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Young guns fire for Red Storm hockey

Saranac Lake freshman Hugo Hobson advances the puck into the Westmont Hilltop end of the rink during second-period action Saturday at the Saranac Lake Civic Center. Pictured defending for Westmont Hilltop is Ian Snider (11). (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

SARANAC LAKE — After senior captain Austen Reyell buried five goals during a 6-3 victory on Friday, the youngsters came through for Saranac Lake’s hockey team Saturday to lead the Red Storm to a 4-2 triumph over Westmont Hilltop in a non-league matchup on home ice.

The win was the second in as many days for Saranac Lake, which improved to 3-1 in a lead up to league action, which kicks off this week.

Freshmen Bailey Bartholomew and Hugo Hobson combined for two goals and three assists, and Rhett Darrah and Camden Reiley added a goal each. Reiley also picked up one assist and Carter Sturgeon chipped in an assist.

Logan Webb netted both goals for the Hilltoppers, who made the trip to the North Country from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.

After a scoreless opening period, the teams combined to bury five pucks in the second, with four of those goals coming within a span of less than four minutes. The Hilltoppers got on the board first when Webb tallied 2:46 into the period when Webb tipped a puck past Saranac Lake goaltender Jaden Gladd from in close.

Senior Jaden Gladd steers aside shot with his blocker while Saranac Lake teammate Ben Munn looks on during the second period of Saturday’s game against Westmont Hilltop. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

Saranac Lake answered with the next two. Hobson got the Red Storm going, tipping a rebound into the net from the right side 6 minutes into the period to knot the score. The Red Storm took a 2-1 edge 1:18 later on Bartholomew’s first high school goal. On the play, Hobson slid a puck into the slot from behind the left side of the net to Bartholomew, who top-shelved a wrister into the far corner.

Webb buried his second at the 7:17 mark to tie the game at 2-2. That goal, however, was all the offense Westmont Hilltop could summon up the rest of the way. Darrah, a sophomore, netted the game-winner, scoring with just 10 seconds remaining in the middle period, and Reiley added an insurance tally with 6:28 remaining in the game on the lone goal of the third period.

The Red Storm finished with a 37-14 edge in shots on goal. Darren Replogle recorded 33 saves for the Hilltoppers and Gladd made 12 stops for Saranac Lake.

“It was a good win,” said Saranac Lake head coach Will Ellsworth, who praised the effort turned in by his younger skaters. “They played well.”

After earning three wins in for non-league wins to start the season, Saranac Lake now begins play in what looks to be a very competitive Champlain Valley Athletic Conference slate. The Red Storm starts things off by traveling Wednesday to face Northeastern Clinton, the defending Section VII champion. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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LAKE PLACID

LAKE PLACID — The Lake Placid hockey team played two competitive games over the weekend, but came up short of victories on both occasions.

Hosting Guilderland on Saturday and Westmont Hilltop Sunday at the Olympic Center, the Blue Bombers finished with a tie and a one-goal loss.

After falling behind 4-1 against the Guilderland Storm, Lake Placid clawed back in the third period to forge a deadlock.

Juniors Tyler Hinckley and Hunter Wilmot netted two goals and added an assist each to pace Lake Placid.

Hinckley lifted Lake Placid to a 1-0 edge with the only goal of the first period, and the Storm then came through with a dominating second, scoring four times to take a 4-1 advantage. The edge, however didn’t stand up as the Blue Bombers responded with three goals in the third, which came in a span of less than three minutes late in the game.

Hinckley netted his second of the game at the 10:17 mark to cut the Blue Bombers’ deficit to 4-2, and Wilmot followed with two straight goals, getting his first of the game at the 11:45 mark to make it a one-goal contest. Wilmot then buried his second of the game with 3:50 remaining in regulation on a score that ultimately made the game a 4-4 final.

Hayden Plank and Jarrett Hathaway picked up an assist each for the Blue Bombers. Anders Stanton finished with 24 saves between the pipes for Lake Placid.

The Blue Bombers then fell 2-1 to Westmont Hilltop on Sunday in a game played on the Olympic Center’s 1980 Herb Brooks Arena ice sheet.

In a close contest, the Hilltoppers took a 1-0 edge on a first-period goal by Gabe Ganslandt. The teams then scored once each in the second period. Wilmot tied the game at 1-1 at the 4:17 mark, and Lane McQuillan answered at the 8:56 mark, scoring what proved to be the game-winner for the Hilltoppers.

Tyler Hinckley and Brendan Bullock picked up assists on Wilmot’s goal.

Westmont finished with a 26-22 advantage in shots on goal. Darren Replogle made 21 saves to earn the win in nets, and Stanton recorded 24 stops in goal for the Blue Bombers.

Lake Placid, which is 0-3-1, starts CVAC play Tuesday on the road against Saranac Central. That game will be played at the Ameri-Can North Sports Center starting at 7 p.m.

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