It’s three up and three down for the Lockport Express junior A hockey team.
Head coach Brian Becker’s Express earned their third straight NA3HL win of the season without a loss with a weekend home-and-home sweep over the Roc City Royals.
On Sunday night, the Express went to a shootout to defeat the host Royals, 7-6, at the Lakeshore Hockey Arena. Lockport hosted the Royals on Saturday night at the Cornerstone CFCU Arena and skated away with a 4-2 victory.
Luca Mazzo scored Lockport’s first goal on Sunday, his third of the season, assisted by Dominic Senese and Nick Grupp, but the Royals tied it at 1-1 after one period on a goal by Aidan Connolly.
The Express tallied two more goals in the second, both by Andrew Logar, his fourth and fifth of the young season, the first assisted by Anthony Tomassi and the second by Senese and Mazzo. But the Express trailed after two periods, 4-3.
Lockport responded with a three-goal third period to force overtime and ultimately, the shootout. Senese scored twice the first one from Mazzo, and the second from winning goalie Adam Partridge. Then, trailing by a goal late, Lockport’s Aaron Shahin netted his second of the season to tie it, assisted by Senese.
Brandon Schweickert scored the game-winning shootout goal for Lockport and Partridge made 52 stops in a brilliant night in goal. Freddy Peters made 23 saves in goal for the Royals.
On Saturday night, the Express got two goals from Senese and singletons from Shahin and Mazzo.
Sam Fitzpatrick was the winning goalie for Lockport, making 42 saves.
Next up, the Express hit the road to take on the defending champion Jersey Shore Wildcats. The Express will play games at 8 p.m. this Friday and 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
