Portland Junior Pirates

MARLBORO, MA- After an extended and restful break, one way a team can fire up their competitive juices again is to play top notch competition. Both the Junior A & B Pirates will do just that when they will compete in the Eastern Junior Hockey Winter Showcase in Marlboro, MA from January 3-6, 2008. This tournament will feature several teams from several Junior A & B leagues across the eastern half of the United States. It is a showcase that is always heavily scouted and represented by college and NHL scouts.

The Junior A team, who sit atop in first place in the Northern Division in the Atlantic Junior Hockey League (AJHL), will square off against the iron of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL). On Thursday (3^rd), they will take on the Green Mountain Glades. On Saturday (5^th), they will have a rematch against the Junior Bruins, whom the Pirates beat at the Valley Junior Warrior tournament in the finals in early November. On Sunday (6^th), they will cap off the weekend by facing another tough foe in the Bay State Breakers.

The Junior B team will look to get back in the swing of things when they play against three solid Continental Hockey Association (CHA) teams from the Eastern seaboard. On Friday (4^th), they will take on the Space Coast Hurricanes, a CHA team from Florida. On Saturday evening (5^th), the Junior B Pirates will take on the Virginia Express. Their Sunday afternoon (6^th) game will pit them against the Metro Moose, a CHA team from New York City.

Each team will resume league action the following weekend when they will open up their new residence at the MHG Ice Centre in Saco, ME on January 12 & 13. The Junior A team will host the Binghamton Junior Senators while the Junior B team will face Suffolk PAL.