Express Hockey Club
| Walpole Express | |
|---|---|
| File:Walpole Express Logo.png | |
| City | Walpole, Massachusetts |
| League | EHL NEWJHL |
| Conference | North Conference |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Home arena | Rodman Arena |
| Colors | Red, White, Black |
| Owner(s) | Rob Barletta |
| Head coach | Jon Lounsbury (EHL-Premier & Elite) Danielle Doherty (NEWJHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 2005–present | Walpole Express |
| Championships | |
| Playoff championships | AJHL: 2010, 2011, 2012 |
The Walpole Express is a Junior, Midget, Youth, and Girls hockey organization based in Walpole, Massachusetts. The teams play their home games at the Rodman Arena formally known as the Iorio Arena,[1] located just 2 miles from Gillette Stadium.
Junior teams
Most notably, the Express field two Tier III junior teams in the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) (formerly the Atlantic Junior Hockey League) in the Premier and Elite Divisions. In 2014 the organization added a women's Junior team which participates in the New England Women's Junior Hockey League (NEWJHL).[2]
The Premier and Elite teams are coached by former pro and Huntsville Havoc captain Jon Lounsbury, who took over the coaching duties from Olympian and NHL alumni Mark Kumpel when he accepted the position of Director of Hockey Operations for the Eastern Hockey League. The Express Associate Coaches are former Buffalo Sabres skating coach Matt Rogers and Northeast Goaltending Development director Clayton Adams.
The newly formed NEWJHL team is coached by former Boston Blades Pro Defenseman Anya Battaglino, who was also a member of the Boston University Terriers Women's Team.[3]
The Express AJHL team captured three consecutive President's Cup Championships (2010, 2011, and 2012), the AJHL Regular Season Championship two of those years (2011 and 2012), and the 2010 AJHL North Division Championship. The now EHL-19U Elite team (formerly in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League until 2015) has also won the 2009 MJHL Regular Season Championship and 2011 MJHL Francis Division Championship under general manager and coach Tony Dalessio.
Season-by-season records
| Season | GP | W | L | T | OTL | Pts | GF | GA | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Junior Hockey League | ||||||||||
| 2005–06 | 42 | 10 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 133 | 227 | 10th of 11, AJHL | Did not qualify |
| 2006–07 | 44 | 22 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 45 | 185 | 165 | 3rd of 6, North 7th of 12, AJHL |
|
| 2007–08 | 45 | 26 | 18 | 0 | 1 | 53 | 163 | 129 | 4th of 6, North 6th of 11, AJHL |
|
| 2008–09 | 42 | 25 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 55 | 136 | 91 | 3rd of 6, North 5th of 12, AJHL |
|
| 2009–10 | 42 | 34 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 72 | 180 | 73 | 1st of 6, North 2nd of 12, AJHL |
League Champions |
| 2010–11 | 44 | 38 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 79 | 187 | 67 | 1st of 6, North 1st of 12, AJHL |
League Champions |
| 2011–12 | 44 | 38 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 77 | 162 | 65 | 1st of 12, AJHL | League Champions |
| 2012–13 | 44 | 29 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 62 | 163 | 94 | 2nd of 12, AJHL | Lost Quarterfinals, 0-2 vs. New Jersey Rockets |
| Eastern Hockey League | ||||||||||
| 2013–14 | 44 | 13 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 35 | 110 | 150 | 6th of 6, Central Div. 15th of 17, EHL |
Lost Round 1, 0-2 vs. Philadelphia Little Flyers |
| 2014–15 | 44 | 29 | 9 | — | 6 | 64 | 154 | 121 | 1st of 5, Boston Div. 5th of 19, EHL |
Won Round 1, 2-0 vs. Vermont Lumberjacks Lost Quarterfinals, 0-2 vs. Connecticut Oilers |
| 2015–16 | 41 | 20 | 13 | — | 8 | 48 | 116 | 107 | 4th of 9, North Conf. 9th of 18, EHL-Premier |
Won First Round, 2-0 vs. Boston Junior Rangers Won Second Round, 2-0 vs. Boston Bandits Lost Semifinals, 0-2 vs. Philadelphia Little Flyers |
Midget & Select Teams
The Express field numerous Tier I and Tier II National Bound Midget teams ranging from U14 through U18. In addition to the midget teams, Spring and Fall Select teams are also entered into various area tournaments. The Midget and Select programs are run by longtime Northeast Elite Hockey director, Rob Reilly.
Girls Youth Teams
The Express girls teams provide an opportunity for girls from Walpole, MA and surrounding towns to learn and excel at the game of hockey in a positive, fun and competitive environment which stresses teamwork and sportsmanship. The organization promotes player development for all players. There are nine all-girls teams including the U16/19 level, U14 level, U12 level, U10 level, and U8 level. The season runs roughly from early September through mid March. The U16/19 teams are half-season teams, who end their season at Thanksgiving so the players can play on their high school hockey teams.
The U8 team follows USA Hockey's American Development Model (ADM) guidelines and participates in the Rodman Arena Mite Development League (MDL), a half-ice hockey league for U8 players. The U10 through U19 teams play out of the exceptionally well organized Middlesex Yankee Conference. The league offers four divisions including U10, U12, U14, and a half season for U19. The league consists of approximately 100 teams, broken down into four divisions (based on age and ability). Our program has entered two teams in the U10 division, two teams in the U12 division, two teams in the U14 division and two teams in the U19 division. The league has parity rounds and make games as competitive as possible.
Both the U10 and U12 Major teams are Tier 2 state-bound teams and compete in Mass Hockey's Tier 2 State Tournament in March. The U14 Major team is a Tier 2 national-bound team competing in Mass Hockey's Tier 2 State Tournament for a chance to participate in the National Tournament in April.
Alumni
The Walpole Express have produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of, NCAA Division I, Division III college and professional programs.[4]
| Player | Team | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Max MacKay | Wheeling Nailers, Bridgeport Sound Tigers | ECHL, American Hockey League |
| Matt Harrington | Mississippi Riverkings, Cape Cod Bluefins | SPHL, Federal Hockey League |
| Ben Oskroba | Peoria Rivermen, Northeastern University | SPHL, D-I |
| Georgiy Gurianov | HC CSKA Moscow | KHL |
| Jake Brightbill | Sacred Heart University | D-I |
| Zach Andrews | UMass Boston | D-I |
| Chris Comprosky | UMass Boston | D-I |
| Derek Kump | Holy Cross | D-I |
| Erick Vos | Holy Cross | D-I |
| Charles LaChance | AIC | D-I |
| Steve Charest | Utica College | D-III |
| Lou Malvasi | Utica College | D-III |
| Cody Armstrong | Tufts | D-III |
| Matt Venoit | Penn State | D-I |
| Brian Greene | Castleton State | D-III |
References
- ^ "Iorio Arena to be Known as Rodman Arena". RodmanArena.com. 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2014-05-17.
- ^ "Express To Host Girls Junior Team in Newly Formed NEWJHL".
- ^ "Boston Blades Anya Battaglino Joins Walpole Express Girls Coaching Staff".
- ^ "Walpole Express Alumni List".