PIHA Minor Finals Game 1 Recap: Empire Black Strikes Early, Holds Off Moustache for Series Lead

The Empire State Legends Black took control of the PIHA Minor Division Championship Series on Saturday night, delivering a near-flawless first half and fending off a late push to earn a 5–3 victory over the Mach 1 Moustache in Game 1 of the best-of-three final.

Behind strong goaltending from Justin Goldberg, a dominant opening frame, and balanced scoring throughout the lineup, Empire now sits one win away from the Minor Division crown.

LEGENDS Dominate Early

The Atlantic Division champs wasted no time asserting themselves, outshooting Mach 1 by a staggering 27–8 margin in the first half and converting that pressure into a 3–0 lead before the break.

Bailey Sparacio got the party started at 4:16 with a clean finish off a setup from Matthew Ferrari and Ryan Murray. Less than a minute later, Sparacio struck again with an unassisted tally to double the lead. With just 42 seconds left in the half, Mark Brady buried a third goal to cap off a near-perfect opening 12 minutes for Empire Black.

Moustache Push Back Late

Mach 1 showed no quit in the second half. After a quiet opening frame, they finally broke through on the power play when Tyler Rifice scored off a feed from Mike Alonzo at 5:59. Just 25 seconds later, Rory Sheppard added another, suddenly cutting the deficit to 4–2.

But Empire responded with poise. Bryan Rosen restored the three-goal cushion at 4:23, and while Eric Alfredsen made it 5–3 with 1:23 remaining, it was too little, too late.

Despite managing just two shots in the second half, Empire's defense held firm, and Goldberg made 13 saves to secure the win.

Stat Leaders

• Empire Black

  • Bailey Sparacio: 2 goals

  • Matthew Ferrari: 1 goal, 1 assist

  • Ryan Murray: 2 assists

  • Justin Goldberg: 13 saves on 16 shots

• Mach 1 Moustache

  • Tyler Rifice, Rory Sheppard, Eric Alfredsen: 1 goal each

  • Mike Alonzo: 1 assist

  • Brandon Morgenstern: 24 saves on 29 shots

What’s Next: Game 2

Empire Black leads the series 1–0 and will look to close it out and capture the Minor Division championship in Game 2 on Sunday morning. For Mach 1, it’s do-or-die—they’ll need to regroup quickly, find their first-half spark, and push the series to a decisive Game 3.

Puck drop is set for 9:25 a.m. Expect both teams to come out swinging.