Pittsburgh, PA – The Pittsburgh Stars U16 Midget Minor squad were undefeated and skated to a perfect 5-0-0 record to capture and secure the Tournament Crown at the Elite Prospects Cup Series – Pittsburgh Tournament this past weekend, Jan 2 - 4, 2026.

The U16 AAA Midget Minor Pittsburgh Stars completed round-robin play 3-0-0-0 with three consecutive victories, defeating the Valley Forge Minutemen (6–2), the Philadelphia Jr Revolution (6–2), and the Wilkes-Barre Jr Knights (10-1). In semi-final action, the Stars once again faced Wilkes-Barre and delivered a commanding (8-0) win to advance to the championship game. In the final, the Stars claimed a hard-fought (5-3) victory over the Valley Forge Minutemen, clinching the EPCS – Pittsburgh Championship and completing an undefeated tournament run.

Arseni Savin (2G), Makita Lahodka, Daniil Niakhai 1G, 1A) and Maxim Popienko all scored goals for the Stars in the Championship game. Evan Schmidt (2A), Sammy Mecchia, Marko Relic, Isiah Truillo each added assists. And Nikolai Medved got the win in goal as he stopped 16 of the 19 shots he faced. Pittsburgh finished the game with 46 shots on goal.

The Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey Organization also saw strong performances from their U14 Bantam Major and U18 Midget Major teams, as both squads advanced to their respective age bracket championship game, showcasing the depth of talent across the program, though each ultimately finished as runners-up.

The U14 AAA Bantam Major Pittsburgh Stars advanced to the championship game after posting a 4-1-0-0 record in round-robin play. Their tournament run included victories over the Connecticut Jr Rangers (3-2), Tri-State Spartans (5-2), New Jersey Devils (3-2), and Tri-Valley Bulls (4-3). The team's only round-robin loss came in their final game, falling (5-2) to the Pittsburgh Predators. In the championship matchup, the Bantam Major Stars faced the Predators again, but were unable to overcome their opponent, concluding the tournament with a 6-2 loss in the final.

Likewise, the U18 AAA Midget Major Pittsburgh Stars also reached the championship game, finishing the round-robin stage with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record. The team secured wins against Canadian Prep Team St Andrews College (4-2), the Keystone Wild (11-0), and the Queen City Royals (3-2) – the latter featuring a dramatic comeback with two goals in the final five minutes to force overtime, followed by a game-winning goal early in the extra period. In the Midget Major semi-finals, the Stars shut out the Pittsburgh Predators 4-0, earning a place in the EPCS - Pittsburgh Midget Major U18 Division Championship Game. The team concluded their tournament run dropping a tough 8-1 decision to Shady Side Academy in the final.

Complete game schedules for the 2025-26 season, as well as full team rosters, are available on the Pittsburgh Stars AAA Hockey website: www.pittsburghstarshockey.com.

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