John Jackson (Bixby, OK)

The Valley Jr Warriors are off to a fast start at the 10th Annual Invitational Showcase, which is being hosted by the New England Huskies at the Wallace Civic Center in Fitchburg this weekend.  

On Friday afternoon, the Warriors were led by a one-goal and two-assist performance by John Jackson (Bixby, OK) en route to a convincing 4-0 decision over Apple Core. This latest victory marks the third win in four games for the surging Warriors.

“They played a complete game from start to finish and the results showed that with a convincing win,” said Andy Heinze, VJW Junior A head coach and general manager. “Everyone contributed in this game and that was the biggest factor.”

One of the key cogs for the Warriors during this recent stretch of good play has been Jackson, who has amassed three goals and eight assists in 25 games. Just one week ago, Jackson earned EJHL Rookie of the Week honors after posting four points in three games. He is picking up where older brother Mark Jackson left off last year. A standout Junior A player during the 2009-2010 season, Mark Jackson is now a sophomore at Gustavus Adolphus College.

Picking up two points each against Apple Core on Friday were Jackson’s linemates Trevor Braun (Windham, ME) and Erik Nemec (Metylovice, Czech). Both players are playing in just their second game back after being sidelined for more than a month with injuries. Also making a return to the lineup on Friday was Mike Miller (Wrentham, MA), who – according to Heinze – did a “great job killing penalties an generating opportunities.” Miller has been out of the lineup since October with a broken jaw

“It has been a challenging time with all of the injuries, but the younger guys have gained a lot of experience over the past month,” said Heinze. “We are happy to have the guys back, and we expect everyone to continue to play well.”

Making his VJW Junior A debut in net against Apple Core is a familiar face to Warrior fans. Chris Eiserman (West Newbury, MA), who grew up playing in the VJW organization, returned home one week ago to suit up for the gold and blue.

In his first game back, Eiserman collected 22 saves in the shutout victory. The 17 year old who led Newburyport High School to a Division 2 State Championship in 2009 spent the first part of the season with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, a program based in Kearney, Nebraska.

The Warriors will next face off against Springfield Pics on Sunday afternoon.