CHAZY — If you ask the Beekmantown girls’ hockey team, it’s peaking at the right time.
Friday and Saturday marked the last two regular season games for the Eagles at Scott’s Memorial Rink, and it sent it out in fashion with two wins.
And the team is doing it non-ideal circumstances as players have been lost for the season due to injuries. But the girls are pushing forward.
“The girls are stepping up,” Beekmantown head coach Al Ruest said. “They’re accepting their assignments, and they’re pulling together like a team. That’s the most important part.
“We are down a few key players, but we’re a team first, and we’re very strong in that aspect. and the girls are reacting appropriately and doing what we need them to do.”
After a come-from-behind win against Potsdam on Friday and a dominant win against Lebanon on Saturday, the Eagles sit at 14-3-1, ranking them third in the state.
FRIDAY
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and that’s what it was at the rink Friday as Beekmantown found itself down 1-0 to Potsdam early in the third period.
The Eagles were trying to avenge a Dec. 28 loss to the Sandstoners in the Saranac Lake-Placid Tournament. In that game, Potsdam won 2-1.
“We just weren’t ourselves that first game, and it was early in the season,” Katie McCormick said. “Now, we’re playing like we’re capable of doing what we need to do. We have all the confidence right now.”
Sophia Amaya-Gutierrez hit another level as she scored two goals in a matter of minutes to give Beekmantown the lead for good.
“I honestly just wanted to go hard to the net and just drive it home,” Amaya-Gutierrez said. “I mean, we were already on short shifts, so I just wanted to get a goal and thought we could get more opportunities after that.”
The first goal was a back-and-forth between her and Avery Parker that went top shelf. The second goal happened on a penalty kill where Amaya-Gutierrez jumped in front of a pass and found herself on a breakaway one-on-one against the goaltender.
“Well, I think, I think the win against them (Friday) was huge,” Ruest said. “They realized that, as a team, they can come together and they can still get it done. and I think if they keep playing with confidence, I think we have good chance to be successful.”
SATURDAY
While the Eagles scored two goals in every period to win, it had extra meaning for six girls: It would be the last time they played at Scott’s Memorial Rink.
“I’ve been here for a long time and playing with the same girls for so many years,” Parker said. “It feels really good. It’s just one big family, like we’re all together and just love each other.”
“It was just surreal to be stepping on the ice for the last time,” McCormick added. “I’ve played here for so long that I can’t believe this was my last game here.”
McCormick, Meegan Burdo and Ellie Fullum each scored two goals as Beekmantown pulled away from Lebanon, 6-2.
After every goal scored, the team skated by their bench to celebrate. The last stop was with goaltender Kori-Lynn Lamoy, who gave each player a hug.
“I used to give fist bumps after they scored,” Lamoy said. “But this is my senior year, and I wanted to do something different, so I went with giving hugs.”
Lebanon presented a balanced attack as the shot difference went 23-20 in favor of the Eagles, but Beekmantown was more efficient.
Fullum opened the scoring with a goal in the first period, followed by Burdo to push the lead to 2-0.
McCormick, followed by Fullum, scored to push the lead to 4-0 before Lebanon got on the board.
With the shorter shifts, the Eagles were relying on younger players to step up to keep the season alive.
“They’ve really stepped up when we’ve needed it. Everyone has,” Burdo said. “And I feel confident with the remainder of the season that we’ll be OK. Next year, there will be some holes to fill, obviously, but these girls can manage that.”
With the win, the Eagles move to the rubber match against Potsdam, which will be played in Potsdam on Friday.
It’s entirely possible that the teams could face off a fourth time if both teams win their respective sectional matchup.
While the possibility is there, Beekmantown is just looking at Friday’s game.
Ruest took a minute to appreciate his six seniors: Amaya Abellard, McCormick, Parker, Amaya-Gutierrez, Lamoy and Burdo.
“A lot of these girls I’ve coached, not only at high school, but I’ve coached when they were much younger, as well, for short periods,” Ruest said. “They’re the last group that’s coming through that I coached other than teams, other than high school. They’re almost family. They really are a great group, and they’re going to be missed by me a lot. They mean the world to me, to be honest with you. I hope they’re all very successful wherever they go.”
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Friday
Beekmantown 2, Potsdam 1
BCS 0 0 2 – 2
POT 0 1 0 – 1
Second Period- 1. POT, Desrosiers (Pitts), 9:49
Third Period- 2. BCS, Amaya-Gutierrez (Parker, McCormick) 6:30. 3. BCS, Amaya-Gutierrez, SH, 4:09
Shots- Potsdam, 21-19
Saves- Lamoy, BCS, 20. Shown, POT, 17
Saturday
Beekmantown 6, Lebanon 2
BCS 2 2 2 – 6
LEB 0 1 1 – 2
First Period- 1. BCS, Fullum (Kalvaitis), 13:56. 2. BCS, Burdo (Amaya-Gutierrez), 0:23
Second Period- 3. BCS, McCormick, 12:05. 4. BCS, Fullum (Peryer, Moore) 11:21. 5. LEB. Forman (Olen) 6:03
Third Period- 6. BCS, McCormick (Fullum), 14:43. 7. BCS, Burdo, PP (Bilow, Peryer) 10:33. 8. LEB, Clery, 2:25
Shots- Beekmantown, 23-20
Saves- Lamoy, BCS, 21. Hanover, LEB, 24