Official Site of the Professional Inline Hockey Association
Established 2002 /Currently in 2025-26 our 25th season
Defending Champions: Pro - Naples Labeda Kaos / Semi-Pro - Empire State Snipers / Minor - Motor City Dirty Dawgs
Empire Snipers Capture Semi-Pro Title, Outlast Raleigh in Three
The Long Island Empire Snipers are PIHA Semi-Pro champions.
After coming up short in last year’s championship run, the Snipers finished the job this weekend—defeating the Raleigh Mopstwo games to one in the PIHA Semi-Pro Final Series to earn one of the most coveted trophies in the league. The clincher was emphatic: a dominant 5–0 shutout in Game 3 that left no doubt.
Vinny Pontrello capped the title run by being named Finals MVP.
Game 1 — Snipers 4, Mops 1
Long Island set the tone immediately in the opener, playing with pace and purpose and turning early control into a convincing 4–1 win. In a short best-of-three, Game 1 often defines the series—Raleigh was forced into must-win territory, while the Snipers gained the comfort of playing from ahead.
Gamesheet: http://stats-ro.api.digitalshift.ca/gamesheet/aOOUYe
Game 2 — Mops 3, Snipers 1
To their credit, Raleigh answered. The Mops tightened the game up, generated the key offense they didn’t have in Game 1, and earned a 3–1 win to push the series to a winner-take-all third game.
Gamesheet: http://stats-ro.api.digitalshift.ca/gamesheet/oBEbf9
Game 3 — Snipers 5, Mops 0
With the championship on the line, the Snipers delivered their best performance of the weekend—exploding offensively while shutting Raleigh out completely. The 5–0 result wasn’t just a win, it was a statement: when the pressure peaked, Long Island’s structure, finishing, and commitment away from the puck separated them decisively.
Gamesheet: http://stats-ro.api.digitalshift.ca/gamesheet/s7rUAv
Finals MVP: Vinny Pontrello
In a championship series defined by big-moment execution, Vinny Pontrello consistently drove the Snipers’ standard—creating offense, setting tempo, and delivering when the margin was thinnest. The award was the fitting finish to a title run that started with unfinished business and ended with a banner.
A Championship Earned
Raleigh proved all weekend they belonged on the final day, forcing a deciding game and showing their trademark resilience. But the Snipers were the more complete team when it mattered most—winning the series 2–1, securing the Semi-Pro crown, and cementing a championship that had been on their radar since the moment last year ended.