Papermen Erupt Early, Pull Away Late in 7–4 Win Over Mallards

January 31, 2026 — New England Sports Village, Attleboro MA.

The Holyoke Papermen turned a fast, physical Saturday night into a statement road win, using a four-goal first period and a composed third-period finish to knock off the Norfolk Mallards, 7–4, at New England Sports Village.

In a game that featured 88 combined shots, special-teams swings, and long stretches of end-to-end play, Holyoke weathered early pressure, seized control before the first intermission, and never fully relinquished momentum. The victory showcased the Papermen’s depth, discipline on the power play, and steady goaltending as they pulled away late.

The Mallards opened the scoring just 2:22 in when Zachary Lewis finished an even-strength chance off a setup from Jack Halloran to make it 1–0. Norfolk doubled the lead at 6:58, with Kevin Messom burying another even-strength tally to put the Papermen on their heels early.

Holyoke answered decisively. Zack Lillie cut the deficit at 9:47, converting an even-strength opportunity off a feed from Max Moriarty to spark the turnaround. Just under two minutes later, the Papermen capitalized on a power play when Max Breon buried a shot at 11:42, with Cody Cleveland earning the assist to tie the game.

Danny Loughlin gave the Papermen their first lead at 15:00, finishing a Mark Laviolette setup, and Patrick Fleming made it four unanswered goals just 74 seconds later. Fleming’s even-strength marker, assisted by JD Anderson and Kyle Levere, sent Holyoke into the intermission ahead 4–2 after outshooting Norfolk 16–13 in the opening frame.

The middle frame tightened, with both teams trading chances but goaltending keeping the score close.

Norfolk trimmed the lead at 6:50 when Danila Belov converted at even strength off a Gavin Alves assist, pulling the Mallards within one at 4–3. From there, both netminders settled in. Holyoke’s Zach Valvo turned aside a flurry of second-period chances, while Norfolk goaltender Chris Baker matched him save-for-save to prevent the Papermen from extending the lead.

Norfolk generated 15 shots in the period to Holyoke’s 10, but neither side found the back of the net again, leaving the outcome very much in doubt heading to the third.

Holyoke took control early and never let go.

At 6:21, Max Moriarty struck on the power play, finishing a setup from Noah Hemenway and JD Anderson to restore a two-goal cushion. Just over a minute later, Anderson added one of his own, scoring at even strength off a Patrick Fleming assist to make it 6–3.

As Norfolk pressed late, Valvo remained sharp, denying several quality chances to preserve the lead. Anderson sealed the game at 17:00, converting Brett Pitoniak’s feed for his second goal of the night. Jack Halloran answered for Norfolk at 17:57, but the late tally served only to cap the scoring as Holyoke closed out the 7–4 victory.

Postgame Breakdown

Shots on Goal

• Norfolk- 44
• Holyoke- 44

Power Plays

• Norfolk- 0-for-5
• Holyoke- 2-for-3

Penalty Minutes

• Norfolk- 6
• Holyoke- 10

Goaltenders

• Norfolk: Chris Baker– 37 saves on 44 shots (Loss)
• Holyoke: Zach Valvo– 39 saves on 43 shots (Loss)

Coming up

• 2/7 Boston at Holyoke at 7:20pm @ Olympia Ice Center
• 2/7 Norfolk at Hudson Valley at 7:00pm @ McCann Ice Arena

Three Stars

1. JD Anderson (Holyoke) — 2 goals, 2 assists
2.  Zach Valvo (Holyoke) — 39 saves on 44 shots (WIN)
3.  Patrick Fleming (Holyoke) — 1 goal, 1 assist