SLC/OFA VARSITY HOCKEY SECTION X AT CLARKSON ARENA

Three-time defending champion St. Lawrence Central did’t intimidate upstart Ogdensburg Free Academy in the Section 10 hockey final on Monday.

“We beat the number-one ranked team in the state when we beat Salmon River in the semifinals and today we beat the number-five ranked team. It’s just been a matter of determination,” said coach Jon Frederick after the third-seeded Blue Devils reversed a pair of NAC regular season losses by rallying to down the top-seeded Larries 4-3 in overtime at Clarkson’s Cheel Arena.

“We were up 4-1 in our last game against them and they wound up coming back on us. Tonight, we stayed the course and finished the game,” he added. “We’re definitely peaking at the right time.”

With the win, OFA improved to 11-7-1 overall and ended a sectional championship drought that dates back to 1997. The Blue Devils now stand one win away from a long-awaited trip to the NYSPHAA Division II final four as they get set to host the winner of the Section 3 championship game between Auburn and Clinton next Saturday at their home rink starting at 3 p.m.

“We’ll be playing at the Dome and I’m sure we can make some noise at states,” noted Frederick after being lifted to the first sectional win of his 16-year career at the OFA helm.

The Blue Devils have been led offensively all season by the duo of Jared Barr (56 points) and Isaac Testani (51 points) but against the Larries, it was junior forward Zachry Thomas who emerged as the scoring hero. Thomas entered Monday’s game having only broken the plane three times this winter but nearly doubled his total after connecting for a pair, including the overtime winner.

“St. Lawrence Central played a hell of a game. They did a great job of shutting down our big guns which meant we were going to need someone else to step up for us and Zach wound up being that guy tonight,” noted Frederick.

After a scoreless first period, the Blue Devils broke through for the opening goal when Jordan Fennessy one-timed a lead pass from Barr into the back of the net from the bottom of the left face-off circle at 7:04 of the second.

The Larries countered with the next two goals as Carter Rose tied the game at the 11:35 mark assisted by Jah Robertson and Ian Bressett. Payton Felix tied the game with 1:00 left in the second period on a shot from the right wing. Rose picked up an assist on the go-ahead goal.

OFA pulled even just 1:07 into the third when Thomas knocked home a rebound through a scramble and the teams remained knotted at 2-2 until Bressett broke up the left wing and ripped a shot from the left face-off circle that was initially stopped by netminder Jacob Ball (26 saves) but wound up dropping down behind him and rolling across the goalline with 2:11 left in regulation.

The Blue Devils took advantage of some late success at the face-off dot to produce their second equalizer of the period. After controlling the puck deep in the SLC zone, the puck found its way onto the stick of Barr at the left point and he lofted a shot toward goal that found its way into the back of the net with just 1:09 left.

“Ogdensburg is a strong offensive team and toward the end of the game and into overtime, we lost five face-offs in a row and when that happens, you end up chasing the other team,” said SLC coach Mickey Locke.

“We got that late goal and the way we’ve been playing defensively, we figured we were in a pretty good position. Losing those face-offs gave them some momentum and they were able to take advantage,” he added.

After trading shots to open the overtime, Thomas controlled the puck along the right in the neutral zone, raced down the wing the sliced across the middle of the face-off circle and managed to get off a low shot from close range while fending off an SLC player.

“I just saw the puck going through the middle and knew I had a shot at getting it,” said Thomas, who finished off his rush toward goal by backhanding a low shot from close range past netminder Bransen Kinnear (20 saves) just 1:21 into the extra session.