PIHA Pro Finals: Naples and Suffolk Trade Blows in Epic Friday Doubleheader

The 2025 PIHA Pro Finals opened Friday night with two thrilling contests between the Naples Labeda Kaos and the Suffolk Sting, and the series is already living up to the hype. In a pair of games that saw wild momentum swings, standout performances, and a frantic pace, the teams split the opening doubleheader to knot the best-of-seven series at one game apiece heading into a critical Saturday.

Game 1: Naples Outguns Suffolk in Wild 6–5 Opener

The Finals got underway with a goal-scoring spectacle, as Naples Labeda Kaos and the Suffolk Sting traded punches in a high-octane Game 1. Despite being outshot 24–17, Naples escaped with a 6–5 victory, thanks to a relentless second-period push and a timely power play goal from Kyle Novak.

Suffolk came out flying in the opening half, controlling possession and establishing their offensive rhythm early. The Sting struck first at 10:20 of the first period when defenseman PJ DiMartino fired home a shot off a setup from Max Halvorsen. Just under a minute later, Suffolk doubled their lead when Halvorsen buried a chance of his own on a beautiful feed from Justin Favalaro, with Anthony Koslow also earning an assist. Moments later, Billy Pascalli converted another highlight-reel setup from Halvorsen and Favalaro, giving Suffolk a 3–1 advantage.

But Naples showed their resilience, quickly answering back. Derek Schultz cut into the lead with a goal at 9:57, assisted by Nick Cafone and Charles Vaughan. Less than three minutes later, Trevor Mullaly tied the game with an unassisted goal on a slick transition rush. With the period winding down, Tyler Kraft connected with Schultz again, who found Cafone for a buzzer-beating tally with just three seconds left, giving Naples a 3–2 lead after one.

The Sting roared back in the second period, with Pascalli scoring his second of the night just 2:52 in to draw Suffolk level. KJ Tiefenwerth restored the Sting’s lead with a goal at 2:02, taking a pass from Favalaro and beating Naples goalie Patrick Pugliese to make it 5–4.

But once again, the Kaos had an answer—this time from their captain. Kraft dished to Novak, who tied the game with a slick finish at 10:50. Just over a minute later, Novak struck again, rifling home a cross-rink feed from Schultz and Kraft to complete his hat trick and put Naples ahead 6–5 with 5:31 remaining. The goal came on the power play, following a goalie interference call on DiMartino.

Suffolk applied pressure late, but Pugliese stood tall in net, stopping 19 of 24 shots overall to secure the win. Perepezko turned aside 11 of 17 in the loss for Suffolk.

The win gave Naples the early series lead, but it was clear that Suffolk wasn’t far behind—and that this would be a tightly contested series from start to finish.

Game 2: Suffolk Responds with Statement Victory, 3–2

If Game 1 was a firestorm of offense, Game 2 was a gritty, calculated rebound for the Suffolk Sting. Playing with composure and purpose, Suffolk neutralized Naples’ attack and tightened up defensively to earn a hard-fought 3–2 victory and even the series heading into Saturday.

It didn’t take long for Suffolk to set the tone. Just over three minutes into the first period, veteran defenseman Justin Favalaro jumped into the play and finished a crisp passing sequence from Halvorsen and Koslow, putting the Sting ahead 1–0. The goal was Favalaro’s first of the Finals and a huge momentum boost following the Game 1 loss.

Naples tied the game later in the period, as Payton Baldillez buried a setup from Kyle Novak at 6:05. Though the score was tied after the first, the Sting carried most of the possession and dictated the pace.

The second period belonged to Suffolk. They regained the lead at 11:08 on the power play when Billy Pascalli continued his hot start to the series, slamming home a rebound from Halvorsen’s shot, with DiMartino picking up the secondary assist. Then, at 4:27, Halvorsen added to his standout night by converting a sharp-angle chance, assisted by Pascalli, to make it 3–1.

From there, Suffolk leaned heavily on goaltender Daniel Perepezko, who was brilliant in the face of relentless pressure. Naples fired 26 shots in the second period alone—outshooting Suffolk 27–19 for the game—but Perepezko stopped 25 total, including several in-close saves with traffic in front.

Naples made it interesting late. With just over two minutes remaining, Vinny Cafone scored on a 6-on-4 extra attacker setup, assisted by Kraft and Novak, to cut the deficit to one. But Suffolk’s penalty kill held strong in the final minute, denying Naples any quality looks and sealing the win.

It was a critical response from the Sting, who not only avoided going down 0–2 but also reasserted their identity: structured, opportunistic, and anchored by key veterans.

Looking Ahead: Pivotal Saturday on Deck

With the series tied at one apiece, the intensity will only grow as Games 3 and 4 take place Saturday evening. Both teams have already demonstrated the ability to win in different styles—Naples with their transition offense and creative forwards, Suffolk with their depth, discipline, and special teams.

For Naples, continuing to get production from their top line and staying out of the penalty box will be key. For Suffolk, sustaining defensive pressure while leaning on players like Pascalli, Halvorsen, and Perepezko will be the recipe for success.

After two thrilling games, one thing is clear: this series has all the makings of a PIHA classic.