EHLP: Meredith leads Express over Warriors

Walpole, MA  - After what could only be described as a devastating loss to the New England Wolves earlier in the week, the Express Premier team was forced to regroup and reevaluate themselves as a group.  “It was certainly a low point,” Coach Polino said.  “Thankfully this early in the season there are plenty of opportunities to right the ship.”  After two solid days of practice, that's just what happened.   

“We were at a crossroad,” Polino said.  “There were two ways we could go and I’m proud of the direction the guys chose.”  Prior to the game on Saturday night, Coach Polino named Mike Meredith (Fredonia, NY) a new captain.  “Mike is the kind of young man that shows up everyday and goes above and beyond.  He works hard on and off the ice and even helps to train our youth players during their off-ice sessions.  The group already looked at him as a leader, I just thought it was time to make it official and reward him for his efforts.”  Meredith responded to his promotion better than could have been expected. 

After trailing early in the first, Meredith would score his first of the night to tie the game at 1.  The Warriors would quickly respond, but that would not stop the Express.  Jacob Crespo (Eastampton, NJ) would tie the game at 2 before Nick Terry (Taunton, MA) would give the Express their first lead of the night.  The period would end 3-2.  In the 2nd period, the Express and Warriors would battle back and forth, but Meredith would score again and extend the lead to 4-2.  Ryan Miller (Buffalo, NY) would score in the dying seconds of the period and give the Express a 5-2 lead heading into the third.  Miller would open scoring less than a minute into the final frame for his second of the night.  Meredith would then go on to score his third and forth goals of the contest.  The game would end with a final score of 9-3 after a goal from newcomer Justin Sommer (Olalla, WA).  Henry O’Brien would stop 14 shots in the winning effort. 

"It was a great team win all around, we had a game plan and stuck to it," Polino said. "Hopefully the team takes this victory in stride and we continue down this path for a good stretch of the season."