Grand Island's Chris Swain (1) with the pad save on Saranac's Ashtyn Catlin's wrister in close on the net. The Saranac Spartans would start the home portion of their 2024-2025 campaign after a perfect 2-0 weekend in Syracuse as they would welcome in Section VI foe and Division 1 team, the Grand Island Vikings. The game would start well for the visiting Vikings as they would get the opening goal in the first 90 seconds from Kyle Kowalczewski for the 1-0 lead. The game would stay there til midway through the period when the Vikings would extend their lead to 2-0 on the Ricky Kwarciak goal, and that's where the first period would end. The Spartans would get on the board at the 5:46 mark of the second period when Evan Patrie would find the net on the wrister and make it a 2-1 game. Then, about 30 seconds later, the Spartans would tie the game at two on the Ryan Campbell goal. The Vikings would return and retake the lead at 3-2 on the powerplay goal from Jaxon Montana. Then, after a miscue in the Spartan's end, the Vikings would break out on the breakaway, and Donovan Heacock would score to make it a 4-2 Vikings game with about 2:30 left in the second period, and that's where the period would end. The Spartans would make it a 4-3 one-goal game just 2:31 into the third period on the Ashtyn Catlin goal. The Spartans would have their chances through the rest of the period, including a couple of powerplays and even five-on-three powerplays, but they could not get the equalizer on the night, and the Vikings would get the 4-3 win. In the winning effort, the Grand Island Vikings go to 2-0-1 on the season as they head into their game against Germantown. As for the Saranac Spartans, they fall to 2-1 on the season as they will take on another section 6 team, the Kenmore East Bulldogs, tomorrow back at AC North Arena. Gallery

Saranac's Ashtyn Catlin (11) stuffs it past Grand Island's Chris Swain (1) as he makes it a one-goal game early in the third period. Gallery