SLP’s Emma Clark looks to make a play during a home game against Malone at the Saranac Lake Civic Center on Jan. 15. (News photo — Parker O’Brien)

SARANAC LAKE — After struggling to convert on its offensive chances, the Saranac Lake Placid girls hockey team might have found its groove on Jan. 15 against the Franklin Academy (Malone) Huskies. SLP connected on back-to-back goals in the third period, but mistakes early in the contest led to a 4-2 loss to the Huskies at the Saranac Lake Civic Center.

“It’s the first two goals we’ve had in three games,” SLP head coach Butch Martin said. “They seem to play a lot better in the third, but we’ve got to get traffic to the net. Sometimes we shoot, and there’s nobody there so the goalie is able to make the save. We keep telling them that, so we’re hoping they’ll do that sometime.”

After giving up four answered goals, SLP’s Emma Clark, a freshman, connected on a wrist shot to open her team’s scoring. Just a few seconds later — on the same shift — Marley Logan, a junior, rebounded the puck into the net off of Clark’s shot.

“We just told them, ‘Keep plugging away. You’re going to get there,” Martin said, “but it’s not going to be easy. It’s not a walk in the park. The effort has got to be there to make it happen. You can’t just show up and think it’s going to happen. You’ve got to make it happen.'”

Facing a 4-2 deficit, SLP nearly made it a one-score game when sophomore forward Stephanie Kilbourne-Hill stole the puck in the neutral zone before skating past two Malone players for a breakaway. Kilbourne-Hill’s shot was turned away by the Husky’s goalie, Reaghan Marlow.

“If Steph could have snuck that one in there … Wow,” Martin said.

Marlow had 15 saves in net, while SLP’s goalkeeper, Bradana Gilman, had another solid performance, recording 27 stops.

Adleigh Norman recorded one goal and three assists to pace Malone. Ava Boyea added two goals, while Olivia LaFlesh also scored. Ivy Niles chipped in with one assist.

Norman netted the game’s first goal at 8:37 into the opening period before Boyea buried a pair of goals in the second period to make the score 3-0. LaFlesh then netted her team’s final goal at 4:20 in the final period.

“Mistakes early cost us,” Martin said. “We skated well in the first and spots in the second, but to finish like that is good, especially going into the rest of the week.”

SLP, which dropped to 1-11-2, was slated to take on the Beekmantown Eagles at 5 p.m. on Jan. 19 at the Scott’s Memorial Rink in Chazy. SLP will then host back-to-back games against the Rockland Rockies this weekend. The contest on Jan. 20 is set for a 5 p.m. start, while the Jan. 21 game will kick off at 11:30 a.m. Both games will be at the 1932 Rink.