first period for the 1-0 Hornets lead. Then with just over a minute left in the opening period, Jace Lacey would strike again to give the upset-minded Hornets the 2-0 lead as the first period would come to end. Although when the teams would return to the second period the Cougars would cut the lead down to one just 5:17 into the period on the Marcus Bedard goal. The Cougars would keep the rush going and tie the game up at two just 22 seconds later on the Will Simpson goal and that's how the second period would come to end. The Cougars would start off the third period on fire with the go-ahead goal just 36 seconds into the third period on Will Simpson's second goal of the game for the 3-2 Cougars lead. The Hornets would keep the swarming and tie the game up at three with just over ten minutes left in the game on the Jace Lacey hat trick goal/ The tie would be short-lived though as the Cougars would retake the lead at 4-3 just over a minute later on the Lucas Hemingway goal. Then with just over five minutes left in the game, the Cougars would take the two-goal lead on the Will Simpson hat trick goal for the 5-3 lead. Although the Hornets would not just roll over and let the game go as they would score with the extra attacker with 12 seconds left in the game on the Braeden Calkins goal for the 5-4 game and that's where it would end. In the winning effort the #4 Northeastern Clinton Cougars advance to the semi-finals and will play the #1 Beekmantown Eagles as Peter Judkins would make 11 saves in the win. While the Plattsburgh Hornets season will come to end at 3-15. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Hutch Ovios (13) with the open ice hit on Northeastern Clinton's Will Simpson (18) that stagers both players/ Gallery