Plattsburgh's Dylan Patcher (11) with the open ice hit on Northeastern Clinton's Owen Ebersol (14) that knocks off the puck heading in on the attack. It would be the last game of the regular season in the Champlain Valley Athletic Conference Boy's Hockey season and it would be between the host Plattsburgh Hornets and the Northeastern Clinton Cougars the winner of the game would host the play-in game of the playoffs of Tuesday. It would be a tight game throughout the early stages of the game as both teams looked like they didn't want to give up the first goal of the game and with that, the first period would go scoreless. The Cougars would finally break through and get the game's opening goal at the 4:02 mark of the second period on the Willie Simpson goal for the 1-0 lead. The game would stay there till there was 3:47 left in the period when Scott Wrye would score to give the Cougars the 2-0 lead. The game would stay there till the 9:28 mark of the third period when Carter Fredette would score to give the Cougars the 3-0 lead. The Hornets would finally break through and get on the board at the 13:09 mark of the third period as Braeden Calkins's goal make it a 3-1 game. Although the two-goal deficit would be short-lived as Cougars Willie Simpson would score just 40 seconds later for his second goal of the night and retake the 4-1 lead. Although the Hornets would keep fighting and they would score in the final of the game on the Jace Lacey 4x4 goal to make it 4-2. With the Northeastern Clinton Cougars win they will host the Plattsburgh Hornets in the play-in game of the upcoming sectional playoffs Tuesday with the winner getting the right to play #1 Beekmantown Eagles in the sectional semi-finals. Gallery

Plattsburgh's Dylan Patcher (11) meets up with Northeastern Clinton's Willie Simpson (18) at the blue line as they go after the loose puck. Gallery

Saranac's Nolan Miner (9) with the backhander for the goal as he cuts across in front of the net. It would be the start of Champlain Valley Athletic Conference play as the Saranac Chiefs would host the Northeastern Clinton Cougars in a rematch of last year's semifinal game that saw the Cougars win in overtime. The game would start off well for the Chiefs as they would score just 1:44 into the match on the Landon Duprey to make it a 1-0 game. However, the lead would be short-lived as the Cougars would tie the game at one at the three-minute mark of the match from Owen Ebersol. That is where the game would stay till the 1:24 mark of the second period and in total, the Cougars would score three times in the first 5:20 of the period from Peyton Palmer, and two from Winnie Simpson for the 4-1. However, the Chiefs would go on a streak of their own scoring 4 goals in the tens and retaking the lead at 5-4 on goals from Nolan Miner (twice), Zach O'Connell, and Evan Patrie. Then during the third period, the Cougars would keep on fighting and get the equalizer at the 11:27 mark from Eddie Bullriss and from there the game would go to overtime. In that overtime period, Zach O'Connell would get the game-winner at 1:55 on the breakaway goal for the second of the night. In the winning effort, the Chiefs go to 3-1-2 season while the Cougars fall to 2-3 on the year Gallery

Northeastern Clinton's Owen Ebersol (14) gives the body to Saranac's Landon Duprey (19) as they go after the puck in the zone. 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

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

Northeastern Clinton's Ryan Raccine (10) breaks in on Beekmantown's Austin Doser (31) and beats him on the goal. It would be senior night at the Plattsburgh State Fieldhouse as the Beekmantown Eagles would host the Northeastern Clinton Cougars in Champlain Valley Athletic Conference action in what might be a preview of the championship that will be held in ten days. It wouldn't take long for the home Beekmantown Eagles to get on the board as they would light the lamp at the 2:49 mark of the first period on the Anthony Marion goal for the 1-0 lead and that's how the first period would end. Then at the 4:40 mark of the second period, Ryan Racine would come in the breakaway and beat the goalie, and tie the game at 1. Then about halfway through the second period the Eagles would come back and regain the 1 goal lead on the Zachary Lapier powerplay goal. That is where the game would stay still just under three minutes left in the game when the Eagles Keegan Rodier would shoot from the left faceoff circle and light the lamp and secure the 3-1 win. In the winning effort, the Beekmantown Eagles would secure the regular-season crown and the #1 seed in the upcoming playoffs and will wait for the winner of Plattsburgh and Saranac Lake-Lake Placid on February 24th. Gallery

Beekmantown's Keegan Rodier (15) with the wrister from the faceoff circle for the goal. Gallery