PIHA Minor Division Friday Recap: Apex and Empire State Black Dominate Opening Day

The 2025 PIHA Minor Division Finals began Friday with each of the six division champions playing two of their three round robin games. With the final game of pool play still to come Saturday morning, the standings remain tight—but Apex Title Wave Mops and Empire State Legends Black have already surged ahead with undefeated starts.

From high-flying offense to complete team efforts, Friday’s action featured plenty of standout moments. Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of how the day unfolded:

Game 1: Apex Title Wave Mops 5, Mach 1 Moustache 3

The day kicked off with an up-tempo clash between two potential contenders. Apex jumped out early, grabbing a 3–1 lead by the end of the first with goals from Clay Wood, Tj Moffitt, and Moffitt again on a nice setup from Jeremy Havill.

Mach 1 made a push in the second with goals from Tyler Rifice and Rory Sheppard, but Apex sealed the game with two more—one on the power play and another even-strength tally from Havill.

Daniel Kraus was the engine for Apex’s offense, while goaltender Tyler Bartle turned away 17 of 21 shots.

Game 2: Empire State Legends Black 3, Mile High Mavin Tugboats 0

Empire State Legends Black opened their tournament with a statement shutout, defeating the Tugboats 3–0. Bryan Whelan opened the scoring midway through the first, and Steve Sharkey and Matthew Ferrari added goals in the second, including a power play conversion.

Goaltender Sean Connolly stopped all 19 shots he faced, and Empire’s disciplined structure kept Mile High’s chances limited.

Game 3: Marple SK Labeda Gladiators 5, Lambs Grove Leaf Ray 1

Don Susini put on a show in Marple’s first win of the day, scoring all five of his team’s goals in a 5–1 win over Lambs Grove. The Keystone Division champions took control in the second period after building a 2–1 lead in the first, with Susini completing the natural hat trick and then adding two more.

David Hayes and John Bright each contributed assists, and goaltender Andrew Sharkus stopped 13 of 14 to keep Lambs Grove at bay.

Game 4: Mach 1 Moustache 4, Mile High Mavin Tugboats 2

Mach 1 bounced back from their morning loss with a strong special teams effort in a 4–2 win over Mile High. After Matt Clift scored five seconds in to give the Tugboats an early lead, Mach 1 responded with two power play goals from Tyler Rifice and Tom Cartwright, and a third-period insurance goal from Bryan Lees.

Despite outshooting Mach 1, Mile High’s frequent trips to the penalty box (five minors and a misconduct) disrupted their rhythm. Kyle Williams made 18 saves in the loss.

Game 5: Empire State Legends Black 8, Lambs Grove Leaf Ray 1

In their second game of the day, Empire Black exploded offensively with an 8–1 win over Lambs Grove. Whelan once again opened the scoring just 44 seconds in, and the Atlantic Division champs piled on with four goals in each period.

Eight different players recorded points, with big contributions from Bailey Sparacio, Matt Russo, and Adam Taddeo. The team outshot Lambs Grove 34–14 and allowed just one goal, a first-minute strike from Gavin Rock.

Game 6: Apex Title Wave Mops 5, Marple SK Labeda Gladiators 1

Apex closed out the day as they started it—fast, structured, and dangerous. They built a 3–0 lead over Marple by the end of the first period, with goals from Tj Moffitt, Connor McCabe, and Gino Lamanna. In the second, Colton Henley and Daniel Kraus added two more.

Marple’s only goal came short-handed via Susini, his sixth of the tournament, but Bartle made 13 saves and Apex finished the day at 2–0.

Standings After Day 1 (Unofficial)

Looking Ahead: Saturday's Final Round Robin Games

Each team has one game left before the playoff bracket is seeded. Apex and Empire Black are in control of the top seeds, but the race for the remaining playoff spots is wide open. Mach 1, Marple, and even Mile High are still alive depending on Saturday’s results and tiebreakers.

With everything on the line, expect intensity to skyrocket when play resumes.