The Lockport Express Junior A hockey organization opened its 2016-17 North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) season on Friday night with a 6-2 victory over the Southern Tier Express at the Cornerstone CFCU Arena downtown.
Jamestown native Joe Gerace opened the scoring for Southern Tier at the 16:37 mark of the first period.
Head coach Brian Becker’s Lockport Express team responded with six straight goals — three in the second period, then three more in the third — to skate away with the game and open the season 1-0 in the NA3HL’s Northeast Division.
Niagara Falls’ Dominic Senese (three assists) tied the game at 1-1 with a goal just 44 seconds into the second period.
Wheatfield native Ryan Metzler made it 2-1 Lockport midway through the period, then Lewiston native Andrew Logar scored the first of his two goals on the night — and the eventual game-winner — at the 11:48 mark.
Logar opened the third period with a goal four minutes in, the Lockport’s Luca Mazzo out of Toronto made it 5-1 Lockport with a goal at the 12:11 mark.
Lockport’s Ian Bressett out of Potsdam netted his team’s sixth ands final goal with just under five minutes to go in the game.
Southern Tier’s Matt Crosby, an Erie, Pa. native, rounded out the scoring with a goal for the visitors with about three-and-a-half minutes to go in the game.
Last month, the Lockport Express announced that they reached an affiliation agreement with the NAHL’s Odessa Jackalopes.
Lockport is in the NA3HL’s Northeast Division, along with the Kings, Royals, Stampede and Wildcats, as well as the Binghamton Junior Senators.
Last year, Lockport finished 19-18-7 in 2015-16, placing fourth in the NA3EHL’s West Division. They qualified for the playoffs, losing their West Semifinal best-of-three series to the Jersey Shore Wildcats, 2-0.
The Lockport Express are scheduled to host a home & home weekend doubleheader against the Roc City Royals at 8 p.m. this Saturday at the Cornerstone; and again at 7:30 p.m. this Sunday at the Lakeshore Hockey Arena.
The North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL), is one of 11 USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier III Junior leagues.
