So, when the SLP boys hockey team needed a goal late in Thursday’s road game against the Northeastern Clinton Cougars, the team knew exactly who to look toward.

And the junior delivered.

With 58 seconds left in the third period, McCormick rifled in a shot — his third goal of the evening — to lift his SLP squad to a 5-4 league victory over the Cougars at the Rouses Point Civic Center.

The shot gave McCormick his 100th career point, and he became the first-ever SLP player to reach the feat since the two schools merged boys hockey teams in 2019. The milestone hat trick goal also just so happened to come on a feed from his younger brother, Eli McCormick.

SLP’s Ayden McCormick, left, and his brother Eli McCormick hold up a 100th career point banner following Thursday’s game against Northeastern Clinton at the Rouses Point Civic Center. Ayden reached the career milestone late in the third period off a feed from his brother. (Provided photo — Alicia Brandes)

It was a fitting score for the Lake Placid High School student, who was named Champlain Valley Athletic Conference MVP last season. Most of his points have come from his rifling shot.

He’s tallied an eye-opening 73 goals and 27 assists so far in his career, including his league-leading 17 goals this season, which is 11 more than any other Section VII player.

SLP boys head coach Josh Spanburgh has called Ayden McCormick “a deadly offensive player” that “every team has got to watch out for.”

“He has such a quick release and he finds the open parts of the net so well,” Spanburgh told the Enterprise in March.

SLP’s Braydon Harvey and Eli McCormick also scored Thursday, as Scottie Nicholas made 32 saves. Eli McCormick, Mackaid Nicholas and Gerald Woodruff each tallied an assist for SLP, which improved to 4-3-1 overall, but remains undefeated in league play.

The Cougars jumped out to a 1-0 advantage on Thursday when Josh Seymour found the back of the net early in the first period on an assist from Carter Garceau.

Early in the second period, Ayden McCormick evened the game with his first goal of the night. However, Northeastern Clinton’s Ben Bresnahan scored a few minutes later on a pass from Scott Wrye, to make the score 2-1.

But then SLP roared with three straight goals as Harvey closed out the second period with his sixth goal of the season. Goals by Ayden and Eli McCormick in the third period made it 4-2.

The Cougars’ Karsen Trim and Hayden Schad each scored a goal and tallied an assist to even the game at 4-4. Cobe LaFountain also had an assist, but Ayden McCormick’s goal in the final seconds ended Northeastern Clinton’s comeback bid.

SLP finished with a 43-36 advantage in shots, as the Cougars’ goalie, Camden Badger, had 38 saves. Northeastern Clinton dropped to 1-7 overall.

Up next, the SLP boys will take on the Beekmantown Eagles at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Plattsburgh State Field House.