Team Blue flew into Colorado knowing they would have a minimum of five games and a maximum of eight games to play in a two day span. As it would turn out, the team would need to use all eight games to claim the team’s first league championship in just their first season in the league. First up for Team Blue was the best of three semifinal matchup against the Western Conference’s top ranked Littleton Fire. Game 1 was an intense game where both teams had several opportunities, but stellar goaltending kept the score low. The Fire outlasted Team Blue and took the game 2-1. Realizing the Fire was a very talented group, Team Blue collected themselves and came out strong in game two. After Team Blue jumped out to an early lead, the young Fire team took several penalties. Team Blue took advantage of their power play opportunities. The Fire then lost their cool and had two players and a coach ejected for unsportsmanlike penalties. The final in game two would be Team Blue 5 and Fire 0. Game 3 was a battle. The Fire came back very strong and led for much of the game. Team Blue stayed close, but it seemed as though whenever they tied the score, the Fire would capitalize and regain the lead. With just under two minutes remaining, Nate Klusewitz scored for Team Blue to tie the game. Overtime was needed to decide game three. Less than two minutes into overtime, Chris Lerch rushed the puck up the boards and into the Fire zone where he shot the puck through the goalie’s five hole. Team Blue won the game 5-4, and earned a spot in the championship against the number one team from the Eastern Conference, the Suffolk Sting. BFN5FJ6AHEZQ
The Sting and Team Blue met twice during the regular season. The Sting took both games in hard fought battles. The PIHA Championships would be a different story. Game 1 of the championship went to overtime, and the Sting eventually won, despite Team Blue’s numerous opportunities in the overtime. With both teams having played several games already that day, it was obvious that game four would be won by the team in better shape. Team Blue came out hungry, and skated hard for both 10 minute halves to take a convincing 5-1 win. This was the Sting’s first loss of the season. Games 3, 4, and 5 would be the next morning. Sunday morning brought game three of the minor championship. Again, it was the Sting out playing Team Blue and taking the game 4-2. Knowing if they lost one more game they would lose the championship, Team Blue buckled down and played a great game to win game four 3-1. The series was tied at two, and the winner of game five would be named the 2009-2010 PIHA Minor Division Champion. The Sting took a 1-0 lead on a shorthanded goal, but would not be able to score again as Team Blue goalie Joe DiNapoli played an amazing game. Team Blue also scored in the first half on a one-timer power play goal by Colt Solliday. The score going into the second half of the game was 1-1. The second half was all Team Blue as Nate Klusewitz scored on the power play to give Team Blue a 2-1 lead. Chris Lerch would then lock things up with a goal to make the score 3-1. A costly 5 minute penalty on the Sting in the last four minutes of the game ended any chances the Sting had at making a come back. Team Blue won the game, and the championship with the 3-1 win.
Colorado Springs, CO. – When the New Jersey Grizzlies take on the Colorado Springs Thunder anyone in the world will be able to watch as games 1-7 will be shown LIVE on the web. Today the league announced that ALL the weekend’s games will be showcased on 
Colorado Springs, CO – It’s only one week away and the Colorado Springs area is already hopping with anticipation for PIHA’s 2009-2010 Finals. The surprise Eastern Conference Champion, New Jersey Grizzlies, have their flights booked while the Suffolk Sting and Pennsylvania Team Blue minor franchises are also making their plans for the Rockies in hopes of calling themselves CHAMPIONS! The weekend of February 19-21 will showcase some of the best talent in the country and “is going to be a weekend these players, families, and fans will not forget,” says PIHA Finals Event Manager, Teresa Miller. “We are excited about making the weekend an event, although everyone is excited for the hockey, we are putting together youth tournaments, exhibition games, a Friday night Happy Hour, and a tribute of hair shaving for a struggling member of the Thunder to round out some of the best hockey to ever come to Colorado.”
It was a snowy forecast for the weekend, but, Grizzlies General Manager Denis Jelcic and Sting General Manager Jason Muro got together on Friday afternoon and decided the games must go on!!! “We are tired of weather stopping games, we wanted to play, so Jelcic said they would be here no matter what, I told the refs to get here and we played says Muro. So some of the Grizzlies arrived on Friday Night along with Jelcic were players Phil Cocozzo, James Manganaro and Chris Wolf…” I love the fact that the weather men were wrong again, we got up and there was no snow on the ground, good thing we didn’t cancel like the rest of the area.” says Jelcic. Kris Moore, Andrew Goworek, Andrew Brodsky, Jeff Grabowski,Tom Youmans and Robbie Fulton would brave the storm and jump on the Long Island Expressway on Saturday morning. Youmans would ride with our biggest fans, his parents Tom and BJ who were emotionally up and down the whole day….”These were good games, up and down all day….wow” Says Tom Youmans Sr……
Colorado Springs, CO – They’ve called it the “road war” for the past three years after the Pikes Peak Prowlers relocated from Colorado Springs and became the Parker Prowlers. The Battle for I-83 has turned into one of the league’s premier rivalries and this year it has gone to another level. In 2008, the Prowlers first year at the beautiful Parker Fieldhouse, the home team won only 7 games and missed the playoffs, in ’09 Parker ended up just less than .500 and lost in the first round to the Colorado Springs Thunder but now they are a team to be reckoned with. Starting this Thursday night the Parker Prowlers will roll down I-83 and back into their old barn to face the first place Colorado Springs Thunder once again.
The PIHA league office has announced today that the 2009 – 2010 Finals will head back out to the Rocky Mountains and beautiful Tour Arena. “After calls to all the league owners we decided to designate a place for the finals this season after planning to go to the highest ranked home rink. All of the facilities are packed during the month of February, which is a good thing, but SIHA owner Jeff Ingrum, and everyone out in Colorado were happy to put one weekend aside for our finals. It’s the perfect place for our big event. With great grassroots programs already established by SIHA and the opportunity for TV production by Comcast, no matter who is in that last series the place should be rocking,” says PIHA founder Charley Yoder.
So far in the 2010 PIHA season every team has played at least 2 games and already some very interesting game turnouts have occurred, proving that this season the action will be as good as ever!
The Colorado Springs Thunder kept their hold on top of the PIHA Rocky Mountain Division standings as they swept the Denver Blizzard, 6-2 and 7-1 in front of a packed house at the Tour Arena on Friday night. The Thunder extended their winning streak to four games, and improved their record to 7-1-0-0, while the Blizzard fell to 0-4-0-0.
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