Beekmantown outlasts PHS for Section VII hockey title

PLATTSBURGH | All goals count the same, and while Mason Carter's sectional championship game-winner won't make any highlight reels, he was just fine with that. Carter's centering pass from along the goal line ricocheted off a defender's skate and into the net to give Beekmantown a 3-1 lead with 8:24 remaining. The Eagles held off Plattsburgh High 3-2 to win the Section VII Division II boys hockey championship Monday at Stafford Ice Arena. "In practice, I've been working on a little shot from the goal line because goalies hate it when you throw it at their feet," Carter said. "And I actually meant to pass it to Edward (Sweenor) out front, and it ended up going off a Plattsburgh kid's skate and went in. But a goal's a goal, so." The Hornets (13-6-2) answered only 25 seconds later, when Alex Hanshaw hammered home a one-timer from the right point. Plattsburgh goaltender Owen Chapple skated to the bench for an extra attacker with about one minute remaining, as the Hornets pushed for an equalizing goal. Despite multiple offensive-zone faceoffs, Plattsburgh was unable to get the game-tying goal past Beekmantown netminder Jack Bell. The junior, who finished with 26 saves, stood tall late to close out the game. "Jack's been steady for us all year," Eagles head coach Justin Frechette said. "This is his third sectional championship game. I told him before the game, 'You have the experience. You've been in these moments. Just go out and let it rip.'" Sweenor gave Beekmantown a 2-1 lead with 11:40 left in the second period. The goal came less than three minutes after Westen Studley put the Hornets on the scoreboard. Studley received a pass in the high slot, went to his backhand to evade an Eagles defender and slipped a low shot off the near-side post for his fourth goal of the season. Carter was responsible for opening the scoring just past the midway mark of the first period. Beekmantown won a scrum along the boards, and Carter delivered a rising shot from the top of the right circle. Chapple got a piece, but the shot glanced off his blocker and across the goal line. After going a combined 15-41-6 over the previous three seasons, Plattsburgh came one goal shy of forcing overtime in the sectional final. Trevor Cameron, who was presented with the CVAC's Gary Ryan Coach of the Year award after the game, commended his team's effort following his first season behind the Hornets' bench. "Hey, I thought we battled hard," Cameron said. "I'm proud of our boys. They always leave it all on the ice. "We had some great players returning from last year, so we knew we had a foundation to build on. We don't have a lot of numbers, but the biggest piece to our team is its character. I think that had a lot to do with the special run we made." The Eagles (14-6-2) advanced to face Section X's Franklin Academy in a NYSPHSAA regional on Saturday at Stafford Ice Arena. The two North Country teams met during the regular season, with Beekmantown suffering a 6-0 loss on Dec. 30. Franklin Academy (18-1-2), No. 5 in the latest New York State Sportswriters Association Division II rankings, defeated No. 7 Ogdensburg Free Academy 3-1 on Monday. "It's about a one-game scenario at this point," Frechette said. "What happened at the beginning of the season has no bearing. When we line up to play and drop the puck, we've got to come out and be ready to go. "And again, I want to congratulate Plattsburgh on a great season. Some very good players in that locker room. It wasn't easy tonight. We knew it wouldn't be, but we stuck to our process and it paid off."

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Beekmantown outlasts PHS for Section VII hockey title

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