(Walpole, MA) -- Since returning from the holiday break, the Walpole Express A team has posted a 3-1 record in four league games. The post-holiday action resumed January 20, 2010 when the team handed the Boston Bulldogs a 3-2 loss at Iorio Arena. Goals from Steve Charest, Michael Steele and the game winner from returning Russian star Georgiy Gurianov fueled the Express. The team then hit the road that weekend to face the Portland Jr. Pirates in Saco, Maine. Relying on strong defense and goaltending, the Express downed the Pirates 4-1. Gurianov contributed two goals, including the game winner, and Jake Brightbill also hit the back of the net. On Sunday, January 24 the Express' luck ran out. In a Salem, N.H.-rematch with the Bulldogs, the Bulldogs emerged on top in the 3-0 win thanks to some timely goals and stringent goaltending from Raimonds Ermics who stopped all 52 Express shots.

After regrouping with a good week of practice, the A team geared up for another tough road test against rival Northern Cyclones in Hudson, N.H. In what has become the customary seesaw battle with the Cyclones, the teams traded goals in both the first and second period. Walpole got on the board first when Steele put home his own rebound off the rush to give the Express a 1-0 lead. Just over two minutes later, the Cyclones tied the score at 1-1 when they connected on the first of their nine power-play chances. Walpole regained the lead with a Lou Malvasi tally. Matt Harington forced a turnover just inside the Cyclones blue line and fed Cody Armstrong who then made a nice goalmouth pass to Malvasi.

With just under five minutes remaining in the second, Walpole was saddled with the first of two five-minute major penalties. The Cyclones capitalized, scoring at 18:36 of the second and sending the teams to the locker room again tied. Gurianov got the play started by beating two Cyclones players from behind the net and making a nice crease pass to Charest. He got off a shot that was stopped in tight but newcomer Danny McAuliffe, who was recently aquired in a trade from Portland, was there to jam home the rebound and ultimate game winner. The score remained 3-2 in favor of the Express but with just under five minutes to go the Walpole team was hit with another five-minute major giving the Cyclones a man advantage for the remainder of regulation time.

“I can’t say enough about the job our penalty killing unit did the whole game," said Coach Tony Dalessio. "Regardless of the calls, the PK had a job to do and when it counted they got it done. Armstrong, Harrington, Malvasi and Austin Grosvenor, along with all of our defenseman, did a great job of keeping them on the perimeter and forcing them.” The Express killed roughly half of the major when the Cyclones called time out with the face-off in the Express zone. Harrington won the face-off cleanly to Ben Oskroba who split the Cyclones' defense with his clearing shot into the empty net, which sealed the victory for Walpole.

“Harrington won three or four key face-offs during that major, and goalie Derek Kump was, as usual, excellent making key saves and controlling his rebounds," Dalessio said. "The Cyclone's have a strong power play. They have skill and can shoot the puck and our guys did all they could to hold them off. To kill off two majors and seven minors with a PP like theirs is a testament to our effort.”

The Express return to action with back-to-back home games this week -- contests that follow on the heels of Sunday's AJHL All-Star game, which featured seven Express players. On Tuesday, February 2, the Express welcome the Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack to Iorio Arena for their final regular-season game, set for 6:50 pm. On Wednesday, the Express meet the Cyclones at Iorio at 7:30pm. Then, the Express head up to Laconia to take on the Leafs at Laconia Ice Arena on Friday at 7:00 pm.

Commitments

In other news, forward Austin Grosvenor of Caledonia, MI, has committed to play for Coach Mark Ostapina at the Milwaukee School of Engineering for the 2010-2011 season. The right shot has played with the Express for three years.