(Walpole, MA) -- The Walpole Express hit a few minor potholes this weekend with the A team coming up a little short in their two-game contest against the Portland Junior Pirates. The team lost Saturday’s game 4-3 but won decisively on Sunday, 8-2 at Iorio Arena. The B Team earned the victory in both of its games -- winning on Saturday, 5-2 and on Sunday, 7-1 on the road against the Binghamton Junior Senators.

Junior A Wrap-Up
In Saturday’s game, the Express battled back from a 2-0 deficit to even the score, and then traded third-period goals before Portland capitalized on a late power play goal to earn the win. Steve Charest had one goal and one assist. Erick Vos and Adam Korol also scored for the Express.

On Sunday, the Express jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on goals by newcomer Ricky Hanson, who scored twice in the game, and Erick Vos. Though Portland cut that lead in half before the second period ended, the Express opened up the game in the third period with six goals. Cody Armstrong, Ed Rohaly, Mico Solorzano, Jeb Goddard and Matt Harrington each had goals in the third. Netminder Travis Owens earned his first win with 26 saves.

“We had and inconsistent weekend,” said Express Junior A Team Head Coach Mark Kumpel. “On Saturday, we left two points on the table and saw Portland outwork us. Fortunately, we were able to bounce back nicely on Sunday with a strong performance by Owens in net and several guys who chipped in offensively. Now, it’s back for a hard week of practice to prepare for another showcase weekend featuring three tough games.”

Junior B Wrap-Up
Saturday’s road game against the Binghamton Junior Senators was filled with penalties as the teams traded power play goals in the first two periods. The Express finally opened it up in the third scoring three unanswered goals to secure the win. Georgiy Gurianov and Chris Comprosky each racked up two goals and Matt Bletzer contributed one.

On Sunday, the team was on fire, opening with a 4-0 lead by the end of the first period and steamrolling the competition the rest of the game for a 7-1 victory despite a spate of recent injuries and illnesses. “Several of our forwards have been under the weather so two of our defensemen, Elliot Bock and James Hubbard, stepped in and did a great job,” said Express GM and Junior B Head Coach Tony Dalessio.

Georgiy Gurianov and Kevin Hanlon each had two goals, and Shaun Gould, Jordan Fragoza and JJ Carroll also scored. Defenseman Joobin Mozaffarimehr recorded three assists. Goalie Zach Andrews made 17 saves on Saturday and 14 on Sunday while the Express had 43 shots on net on Saturday and 74 on Sunday.

“I’m really proud of our guys,” Dalessio said. “Binghamton is a challenging place to play. They draw a nice crowd and their team is tough. They have improved significantly since we saw them in September. Now, with Binghamton behind us, we’re preparing for our most difficult challenge yet – a weekend showcase against three very strong teams: the Long Island Royals; the Central Pennsylvania Panthers; and Valley Forge. My team understands that these match-ups will test our players more than they have been tested so far this season. I am confident our guys are ready to meet the challenge.”