Snow, Sweeps, and Statement Wins: Pro East Wraps Grove City Weekend in Style

Day two of the PIHA Pro East festival at the Grove City YMCA picked up right where Saturday left off: high tempo, tight scorelines, and more than a few stars rising to the moment. Playing their second game in less than 24 hours – and still battling the same snowstorm that had hovered over western Pennsylvania all weekend – all seven East Coast clubs closed out a grueling 21-game, two-day showcase on Sunday, December 14.

Sunday’s schedule saw each team skate twice to complete a four-game slate for the day and six games overall for the weekend. By the time the last horn sounded, Suffolk had cemented a powerhouse 5–1 weekend, Motor City had shattered the 30-goal mark, Moriches and Buffalo had battled their way into the thick of the early playoff picture, and Pittsburgh, Hockey Plus, and Toronto had endured a crash course in just how unforgiving this Pro East division will be.

Sunday Results – Grove City YMCA (Dec. 14)

• Suffolk Sting 4, Pittsburgh Inferno 3

• Moriches Sting 3 (OT), Buffalo Wings 2

• Motor City Dirty Dawgs 7, Hockey Plus Blue Heelers 0

• Suffolk Sting 4, Toronto 6ixers 3

• Moriches Sting 4, Pittsburgh Inferno 0

• Buffalo Wings 5 (OT), Hockey Plus Blue Heelers 4

• Motor City Dirty Dawgs 7, Toronto 6ixers 3

Sunday Game-by-Game Recap

Suffolk edges Pittsburgh again in one-goal thriller

The early game featured another tight chapter in one of the league's best rivalries. Suffolk jumped out front on a Robbie Baillargeon strike just 22 seconds in and doubled the lead when Chris Caldwell converted off a feed from Teddy Matos.

Pittsburgh refused to go away. Noah Litsko and Tyler Davis helped key the Inferno’s push, with Jared Gerger finishing three-point morning (1G, 2A) to pull them within one late. But Suffolk’s depth up front was the difference: Baillargeon’s second and a Max Halvorsen setup on KJ Tiefenwerth’s insurance marker were enough to secure a 4–3 decision.

Berger steals OT win for Moriches over Buffalo

In one of the most entertaining games of the weekend, Nick Berger authored a signature performance for Moriches.

Buffalo opened with a typical two-punch from Jess Hackett (2A) and Scott Charboneau as the Wings took a 2–1 lead after one. Moriches answered through special teams and patience – Berger tied it on the power play in the second, then completed a three-point night by jumping into the rush in overtime and burying the 3–2 winner at 2:01 of OT. Goaltender Travis Pelke was rock-solid again, turning aside 23 of 25.

Motor City overwhelms Hockey Plus

The most lopsided game of the day was all Motor City Dirty Dawgs. They outshot the Hockey Plus Blue Heelers 32–14 and posted a 7–0 shutout.

The Dawgs’ blue line dominated the stat sheet. Corey Hodge (2G, 2A), Joey Bruce (2G, 2A), and Kai Janviriya (1G, 2A) drove play from the back end, while Tyler Long posted a 14-save shutout. For Hockey Plus, Joel Eisenhower battled under siege but saw wave after wave of Motor City pressure.

Suffolk comes from behind to deny Toronto’s first win

The Toronto 6ixers looked poised to finally grab their first victory of the weekend after a brilliant first period. Dylan Abbamont cashed twice and Bryan Foster added another as Toronto sprinted to a 3–1 lead on Suffolk.

But the Sting showed why they are one of the PIHA’s standard-bearers. Robbie Baillargeon got Suffolk on the board, then Shane Fox and Tiefenwerth took over late. Fox’s power-play strike and another Tiefenwerth finish in the second period flipped the script, completing a 4–3 comeback and capping a perfect 2–0 Sunday for Suffolk.

Moriches blanks the Inferno to finish strong

Moriches saved one of their most complete efforts for the finale against Pittsburgh.

The Sting controlled the shot clock 31–19 and strangled any Inferno momentum. Christian Pietromonaco opened the scoring, then Moriches rolled three more in the second: a second from Pietromonaco and a pair from Berger, who finished with another multi-point game. Pelke’s (pictured) 19-save shutout locked down a 4–0 win and a 2–0 Sunday.

Wings outlast Hockey Plus in OT track meet

In their second game of the morning, Hockey Plus again pushed a favored opponent to the brink, and again the game went beyond regulation.

The Blue Heelers got offense from Bryce Witman (2G, 2A) and Sam Eisenhower, matching Buffalo goal-for-goal through 24 minutes. In overtime, though, the Wings’ top pairing of Jess Hackett and Michael Bliss delivered. Hackett, already with multiple points, set up Bliss for the OT winner at 5:17 to secure a 5–4 Buffalo victory.

Motor City closes the festival with another seven-spot

The weekend’s final game saw Motor City and Toronto meet for the second time in as many days, and the Dawgs again asserted themselves.

Motor City poured 34 shots on Brett Leggat and rattled off five first-period goals, including four from the back end. Travis McKinney was the story, piling up four points (2G, 2A) in the opening frame and finishing with a first-star performance. Janviriya and Hodge each added goals in the second for a 7–3 win, while Long turned aside 14 of 17 to finish a dominant personal weekend in goal.

Weekend Synopsis & Storylines

Suffolk Sting set the standard

Across the two days, Suffolk Sting went 5-1-0, scoring 29 goals and answering every challenge thrown at them. They opened the festival with an overtime win over Pittsburgh, handled Toronto twice, split a wide-open track meet with Motor City, and wrapped Sunday with a gritty one-goal win over the Inferno.

Suffolk’s top core – Baillargeon, Tiefenwerth, Jackson, Caldwell, Halvorsen, and Fox – looked every bit like a defending champion group, driving play at even strength and on special teams. Their ability to close tight games (three of their wins were by a single goal) leaves them in a strong early position in the Pro East race, with the updated table reflecting the impact of this 5-1 weekend. Professional Inline Hockey Association

Motor City Dirty Dawgs’ blue line drives a 33-goal outburst

The Motor City Dirty Dawgs might have had the most eye-popping stat line of the festival: 33 goals in six games (4-2-0 on the weekend), including back-to-back seven-goal efforts on Sunday and a statement win over Suffolk on Saturday.

What stands out is how much of that offense comes from the back end. Hodge, Janviriya, McKinney, and Schwartz consistently jumped into the rush, turning defensive zone breakouts into odd-man rushes. When the Dawgs are cycling and their D are activating, they look like one of the most difficult teams to match up with in the conference.

Moriches Sting rebound with a big Sunday

Moriches’ weekend was something of a roller coaster: narrow losses to Buffalo and Pittsburgh on Saturday, followed by a blowout win over Toronto and a tight 3–2 victory over Motor City. On Sunday they were all business, going 2-0 with wins over Buffalo (OT) and Pittsburgh (shutout) to finish the festival at 4-1-1.

Coach Anthony Violante’s group is built around pace and puck movement; when their breakout is clean, they can tilt the ice. Berger’s emergence as a two-way force, Pietromonaco’s steadiness on the blue line, and Pelke’s composure in net all suggest Moriches will be a problem for everyone going forward.

Buffalo Wings show resilience in tight games

The Buffalo Wings leave Grove City with the kind of weekend coaches love and hate at the same time: four wins, a ton of character moments, and a few gray hairs from all the one-goal games. They picked up regulation wins over Moriches and Motor City, plus an overtime win vs Hockey Plus, and took their only Sunday loss in OT to those same Moriches Sting.

Buffalo’s defensive core – Chris Kendall, Nolan Sheeran, and Hackett – played heavy minutes, while the forward group spread scoring by committee. As the standings tighten, those extra OT points and head-to-head wins over playoff rivals may loom large. Professional Inline Hockey Association

Hockey Plus, Pittsburgh, and Toronto face early adversity

For the Hockey Plus Blue Heelers, the story was near-misses. They pushed Buffalo to the brink twice (an OT loss and an OT win) and took Pittsburgh and Toronto to extra time on Saturday, but Sunday’s 7-0 loss to Motor City underscored how punishing lapses can be at this level. Still, a 2-3-1 weekend with four games against Motor City and Buffalo is a credible foundation.

The Pittsburgh Inferno were in nearly every game – all three of their Sunday goals vs Suffolk came at key moments – but walked away at 2-2-2, with two of the losses in OT or shootout. Tightening late-game execution will be the focus going forward.

For the Toronto 6ixers, the record (0-5-1) does not fully reflect their best stretches. Abbamont’s line generated early leads, especially in Sunday’s first leg vs Suffolk, but the club consistently struggled to close periods and manage surges from deeper, more experienced rosters. The raw offensive tools are there; learning to protect leads will be the next step.

Individual Performance Highlights

A number of players stamped the Grove City weekend as a milestone in their early 2025-26 campaigns:

• Robbie Baillargeon (Suffolk Sting) – A constant threat with and without the puck, Baillargeon delivered clutch goals in both Sunday games and finished the weekend as one of the event’s most productive forwards, repeatedly driving transition and closing plays in traffic.

• KJ Tiefenwerth & Shane Fox (Suffolk Sting) – Tiefenwerth’s finishing touch and Fox’s ability to control the game from the back end – particularly on the power play – turned multiple deficits into victories for Suffolk.

• Corey Hodge & Kai Janviriya (Motor City Dirty Dawgs) – The heartbeat of Motor City’s attack. Hodge’s four-point performance in Sunday’s shutout of Hockey Plus and Janviriya’s multi-point outings underline just how dangerous this blue line is when it is given license to attack.

• Travis McKinney (Motor City Dirty Dawgs) – A breakout Sunday with a four-point finale (2G, 2A) against Toronto capped a weekend where McKinney was regularly jumping into the rush and walking the offensive blue line with confidence.

• Nick Berger & Christian Pietromonaco (Moriches Sting) – Berger’s overtime winner vs Buffalo and multi-point follow-up vs Pittsburgh highlighted his impact at both ends of the rink. Pietromonaco added timely goals and steady defensive work to help Moriches lock down their Sunday sweep.

• Travis Pelke (Moriches Sting) – Logged heavy minutes in the Moriches crease and saved his best for last, blanking Pittsburgh 4–0 to finish the festival on a high note.

• Jess Hackett & Chris Kendall (Buffalo Wings) – Hackett was all over the scoresheet in Sunday’s OT win over Hockey Plus, while Kendall quietly drove Buffalo’s breakout and chipped in key points during a four-win weekend.

• Bryce Witman (Hockey Plus Blue Heelers) – Despite a tough Sunday shutout loss, Witman’s four-point performance against Buffalo in the OT defeat showcased his ability to create offense against top competition.

Weekend By the Numbers (Grove City Only)

Based solely on the Grove City festival games:

• Suffolk Sting: 6 GP, 5-1-0, 29 GF – 20 GA

• Motor City Dirty Dawgs: 6 GP, 4-2-0, 33 GF – 20 GA

• Buffalo Wings: 6 GP, 4-1-1, 21 GF – 20 GA

• Moriches Sting: 6 GP, 4-1-1, 23 GF – 13 GA

• Hockey Plus Blue Heelers: 6 GP, 2-3-1, 18 GF – 29 GA

• Pittsburgh Inferno: 6 GP, 2-2-2, 20 GF – 21 GA

• Toronto 6ixers: 6 GP, 0-5-1, 17 GF – 38 GA

For the full season picture and updated Pro East standings following the Grove City weekend, fans can visit the league’s official stats portal. Professional Inline Hockey Association

What’s Next in the Pro East

With Grove City complete, the Pro East division shifts its focus back to regional weekend sets and the long march toward the PIHA Finals. Suffolk exits western Pennsylvania with the target squarely on its back, while Motor City, Moriches, and Buffalo have all proven they have the firepower to challenge for the top spot.

Hockey Plus, Pittsburgh, and Toronto will look to turn hard lessons from this snow-bound festival into points the next time they see these same opponents. If the first full-field gathering of the East at Grove City YMCA is any indication, the race for playoff positioning is going to be fast, physical, and razor thin from now until spring.

Photo Credit:  Suffix Photography