Grove City Whiteout: Seven Pro East Teams, One Snowbound Stage

by Anthony Flynn

The PIHA Pro East Division made history on Saturday at the Grove City YMCA, as all seven East Coast Pro teams – Pittsburgh Inferno, Suffolk Sting, Buffalo Wings, Moriches Sting, Motor City Dirty Dawgs, Hockey Plus Blue Heelers, and the Toronto 6ixers – gathered under one roof for the first time this season.

They did it in the teeth of a significant winter storm, with snow piling up outside while 14 high-tempo games unfolded inside. Each team played four times on Saturday, with two more games per club scheduled for Sunday to complete a six-game weekend set.

Game 1 – Suffolk Sting 3, Pittsburgh Inferno 2 (OT)

Game #PE036 – 11:00 AM

The day opened with a heavyweight duel between Suffolk and Pittsburgh that went right to the wire.

The Inferno struck first when Vinny LaSala converted off a feed from Matthew Gerger, and later Gerger made it 2–1 with help from Noah Litsko and Jared Gerger. Suffolk answered through Robbie Baillargeon and KJ Tiefenwerth, with Tiefenwerth assisting on the equalizer and Baillargeon tying it in the second. In overtime, Baillargeon finished the comeback on a setup from Max Halvorsen, giving Suffolk the first win of the storm-soaked weekend.

Game 2 – Buffalo Wings 2, Moriches Sting 1

Game #PE037 – 11:40 AM

Buffalo grabbed the first of their three wins in a tight, low-scoring contest with Moriches.

Griffin Kluzek did the heavy lifting in the opening period, scoring twice – both times off clean zone entries and quick strikes, with Aaron Iannello and Jess Hackett picking up assists. Moriches pushed back in the second when Aidan Boyle scored from Dom Deluca and Nick Berger, but Alex Christie slammed the door, finishing with 25 saves on 26 shots to secure the 2–1 win.

Game 3 – Motor City Dirty Dawgs 7, Hockey Plus Blue Heelers 3

Game #PE038 – 12:20 PM

Motor City opened their day with an offensive statement against the Hockey Plus Blue Heelers.

The Dawgs built a 4–0 first-period lead on goals from Paul Lochner, Tyler Harkins, Corey Hodge, and Joey Bruce, all at even strength. They added three more in the second from Travis McKinney, Bruce, and Kai Janviriya as their transition game took over. The Heelers responded late with goals by Sean Kiewe, Sam Eisenhower, and Chase Canestra, but Motor City’s early burst was too much to overcome.

Game 4 – Suffolk Sting 7, Toronto 6ixers 3

Game #PE039 – 1:00 PM

Suffolk stayed hot in Game 4, this time against the Toronto 6ixers.

A six-goal first period from Suffolk saw tallies by Brett Jackson, Tiefenwerth (twice), Halvorsen (twice), and Shane Fox, with Baillargeon and Chris Caldwell driving the offense. Toronto answered with markers from Calvin Higley, Nick Cutaia, and Higley again in the second, but Steve Brandi was solid when needed, and Fox added a late insurance goal to close out a 7–3 Suffolk win.

Game 5 – Pittsburgh Inferno 5, Moriches Sting 4 (SO)

Game #PE040 – 1:40 PM

Game 5 delivered the first shootout of the day in a back-and-forth matchup between Pittsburgh and Moriches.

Moriches jumped out with three first-period goals from Brendan Reed, Boyle, and Deluca, then added another from Reed early in the second. Pittsburgh answered on a power play through Berger and then rallied with goals from Tyler Planey, Gage Clark, and another Berger tally to force extras. After a scoreless overtime, Clark buried the lone shootout goal to give the Inferno their first win of the event.

Game 6 – Buffalo Wings 3, Hockey Plus Blue Heelers 2

Game #PE041 – 2:20 PM

In another one-goal contest, Buffalo edged the Blue Heelers in regulation.

The Wings built a 2–0 first-period lead on goals by Kendall (from Hackett) and Rich Harris (from Austin Junik and Hackett). Kiewe and Bryce Witman led the Heelers’ push in the second, scoring twice to draw within one after Michael Bliss had extended Buffalo’s lead. Joel Eisenhower and Kyle Adcock matched each other save-for-save late, but Buffalo’s early finish held up in a 3–2 decision.

Game 7 – Motor City Dirty Dawgs 6, Suffolk Sting 5

Game #PE042 – 3:00 PM

One of the day’s wildest games saw Motor City edge Suffolk in a 6–5 shootout (on the scoreboard, not in skills).

Motor City got goals from Janviriya, Bruce (twice), Schwartz, and two more from Janviriya in the second as their blue line led the rush and finished chances. Suffolk fired right back with big nights from Jackson, Tiefenwerth, and Baillargeon, cutting the lead to one late. Tyler Long and Brandi both faced heavy shot totals, but the Dawgs’ early cushion proved just enough to hand Suffolk their only loss of the day.

Game 8 – Moriches Sting 8, Toronto 6ixers 2

Game #PE043 – 3:40 PM

Moriches exploded offensively in Game 8 against Toronto.

The Sting went 3-0 in the first on goals from Boyle, Sal Deluca, and Joey Petrizzo, then erupted for five more in the second period. Christian Pietromonaco scored twice, while Berger, Joey DiMartino, and Reed all added tallies as Moriches controlled possession and tempo. Toronto goals from Patrick Vulgan and Cutaia broke up the shutout bid, but Travis Pelke turned aside 11 of 13 as Moriches cruised 8–2.

Game 9 – Hockey Plus Blue Heelers 4, Pittsburgh Inferno 3 (OT)

Game #PE044 – 4:20 PM

The Heelers picked up their first win of the event in dramatic fashion against the Inferno.

Pittsburgh got goals from Tyler Davis, Litsko, and Jared Gerger, with Litsko and Gerger heavily involved in the offense. The Heelers matched them through Colby Moyer (twice) and Witman, who also added a power-play marker in the second to tie the game. In overtime, Moyer completed his big performance with the winner on a setup from Sam Eisenhower, giving the Heelers a 4–3 victory.

Game 10 – Suffolk Sting 6, Buffalo Wings 3

Game #PE045 – 5:00 PM

In a key head-to-head between Saturday’s top records, Suffolk doubled up Buffalo in Game 10.

Baillargeon opened the scoring and finished with multiple points, while Caldwell netted a pair and Fox added both a goal and two assists from the back end. Buffalo answered with a power-play strike from Kluzek and two more from John Garvin and Hackett, but Suffolk’s depth and sustained pressure carried the day. Suffolk finished the game with a 32–22 shot advantage.

Game 11 – Moriches Sting 3, Motor City Dirty Dawgs 2

Game #PE046 – 5:40 PM

Moriches picked up one of the marquee wins of the day against Motor City.

After Lochner and Hodge had Motor City up 2–0, Moriches owned the second period. DiMartino got them on the board, then Berger and Deluca struck in quick succession, with Deluca scoring the eventual game-winner off a feed from DiMartino. Pelke shut the door late, finishing with 11 saves as Moriches completed the comeback.

Game 12 – Hockey Plus Blue Heelers 5, Toronto 6ixers 4 (OT)

Game #PE047 – 6:20 PM

Game 12 was another thriller, as the Heelers outlasted Toronto in overtime.

Toronto built a 2–1 first-period lead on goals from Dylan Abbamont and Cutaia, then added two more in the second from Vulgan and Abbamont again. The Heelers kept coming: Witman, Canestra, and Moyer all scored in the middle frame to erase the deficit. In overtime, Sam Eisenhower finished it off with an unassisted strike, giving the Heelers their second OT win of the day.

Game 13 – Buffalo Wings 6, Motor City Dirty Dawgs 4

Game #PE048 – 7:00 PM

In a high-tempo matchup, Buffalo closed their day with a 6–4 win over Motor City.

Kluzek and Nolan Sheeran staked the Wings to a 2–1 lead after one. In the second, Sheeran added another before Chris Kendall took over, scoring three straight (including an empty-netter) to complete a natural hat trick and seal the win. Motor City got goals from Schwartz, Bruce, and two from Janviriya, but Christie and the Buffalo defense held firm down the stretch.

Game 14 – Pittsburgh Inferno 7, Toronto 6ixers 2

Game #PE049 – 7:40 PM

The Inferno closed Saturday with a statement win over Toronto.

Pittsburgh exploded for six first-period goals: Tyler Davis scored twice, Clark added one, and Matthew Fischer, LaSala, and Litsko all chipped in, with Litsko and Ryan Soboslay driving play from the back end. Davis completed his hat trick in the second to make it seven. Toronto got goals from Cutaia and Abbamont, but Brett Leggat and the 6ixers defense were overwhelmed by the Inferno surge.

Saturday Standings Snapshot

After four games each on Saturday:

Suffolk Sting and Buffalo Wings both finished the day at 3–1, with Suffolk earning the head-to-head win and showcasing one of the most balanced attacks in the building.
Pittsburgh Inferno went 2–0–2, with all four games decided by a single goal or extra-time result until their emphatic finale against Toronto.
Moriches Sting and Motor City Dirty Dawgs both delivered statement wins and finished at 2–2, each proving they can beat anyone in the group.
The Hockey Plus Blue Heelers rebounded from an 0–2 start to finish 2–2, thanks to back-to-back overtime wins.
The Toronto 6ixers went winless but were competitive in several contests, especially their OT loss to the Heelers.

Individual Performance Highlights

Suffolk Sting

Robbie Baillargeon and KJ Tiefenwerth were at the center of everything for Suffolk, combining for multiple multi-point games, including the OT winner in Game 1 and key goals in the win over Buffalo.
Brett Jackson and Chris Caldwell provided consistent scoring depth, with Caldwell’s two-goal performance against Buffalo standing out.
Shane Fox and Max Halvorsen anchored the blue line while driving offense, each posting multi-point games and key goals in the win over Toronto.
Steve Brandi saw heavy rubber all day and held strong in Suffolk’s three victories, especially in the high-event matchups with Toronto and Buffalo.

Buffalo Wings

Griffin Kluzek opened the event with two goals against Moriches and added more offense later in the day, setting the tone for Buffalo’s attack.
Nolan Sheeran and Chris Kendall were critical in the late games; Sheeran chipped in multiple goals while Kendall’s natural hat trick in Game 13 was one of the standout individual performances of the event.
Jess Hackett, Rich Harris, and John Garvin all produced timely goals and assists, giving Buffalo a balanced forward group.
Goaltenders Alex Christie and Kyle Adcock were steady, with Christie backstopping key wins over Moriches and Motor City.

Pittsburgh Inferno

Gage Clark, Tyler Davis, and the Gerger brothers (Jared and Matthew) powered the Inferno offense. Clark scored the shootout winner against Moriches and multiple goals versus Toronto, while Davis’ hat trick in the finale capped an excellent day.
On the back end, Noah Litsko and Fischer contributed both defensively and offensively, often starting the rush that led to Inferno goals.
Mike Maczynski faced a heavy workload in four tight games and delivered enough key saves to keep Pittsburgh unbeaten in regulation on the day.

Moriches Sting

The trio of Brendan Reed, Dom Deluca, and Aidan Boyle consistently drove Moriches’ offense, highlighted by the eight-goal outburst against Toronto and the comeback win over Motor City.
Christian Pietromonaco, Berger, and DiMartino all produced from the back end, with Pietromonaco’s multi-goal game in the 8–2 win standing out.
Travis Pelke battled in net across multiple starts, with his performance in the 3–2 win over Motor City being a key turning point in Moriches’ day.

Motor City Dirty Dawgs

Kai Janviriya, Joey Bruce, and Corey Hodge were dangerous all afternoon, combining for a barrage of goals and assists, especially in the 7–3 win over the Heelers and 6–5 thriller against Suffolk.
Aaron Schwartz, Travis McKinney, and Tyler Harkins contributed at key moments, with Schwartz and McKinney chipping in goals and Harkins providing speed and finish.
Tyler Long backstopped a pair of high-event games and kept Motor City in the mix against some of the deepest offenses in the event.

Hockey Plus Blue Heelers

Bryce Witman, Colby Moyer, and Sean Kiewe led the scoring charge, each delivering clutch goals in comeback efforts and overtime wins. Moyer’s OT winner against Pittsburgh and Eisenhower’s OT clincher versus Toronto were defining moments.
Sam Eisenhower added secondary scoring punch and set up or finished several key plays, particularly in the late-day OT victory.
Joel Eisenhower battled through a challenging schedule, and the Heelers’ resilience in their final two games spoke to the group’s compete level.

Toronto 6ixers

Despite the results, Calvin Higley, Nick Cutaia, and Dylan Abbamont all had strong individual moments, consistently generating chances and finding the net against some of the division’s top goaltenders.
Patrick Vulgan and Bryan Foster logged heavy minutes and contributed at both ends of the rink, especially in Toronto’s higher-scoring contests.
Goaltender Brett Leggat faced some of the heaviest shot totals of the day, gaining valuable reps as Toronto adjusts to the full-weekend Pro East grind.

What’s Next

The snow may still be falling in Grove City, but the work is only half done for the Pro East teams.

All seven clubs will return to the Grove City YMCA on Sunday, with each team playing two more games to complete the six-game weekend set. With Suffolk and Buffalo looking to solidify their strong starts, Pittsburgh aiming to stay unbeaten in regulation, and Motor City, Moriches, and the Blue Heelers trying to separate themselves in the middle of the pack, Sunday’s slate will go a long way toward shaping the early Pro: East pecking order.

Toronto, meanwhile, will hunt for their first win in PIHA’s newest venue, as the league’s first-ever event at Grove City YMCA continues through the storm.