Playoff Series Preview: Suffolk Sting vs. East Coast Rebellion

The Metropolitan Division Semifinals are set for an intense best-of-three showdown as the two seed Suffolk Sting take on the third seed East Coast Rebellion on February 8, 2025. With a trip to the Division Final on the line, both teams will look to lean on their star players in what has the makings of a tightly contested series.

The winner of this matchup will advance to face either the Long Island Empire Snipers or Champion Impact on February 9.

Regular Season Head-to-Head

The Suffolk Sting have dominated this matchup in the regular season, but all three contests were closely fought battles:

• Jan 18: Suffolk Sting 4 - 3 East Coast Rebellion
• Nov 23: Suffolk Sting 3 - 2 East Coast Rebellion
• Nov 23: Suffolk Sting 2 - 1 East Coast Rebellion

With all three games decided by just one goal, this series is expected to be another defensive chess match.

Team Breakdown

Suffolk Sting

The Sting are led by Mike Tardino, who has been a dominant force this season, putting up 17 goals and 39 points in 18 games (2.2 PPG). Vinny Scaccia is another key contributor, averaging 1.8 PPG, while Joe Salavec leads the defensive corps with 21 points from the blue line.

However, the biggest X-factor for Suffolk may be goaltender Alex Parisi. When available, he has been arguably the best goalie in the league, boasting a 7-1 record with a 1.63 GAA and a .876 save percentage. The problem? Parisi has missed a lot of games historically, and if he is unavailable, the Sting will have to rely on Dan Petroro, who has been solid but not as dominant (2.71 GAA, .821 SV%).

Key Players to Watch:
✅ Mike Tardino – Can the Sting’s leading scorer continue his dominance?
✅ Alex Parisi – If he plays, the Sting become the favorites.
✅ Sean Phelan – A two-way defenseman who could make a difference at both ends of the ice.

East Coast Rebellion

The Rebellion may have lost all three matchups against the Sting, but they were competitive in each game and have a wild card in John Pinheiro. The veteran is a first-ballot Hall of Famer whenever he decides to retire, but for now, he remains one of the most impactful players in the game. If he tilts the rink in the Rebellion’s favor, this series could swing in their direction.

The team’s leading scorer is John Pinheiro himself, who put up 12 goals and 29 points in 20 games, followed closely by Steve Drizis (13 goals, 27 points) and Troy Miller (21 points).

Goaltending has been decent but not great, with Kyle Dimascio (3.13 GAA, .811 SV%) getting most of the starts. If Ben Parker (3.26 GAA, .835 SV%) gets the nod, he could provide a steadier presence in net.

Key Players to Watch:
✅ John Pinheiro – Can the veteran carry his team to the next round?
✅ Steve Drizis – A reliable offensive weapon who needs to step up.
✅ Goaltending Duo – The Rebellion need a strong performance in net to pull off an upset.

Keys to Victory

Suffolk Sting:

✅ Parisi must play – If he’s in net, the Sting have a major edge.
✅ Tardino and Scaccia must produce – The offense runs through them.
✅ Stay disciplined – The Rebellion thrive on capitalizing on mistakes.

East Coast Rebellion:

✅ Pinheiro must dominate – If he takes over, the Rebellion can win.
✅ Goaltending must be sharp – They can’t afford a shaky performance.
✅ Find secondary scoring – They need help beyond Pinheiro and Drizis.

Prediction

The Suffolk Sting have the advantage in scoring depth, defense, and goaltending, but their success hinges on whether Alex Parisi is available. If he plays, the Sting should win in two games. If he doesn’t, the Rebellion could push it to a decisive Game 3 when anything could happen.