DELMAR — The Saratoga Springs varsity boys hockey team picked up a pair of big road victories last week, shutting out both Bethlehem and CBA to win their fourth consecutive game.
Stats/summary of both contests:
Jan. 11: Saratoga 2, Bethlehem 0
The game was scoreless through the first two periods, with both Saratoga’s Xander Clarke and Bethlehem’s Rory Cairns standing tall in their respective goals. In the third period, however, the Blue Streaks broke through.
Saratoga took a 1-0 lead with 7:44 remaining, after senior Payton Borak beat Cairns with a shot assisted by Hunter Bradley and Jake Badar. It is Borak’s fifth consecutive game scoring a goal for the Blue Streaks.
The visitors kept momentum on their side and scored again to extend the lead just over two minutes later. Senior forward Charlie Oke finished off a feed from Badar to give Saratoga a 2-0 lead with 5:32 left to play.
Clarke stood tall in net, and the dynamic Eagles’ offense was unable to break through, with the Blue Streaks holding on for a 2-0 victory.
Borak and Oke scored for Saratoga, with Badar assisting on both goals. Bradley also picked up an assist, while Clarke stopped 29 shots en route to his first high school shutout in goal.
Cairns made 34 saves on 36 shots for Bethlehem in the loss. Wednesday’s game was the first time the Eagles have been shutout since a 3-0 loss to Shenendehowa on Jan. 19, 2022.
Jan. 13: Saratoga 5, CBA 0
The Blue Streaks jumped out to a 2-0 lead at the end of the first period, and never looked back. A goal by junior forward Patrick Temple gave Saratoga a 1-0 lead roughly halfway through the period, and just under four minutes later, Borak finished a feed by Jake Badar to give the Blue Streaks a two-goal advantage.
Borak added his second goal early in the second period and completed the natural hat trick by scoring his third with 13:20 left in the period, giving Saratoga a commanding 4-0 lead after two.
Freshman forward Maddox Pemrick added another goal for the Blue Streaks in the third period, and goaltender Xander Clarke stood tall in net to finish the 5-0 victory for Saratoga.
Borak scored three goals for Saratoga in the win, while Badar recorded three assists. Pemrick and Temple each scored a goal, with Jayson Carpenter, Frank Klaus, and Hunter Bradley adding assists. Clarke made 12 saves for the shutout in goal.
Saratoga (5-6-1 overall, 3-3-1 CDHSHL) hosts Albany Academy at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
