Walpole Express
The Walpole Express is a junior, 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, located just 2 miles from Gillette Stadium.
Junior teams
Most notably, the Express field teams in the Tier III junior Eastern Hockey League and the EHL's Premier Division. In 2014, the organization added a women's junior team which participates in the Eastern Women's Hockey Conference.The EHL team is coached by Cody Campbell. The EHL teams was previously coached by former professional player and Huntsville Havoc captain Jon Lounsbury and Olympian and NHL alumni Mark Kumpel. The EWHC team is coached by former Boston College forward Danielle Doherty, who replaced Anya Battaglino, who was playing with the Connecticut Whale of the NWHL.
The Express AJHL team captured three consecutive President's Cup Championships, the AJHL Regular Season Championship two of those years, and the 2010 AJHL North Division Championship. The now EHL-19U Elite team 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
Youth teams
The Express field numerous half and full-season youth teams ranging from U14 through U18. The program is led by Ottawa Senators Scout, Todd Stirling.Girls youth teams
The Express girls teams provide an opportunity for girls from Walpole 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 guidelines and participates in the Rodman Arena Mite Development League, 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. 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.
Alumni
The Walpole Express have produced a number of alumni playing in higher levels of, NCAA Division I, Division III college and professional programs.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 |