SLP advanced to the title tilt with a 7-2 victory over the Eagles in semifinal action Saturday at the Saranac Lake Civic Center.

The top-seeded hosts were led by a hat trick from Dylan Amell, and received a goal each from Rhett Darrah, Jon Kratz, Tyler Hinckley and Hugo Hobson.

“”We got off to a really good start, and we played with a lot of energy,” SLP head coach Keith Clark said. “Our older guys, our seniors, did a really good job tonight. It was just a really good effort from start to finish.”

Amell got SLP going with a short-handed goal 6:59 into the game, and the Saranac Lake High School senior then sent his team into the first intermission with a 2-0 lead after netting his second with two minutes left in the opening period.

SLP’s Dylan Amell and Beekmantown’s Cody Repas (9) collide during the third period of Saturday’s game. Also pictured is Eagles’ defender Trent Trahan. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

“Basically, we just told everyone to come out flying, and play the best you can,” Amell said. “The first goal I got, pretty lucky in a penalty kill and got us going, and after that the boys just started rolling.”

SLP took firm command of the game with a pair of quick goals early in the second. Darrah gave SLP a 3-0 edge when he scored at the 2:51 mark of the second and Kratz made it 4-0 when he buried a shot 25 seconds later that deflected off an Eagles defender.

Hinckley tallied on a power-play with 4:47 left in the second to give SLP a 5-0 lead heading into the final period.

The teams each scored twice in the third. Dalton Kane and Collin Latinville netted Beekmantown’s goals and Hobson and Amell answered for SLP. Amell scored the last goal of the game and his 19th of the season on a power play with 2:27 remaining to complete his hat trick.

On a dominating evening, SLP out shot Beekmantown 59-13.

Saranac Lake Placid defenseman Ben Munn skates with the puck while Nolan Latinville gives chase for Beekmantown during Section VII semifinal action Saturday. (Enterprise photo — Lou Reuter)

“We were rested, ready to go and came out flying. Our energy was super, super good,” said SLP senior forward Camden Reiley. “We had a couple seniors, Dylan Amell especially, step up when we really needed him, putting in that short-handed goal to get us rolling. We didn’t let off the pressure. We grinded away tonight and beat them heavily because of that.”

“We were playing really fast today, and that kind of dictated the play, and we were moving the puck really well,” Clark said. “Playing fast and moving the puck, — that combination can be really effective. We’re really impressed with how the kids played. We had some firepower today.”

Riley Hansen recorded 52 saves in goal for the Eagles and Anders Stanton stopped 11 shots to earn the win between the pipes for SLP.

Sophomores Bailey Bartholomew and Carter Sturgeon were big play makers for SLP, finishing with three assists each. Ben Munn added a pair of assists in the win, and Nick Munn chipped in one assist.

“Credit to SLP. I thought they did a great job tonight and deserved to win that game,” said Beekmantown head coach Justin Frechette, whose team finished the season with a 9-11-2 record. “They are a senior-laden team, and I thought they did a great job from start to finish. They won every phase of that hockey game and they are going to be a tough out for any team they play.

“I think we definitely did everything we could tonight. We have a young team with four seniors,” Frechette added. “I thought our kids battled. In the third period we played them 2-2, and I was proud of the character the kids showed continuing to play for a full 45.”

SLP will play Saranac Central on Tuesday for the Section VII crown. The game takes place at SUNY Plattsburgh’s Stafford Arena with the opening faceoff slated for 7:45 p.m.

SLP enters the final with a 14-6-1 record. The Chiefs advanced to the championship game with a 5-4 overtime upset victory over Northeastern Clinton in a semifinal contest on the Cougars ice Thursday.