Kenmore East's Luke Geraci (11), with the hard hit on Saranac's Nolan Miner (9), takes him off his feet and right to the ice, where he lies for a few minutes before getting back up. It would be the second game of the weekend for the Saranac Spartans as they would host another Section VI team at the Ameri-can North Arena as they continue the season's early start. The visiting Bulldogs would get the game's opening goal in the first couple of minutes for the 1-0 lead. Then, about the 4:30 mark of the game's opening period, the Spartans would tie the game up at one on the Ashtyn Catlin goal. Then, at the 6:17 mark of the period, Ashtyn Catlin would strike again for the Spartans to give them the 2-1 lead. Ten seconds later, the Bulldogs would tie the game up at two on the Evan Adair goal. The Spartan's offense would not go quietly, though, as they would retake the lead with 6 minutes left in the period on the Brody Macomber goal to make it a 3-2 Spartans lead, and that's where the first period would end. When the teams return for the second period, the defense would be the game's name as both teams would have their chances to score, but the Bulldogs would have the lone goal of the period just three minutes in to tie the game up at three. The Bulldogs would come up for the third period looking for the go-ahead goal and get it at the 5:25 mark from Ben Martin for the 4-3 lead. The game would stay there till the 10:06 mark of the period when the Spartans would tie the game up at four on the Nolan Miner. The Spartans would keep coming, and they would get their lead back at the 13:15 mark of the Gabe Moore goal and make it 5-4. Then, with just over a minute left in the game, Ashtyn Catlin would come down on the breakaway and beat the Bulldogs netminder to complete the hat trick and give the Spartans the 6-4 win. In the winning effort, Ashtyn Catlin would have three goals, and Brody Macomber would have three-point nights with a goal and two assists as they go 3-1 on the season as they head into the St. Albans tournament next weekend. As for the Kenmore East Bulldogs, they suffer their first loss of the season and go 2-1 as they head back into sectional play next week. Gallery

Saranac's Ashtyn Catlin breaks on the goalie and puts it high for his third goal of the game in the win for the Spartans. Gallery

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