Dirty Dawgs Dominate Minor Final, Sweep Suffolk to Claim First-Ever PIHA Championship

by Anthony Flynn

📅 Date: March 27-29, 2026
📍 Venue: Pepsi Roller Sports Arena
🏆 Final Series Score: Motor City Dirty Dawgs def. Suffolk Sting 2-0
🎥 Video:  Roller_Planet Game 1
🎥 Video:  Roller_Planet Game 2

The Motor City Dirty Dawgs are PIHA Minor champions for the first time in franchise history, completing a two-game sweep of the Suffolk Sting on Sunday morning in Colorado Springs. Motor City opened the series with a 3–0 shutout, then powered through a tighter second game for a 6–2 clincher—finishing the weekend as the tournament’s most complete team on both sides of the ball.


Game 1: Dirty Dawgs 3, Sting 0 — Early strike, then a defensive lock

Game 1 set the tone immediately: Motor City scored first at 3:05 of the opening period and never let Suffolk breathe.

  • Nathan Skulley (#24) opened the scoring at 3:05 (1st), assisted by Justin Mcfatridge (#86).
  • Gabe Temple (#22) doubled the lead at 9:03 (2nd), assisted by Jake Rhoades (#11).
  • Temple sealed it with an empty-netter at 0:39 (2nd).

Suffolk generated only four total shots (4 in the first, none in the second), while Motor City piled up 15—a statistical snapshot of how one-sided the control was.

Game 2: Dirty Dawgs 6, Sting 2 — Max Cohen takes over as Suffolk’s push gets answered

Suffolk came out needing a response, but Motor City struck twice in the first period—0:18 and 5:43—to seize momentum again.

The second period became the swing: Suffolk finally got on the board with two goals (including a power-play marker at 10:41) to make it interesting, but the Dirty Dawgs simply had more finish and more answers.

The difference-maker was Max Cohen (#72), who posted a hat trick plus an assist:

  • Goals at 0:18 (1st), 9:17 (2nd, PP), and 7:12 (2nd), plus an assist on Skulley’s power-play goal.

Motor City also got scoring from Rhoades (#11), Skulley (#24), and Dom Moore (#58) (empty net).
In net, Jason Slicker (#27) stopped 11 of 13 to close out the sweep.


Jake Rhoades was named Finals MVP, capping a title run that consistently tilted the ice in Motor City’s favor.