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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY FIELD HOCKEY

* WPIAL CHAMPIONS *

LADY TIGERS DOMINATE WPIAL ALL-STAR TEAMS

The Lady Tigers placed nine players on the first and second WPIAL Class AAA All-Star teams as selected by the coaches.  Five seniors were chosen for the first team --- Lauren Ertzberger, Laura Peery, Katie Schwartz, Meghan Coleman, and Carley Riggin.  NA had four players on the second team --- seniors Abby Clark and Kaitlyn Cotter along with sophomores Amy Antimarino and Strealy Clark.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LADY TIGERS!!!!!

WPIAL CLASS AAA
ALL-STAR TEAMS

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OVERTIME GOAL KNOCKS NA FROM PIAA PLAYOFFS, 1-0

by Kevin Cotter

The "Chicks with Sticks" traveled to State College to meet Indian Valley on Wednesday night in a preliminary round game in the PIAA tournament and were defeated, 1-0.  From the start, it looked the the NA squad would put another win on the scoreboard and move on to the next round.  The early play was in the Indian Valley defensive zone resulting in four penalty corners in a row for NA.  While these corners resulted in a couple of good shots, they were either blocked by the IV goalie or went wide.

After the initial NA surge, the team from Lewistown stepped up their game, and from the 7 minute mark until the finish this game was a back and forth contest with both teams having scoring opportunities only to be stopped by strong defensive play.  Senior goalie Meghan Coleman was called on to make nice saves several times in both halves.  Senior defender Kaitlyn Cotter kept the ball out of the goal with stick saves twice, backing up Coleman on back door shots.  With the exception of these few heart stopping moments, the defensive group of sophomore Strealey Clark, and seniors Sandy Fulkerson, Christin Pylant and Cotter were very successful in repelling the offensive play of the Lady Warriors.

Not that it was all Indian Valley.  This game went back and forth, and there were several close calls in the Warrior defensive circle.  The Lady Tigers played several nice crossing passes where senior Laura Peery's one time attempts went wide.  Senior forward Lauren Ertzberger also had a few good good opportunities that somehow did not make it to the back of the net.  On one play in the second half, consecutive shots off rebounds were taken by four NA players all from ten yards or less only to see the last shot roll wide of the right post.

The game ended scoreless in regulation time.  In the sudden death overtime periods, sudden death was employed with the teams playing 7 v 7, including the goalies.  The all senior NA squad (Ertzberger, Peery, Carley Riggin, Katie Schwartz, Fulkerson, and Coleman) took the play to the Indian Valley defensive end for most of the overtime session.  Strong defense by Indian Valley and some bad luck kept the score even.  Schwartz stood out in the overtime and showed why she is a sought after college prospect by controlling the middle of the field and dancing around the other team with great stick skills when the ball came her way.  The game ended when the Lady Tigers played a long hit and the Warrior defender cleared the ball forty yards downfield to a teammate who was behind the defense.  On a one-on-one breakaway the Indian Valley forward made a nice move, feigned a shot, went wide, and put the ball into the goal with three minutes remaining in the first overtime period.

The player of the game, for my vote, was goalie Meghan Coleman.  The Lady Tigers senior did an outstanding job in both tonight's game and in Monday nights' WPIAL championship game against Mt. Lebanon.  Congratulations to the "Chicks with Sticks" and Coach Sue Phillips for another great season!!!

GAME SUMMARY
INDIAN VALLEY - 1  NORTH ALLEGHENY  - 0

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LADY TIGERS EDGE MT. LEBANON, 1-0, ON ERTZBERGER'S GOAL

NA WINS WPIAL TITLE!

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

Senior forward Lauren Ertzberger scored with 3:39 remaining in the first overtime period to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 victory over Mt. Lebanon and the WPIAL Championship.  The teams had battled through regulation time scoreless.  Senior goalie Meghan Coleman made several key first half saves to keep Mt. Lebanon off the board.

In the first half, Mt. Lebanon came out aggressively and applied early pressure.  Junior MF Samantha Sheffler had the first chance at the 25:05 mark but her shot went wide.  The "Chicks with Sticks" came back minutes later to gain three consecutive penalty corners.  Senior Laura Peery came close with 21:30 remaining but her shot was kicked out by Lebo senior goalie Kathryn McCaffrey.  After NA was unable to score, it was the Blue Devils' turn.  Two consecutive shots from in front of the Tiger goal were stopped by Coleman, the second from point blank range.  Later in the period, the Lady Tigers came close when Peery's shot was blocked by McCaffrey but rolled toward the Lebo goal.  Senior Sara Cummings was able to clear the ball off the line at the last second.  Two minutes later at the 4:48 mark, Ertzberger's shot was blocked but the bouncing ball was cleared away by McCaffrey who made a diving save.  Neither team was able to score in the waning minutes and the teams went to the intermission scoreless.

In the second half, the "Chicks with Sticks" turned up the defensive pressure in the first seven minutes, but again were turned away by McCaffrey.  the best chance came at the 26:03 mark when senior MF Christin Pylant shot wide.  Three minutes later, Peery got off a one-timer that McCaffrey again was able to stop.  The NA pressure forced five penalty corners but were unable to get the elusive first goal. Throughout the half, outstanding defense by NA kept Mt. Lebanon from getting any real scoring chances.  Senior backs Sandy Fulkerson and Kaitlyn Cotter, along with strong play in the midfield by seniors Pylant, Katie Schwartz and Abby Clark continued to stymie the Lebo attack.  The Lady Tigers applied pressure in the final four minutes, but neither team was able to score in the remaining minutes of the second half and the game went to sudden death overtime.

The Lady Tigers controlled the overtime period, keeping the ball in Mt. Lebanon territory for most of the first seven minutes.  NA had several good runs but again could not beat McCaffrey.  With 5:49 remaining, Peery got loose on a long run deep into Lebo territory.  After an initial shot was blocked, Ertzberger beat McCaffrey but just missed the open left side of the goal.  Two minutes later, Ertzberger and Schwartz got free on a 2-on-1.  Schwartz got the ball to Ertzberger right in front of the Lebo goal, and the Tiger senior made no mistake this time as she beat McCaffrey to give NA a hard-fought 1-0 victory and the WPIAL crown.

It was a good team effort by the Lady Tigers.  Mt. Lebanon was much more aggressive than in last week's meeting at NA and posted several scoring chances in the first half.  At halftime, Coach Sue Phillips' turned up the defensive pressure and it paid off.  In the first half, NA had eight penalty corners to four for Lebo.  In the second half and the first overtime period, the Lady Tigers posted 7 penalty corners to none for Mt. Lebanon.  The 14-4 advantage was a good indication of the territorial advantage by NA.  The North Allegheny Sports Network selected Lauren Ertzberger as the Player of the Game for her game winning score.

The victory improved the NA record against WPIAL opposition to 14-1 on the season.  With the win, the Lady Tigers advance to the PIAA playoffs.  

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH PHILLIPS AND THE "CHICKS WITH STICKS"!!!!!!

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  MT. LEBANON - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS CRUSH ELLIS, 10-0, TO FINISH IN FIRST PLACE TIE

by Kevin Cotter

Thursday night at Newman Stadium saw the Lady Tigers methodically dominate the Ellis Tigers by a score of 10-0.  With the distraction of Senior Night, the NA team started a little slow with Ellis taking control of the game for the first four minutes.  From that point on, however, it was all NA.  Senior Laura Peery started the scoring five minutes into the game with her patented one-time shot for the first of her four goals.  Rounding out the scoring were seniors Jean Walton and Katie Schwartz with two goals each, while seniors Lauren Ertzberger and Carley Riggin scored a goal each.

The pressure from the NA offense and midfield was constant and the defensive four shut down every offensive thrust by Ellis.  It would be hard to name who had the best game so my vote goes to the midfield trio of senior Abby Clark at center, Schwartz at left and Riggin at right.  They were all very active, aggressive and took over the game for the Lady Tigers.  For the season, the "Chicks with Sticks" finished with a 13-1 record against the WPIAL and outscored their opponents, 82-3.  

The Lady Tigers will play Mt. Lebanon for the WPIAL championship either on Saturday or Monday at a neutral site, probably Fox Chapel.  The information will be posted on the website as soon as it is received.

Special thanks to all the fans that came to the Mt. Lebo game on Tuesday night at Newman Stadium.  You are all invited back to see the deciding game for the WPIAL championship.

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"CHICKS WITH STICKS" GAIN REVENGE WITH 1-0 WIN OVER LEBO

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

Senior Lauren Ertzberger scored midway through the first half to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 victory over Mt. Lebanon at Newman Stadium on Tuesday night.  NA avenged an earlier 2-1 loss at Mt. Lebanon, the only loss to a WPIAL team this season.  The Lady Tigers dominated play, but Lebo goalie Kathryn McCaffrey was outstanding in goal, keeping the Blue Devils in the game.

After both teams battled evenly in the first six minutes, the Lady Tigers began to take control.  Using a pressure defense, NA was able to gain a territorial edge but was not able to score over the next nine minutes.  A long shot by senior Christin Pylant was the best chance for the Lady Tigers.  After a flurry around the Lebo goal, Mt. Lebanon coach Ali Balmer called a time out with 14:57 remaining in the half.  Just nine seconds after the time out, Ertzberger launched a hard shot just inside the circle, and the ball deflected off a Lebo defender into the goal.  Senior forward Laura Peery was close and almost got a stick on the shot.  The goal energized NA, and they got numerous scoring chances in the remaining time in the half.  Senior MF Katie Schwartz shot just wide at the 11:19 mark while Peery and Ertzberger had additional opportunities but could not beat McCaffrey.  The lone Lebo opportunity  came with 7:46 remaining when senior Katie Donnelly tried to reach a rolling ball in the circle, but Tiger goalie Meghan Coleman made a good pad save to knock the ball away.  The teams went to the intermission with the Lady Tigers holding a 1-0 advantage.

In the second half, NA kept up the pressure.  Just over a minute into the half, Peery had two great chances, but McCaffrey made the saves, the second on a point blank shot.   Two minutes later, senior MF Abby Clark just missed the right corner of the net.  Six minutes later, McCaffrey robbed Peery again.  Peery came back with a one-timer at the 18:03 mark but shot it just wide to the right.  Once again, Coach Balmer had to call a time out.  After junior Kate Testa got off a good shot from the right side that McCaffrey stopped with a good kick save, Lebo gradually began to swing the momentum.  At the 14:30 mark, Pylant made a good defensive clear after a scramble in front of the NA net to keep the one goal lead in tact.

After stopping Lebo, the advantage went back to NA.  Ertzberger shot just wide at the 8:52 mark, and the Tiger pressure forced a penalty corner with 7:00 minutes left.  The Blue Devils were able to withstand the Tiger storm and made one last attempt to tie the game.  With under three minutes remaining and Lebo pressuring the NA goal, senior back Sandy Fulkerson stepped up to clear the ball.  With Lebo pushing the play, Ertzberger broke loose on a breakaway in the last minute but again McCaffrey was able to make the save.  The Lady Tigers kept the ball for the remaining time to earn a hard-fought 1-0 victory.

The win was a good team effort with the Lady Tigers outplaying Lebo for most of the night.  NA totaled seven penalty corners to just two for Lebo.  For her efforts, particularly in the second half, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Sandy Fulkerson as the Player of the Game.  With the win, NA improved their AAA record to 7-1, their overall mark against WPIAL teams to 12-1, with just one game remaining.  If NA and Mt. Lebanon win their final games, the teams will finish tied.  With the tiebreakers still even, there will be a playoff game to determine the WPIAL Champion.

The Lady Tigers will finish the regular season tomorrow night against Ellis on Senior Night.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm at Newman Stadium.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  MT. LEBANON - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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DEJA VU ALL OVER AGAIN: NA - 8  FOX CHAPEL -  0

by Kevin Cotter

For the second time this week, the "Chicks with Sticks" put a hurting on the Lady Foxes of Fox Chapel with a solid 8-0 victory at the Foxes' home field.  Playing on the slower grass field or the fast turf at Newman Stadium, the outcome was the same in these two games.  Scoring details to follow.

If you haven't seen the "Chicks with Sticks' in action, they play Mt. Lebanon on Tuesday night at Newman Stadium with the WPIAL Championship on the line.  Mt. Lebo won the first match, 2-1, at their stadium. Since that loss, the Lady Tigers have outscored their opponents, 55-1, in the last eight games.  Tuesday will be the game of the season and a good game to watch!  Come out and help NA gain revenge against Lebo!

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"CHICKS WITH STICKS" FLATTEN FOX CHAPEL, 8-0

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

Senior Laura Peery scored five goals to lead the Tigers to an 8-0 victory over Fox Chapel at Newman Stadium on Tuesday night.  Senior Lauren Ertzberger added two goals and senior Jean Walton one as the Lady Tigers won their seventh consecutive game.  In that stretch, NA has outscored their opposition, 47-1.

The Lady Tigers came out strong, applying defensive pressure from the outset.  The Foxes were able to fend off NA early, but NA had several good scoring chances.  Just 50 seconds into the game after a big scramble in front of the goal, the Tigers shot just wide.  On a penalty corner at the 26:42 mark, Ertzberger's deflection hit the post.  Fox Chapel had a chance just under four minutes later when Hannah Rosenberg broke free in the circle but senior goalie Meghan Coleman made a good kick save.  

Ertzberger broke the scoreless tie with 20 minutes remaining in the half when he scored off an assist from senior Katie Schwartz.  Peery scored her first goal five and a half minutes later to increase the NA lead to 2-0.  Peery came through again three minutes later to extend the lead to 3-0.  The Lady Tigers turned up the pressure in the last nine minutes of the half, and the rout was on.  Senior Jean Walton scored on another Schwartz assist to  make it 4-0 with 9:17 left.  Peery one-timed a pass from junior Kate Testa to increase the lead to 5-0 at the 8:23 mark.  Ertzberger and Peery added late goals as the Lady Tigers took a commanding 7-0 lead to the intermission.

Early in the second half, it looked like more of the same.  Peery tallied her fifth goal of the game just 2:22 into the half to increase the margin to 8-0.  After Ertzberger hit the post a minute later, the Lady Tigers eased off the pressure and played defense for the remainder of the game.  The Foxes were able to penetrate the Tigers' end of the field on several occasions.  Rosenberg had a good chance in front of the net at the 21:33 mark, but she fanned on the shot.  With 10:34 remaining, Anne Brown had a another opportunity but junior goalie Erin Conwell was able to make the save.

It was another dominating performance by the Lady Tigers.  NA recorded 12 penalty corners to just three by Fox Chapel, all in the second half.  The NA defense would not allow Fox Chapel any space, intercepting clearing passes, and setting up the Tiger offense.  Seniors Christin Pylant and Sandy Fulkerson, along with junior Taylor Gaspar, were solid in the back for Coach Sue Phillips.  For her effort, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Laura Peery as the Player of the Game.

The win improved the NA record against WPIAL teams to 10-1, the overall mark to 13-4.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Fox Chapel tomorrow for a rematch at the Fox Chapel field hockey field.  NA will return home next Tuesday for a crucial game against Mt. Lebanon.  Lebo handed the Lady Tigers their only loss of the season, a 2-1 defeat at Mt. Lebanon earlier in the season.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:45 pm.  Game time will be at 8:00 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 8  FOX CHAPEL - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LADY TIGERS ROLL PAST UPPER ST. CLAIR, 8-0

by Kevin Cotter

Senior Laura Peery scored four times to lead the Lady Tigers to an 8-0 victory over Upper St. Clair at Newman Stadium on Thursday night.  It was Middle School Appreciation Night.  Not only did the Middle School team win with a 2-0 victory over Mt. Lebanon but eighth grade forward Taylor Guthrie did an outstanding job of singing the National Anthem before the varsity game!

There was plenty of scoring this night and all on the NA side of the ledger!  In addition to Peery's four goals, adding to the onslaught were seniors Lauren Ertzberger with 2 goals and Abby Clark and Katie Schwartz with one goal each.  The story of the night, however, was not the goals.  it was a night of crisp passes, ball movement, aggressive play, and solid defense that highlighted the game.  The goals were simply the end result.

Give credit on defense to seniors Christin Pylant and Kaitlyn Cotter who continually created offensive opportunities by stepping up and making nice through passes to the midfield.  The midfielders played a solid game with aggressive play especially on the part of seniors Carley Riggin and Abby Clark.  with the good defensive play behind them, the forward line looked like the L.A. Lakers on a fast break for most of the second half.  Give the forwards credit as they took advantage of the opportunities by converting many of the transitions into goals.  While they beat USC the last time they played, the "Chicks with Sticks" dominated the Panthers in this game in every aspect of play.  For my money, the star of the game had to be Christin Pylant for her outstanding play in the back.

On Tuesday night, the Lady Tigers knocked off Woodland Hills, 3-0.  We have no information on the game.  With the two wins, NA improved their record to 9-1 against WPIAL teams, 12-4 overall.

The Lady Tigers will be back in action again on Tuesday when they host the Fox Chapel Foxes in a makeup of a previously scheduled game.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

JV NOTES: The JV squad defeated Upper St. Clair, 10-0.  Scoring for the JV squad were Stephanie Ertzberger (2), Alex Zabieck (2), Shannon Sullivan (2), Carolyn Nugent (2), Megan Hoot and Alex Schenk.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 8  UPPER ST. CLAIR - 0

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PEERY SCORES FOUR GOALS IN 11-0 VICTORY OVER AQUINAS ACADEMY

Aristotle & Aquinas Agree, 5 + 6 = 11

by Kevin Cotter

Senior forward Laura Peery scored four times to lead the Lady Tigers to an 11-0 victory over Aquinas Academy at Newman Stadium on Friday afternoon.  NA scored five times in the first half and added six more after the halftime break to pick up the easy victory.

When it comes to explaining Summa Theologica, the girls from Aquinas Academy hopefully hold an edge.  But on the hockey field, they were overmatched by the "Chicks with Sticks" from North Allegheny.  Give the ladies from Aquinas credit; they held their own early in the contest with spirited play.  By the mid point of the first half, however, it was clear this was going to be a long day for Aquinas.

The scoring barrage started shortly into the game and continued every few minutes like clockwork.  By the intermission, the score was 5-0 in favor of the Lady Tigers.  The scoring continued in the second stanza with six more goals for North Allegheny.  In addition to Peery's four tallies, seniors Lauren Ertzberger and Carly Riggins each scored a pair of goals.  Seniors Abby Clark and Katie Schwartz, along with junior Kate Testa, added a goal each.  The highlight goals were by Peery who seems to have perfected the one touch sweep shot from the right side of the goal.  Someone better check the scoring record because she is putting up big numbers this year!  Recording assists for the Lady Tigers were Ertzberger (2), Peery, Schwartz, Abby Clark, and Testa.

The victory improved the NA record to 6-1 against WPIAL teams and 10-4 overall for the season.  The Lady Tigers will be on the road Tuesday when they travel to Woodland Hills to meet the Wolverines.  NA won the first meeting between the teams, 2-0, at Newman Stadium earlier in the season.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 11  AQUINAS ACADEMY - 0

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"CHICKS WITH STICKS" CONTROL VINCENTIAN, 5-0

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

Using a smothering pressure defense, the Lady Tigers kept Vincentian without a shot at the NA goal in a 5-0 victory over the Royals at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  Five different players scored goals as NA kept the ball in the offensive zone for most of the evening.

Senior midfielder Abby Clark got the Lady Tigers off to a good start when she scored just 3:23 into the game.  A little under six minutes later, senior forward Lauren Ertzberger scored her eighth goal of the season on a penalty corner to make it a 2-0 NA lead.  Sophomore forward Amy Antimarino blasted a shot that rolled up and over Vincentian goalie Mary Lindenfelder to increase the margin to 3-0 at the 12:45 mark.  Just seconds later, Ertzberger scored from just to the left of the Royal net, but the goal was disallowed.  The Lady Tigers continued to dominate play for the remainder of the half, but the Royals defense tightened to keep NA off the board.  The teams went to the intermission with the Lady Tigers on top, 3-0.

The second half was more of the same.  The Lady Tigers scored again on a penalty corner with senior MF Katie Schwartz earning the goal to make it a 4-0 advantage.  Schwartz tallied a goal and two assists for the evening.  The final NA goal was scored by senior forward Laura Peery who picked up her team leading ninth of the season on an assist from Schwartz.  The Lady Tigers had numerous opportunities to score more goals, particular with the efforts of senior forward Carley Riggin and junior Kelly White.  On defense, junior Taylor Gaspar controlled the front of the net and supported on offense.  Junior midfielder Christin Pylant was strong at midfield.  Senior goalie Meghan Coleman had an easy time in the net but picked up the shutout.

The Lady Tigers were so dominant that they piled up eleven penalty corners against none for the Royals.  With the win, the NA record improved to 5-1 against WPIAL opponents.  For her efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Lauren Ertzberger as the Player of the Game.  NA will host Aquinas Academy at Newman Stadium on Friday afternoon in a 4:00 pm contest.  The game was rescheduled from earlier in the season.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  VINCENTIAN - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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ERTZBERGER'S FOUR GOALS LEAD NA OVER WINCHESTER THURSTON, 6-1

Senior Lauren Ertzberger scored four goals to lead the Lady Tigers to a 6-1 victory at Winchester Thurston on Tuesday afternoon.  Seniors Abby Clark and Lauren Peery scored goals while sophomore Amy Antimarino registered three assists.  The NA defense and goalies held the Bears to just three shots on goal for the game.

The win improved the NA record to 5-1 against WPIAL opponents.  The "Chicks with Sticks" will be back in action again this evening when they host the Vincentian Royals in a AAA-AA matchup.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  The opening hit back is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

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LADY TIGERS REBOUND WITH 6-0 VICTORY OVER SHADY SIDE

Coach Sue Phillips' Lady Tigers rebounded from their first defeat of the season with an impressive 6-0 victory at Shady Side Academy on Thursday afternoon.  Leading the way was sophomore Amy Antimarino with a pair of goals while seniors Laura Peery, Jean Walton, and Carley Riggin, along with junior Kate Testa, scored goals for NA.

The win improved the NA record to 4-1 against WPIAL opposition.  The Lady Tigers will be back in action again on Tuesday when they travel to Winchester Thurston.  Game time is scheduled for 4:00 pm.

JV UPDATE: The JV defeated Shady Side, 8-1.  Scoring for the JV squad were Steph Ertzberger with 3 goals, Alex Schenk with two, and Cat Pylant, Hillary Richard, and Caroline Nugent.

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MT. LEBANON-NORTH ALLEGHENY, A TALE OF TWO HALVES 

by Kevin Cotter

The Lady Tigers suffered their first league defeat, 2-1,  against an inspired Mt. Lebanon team at Mt. Lebanon Stadium on Tuesday night.  The girls from the South Hills came out on fire and took the game to NA right from the onset.  The surprised Tiger squad managed to hold back the attack for the first twenty minutes until Mt. Lebo scored on a centering pass that kicked around the penalty area and found its way to an open Blue Devil forward.  Five minutes later, Mt. Lebanon scored again on a penalty corner to solidify their halftime lead of 2-0.

At halftime, two things happened on the NA side: Coach Sue Phillips changed the formation to a 4-3-3 (four defenders) from a 3-3-4 and then she sent the team to the middle of the field to have a team meeting without any coaches - good stuff!

Right from the top off in the second half, the renewed Lady Tigers turned it around.  The defensive formation created the offensive play.  Led by seniors Katie Schwartz and Sandy Fulkerson, the team played outstanding with continuous step through play, crisp passes, and shot after shot on goal.  Several times, it looked like a goal for NA only to see the ball go past a post or stopped by a last minute save.  Mt. Lebo keeper Kathryn McCaffery turned away 15 second half shots before NA finally cashed in with 4:36 left in the contest.  The goal was scored by sophomore Amy Antimarino who tipped in a shot from Fulkerson.  NA tried to get the equalizer with two more surges but were unsuccessful.

With respect to Mr. Dickens - it was the best of times and the worst of times!  Look for the rematch at Newman Stadium on Tuesday, October 26th.  The Lady Tigers will be in action again tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Shady Side Academy for a 4:15 contest.

GAME SUMMARY
MT. LEBANON - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

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LADY TIGER JVS WIN VINCENTIAN TOURNAMENT

The Lady Tiger JV team won seven games and tied one on their way to winning the Vincentian Tournament on Saturday.  NA did not allow a goal with the only blemish on their record a 0-0 tie with Penn Trafford.  The Lady Tigers defeated Greensburg Salem, 2-0, Oakland Catholic, 3-0, Pine-Richland 2-0, Vincentian 2-0, Greensburg Central, 3-0, and Fox Chapel, 4-0.

The NA varsity team will be back in action again on Tuesday night when they travel to Mt. Lebanon for a 7:30 pm game.

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U-S-C, EASY AS 1-2-3 (4)

by Kevin Cotter

The Lady Tigers traveled to Upper St. Clair last Thursday night and for the second time this week they dominated the opponent.  Constant pressure in the NA offensive end resulted in a goal from senior Laura Peery five minutes into the game.  Surprisingly, there were not many penalty corners against the USC team.  On the first corner of the game, however, senior Lauren Ertzberger put a strong shot into the net off a nice setup from seniors Sandy Fulkerson and Katie Schwartz.  The execution of the play was so smooth, it looked easy.  Continuing the pressure, there were frequent near misses for goals with good shots from senior Carly Riggin, sophomore Strealy Clark, sophomore Amy Antimarino, and senior Caitlin Cotter.  Close to the end of the first half, the team cashed in with a third goal by junior Kelly White off a rebound from a shot by Ertzberger.

In the second half, the Lady Tigers continued their domination.  With about ten minutes remaining, senior Abby Clark scored the fourth and final goal of the night with a nice step up move from her defensive position.  NA controlled play for 55 of the 60 minutes in this game.  Junior goalie Erin Conwell must have felt as lonely as the Maytag repair man because USC did not generate a shot on goal the entire game.  The defensive highlight for the Lady Tigers was junior Taylor Gaspar keeping the zero shot statistic in tact by stopping a breakaway with a burst of speed and a nice jab check against a surprised Panther forward.

The Lady Tigers will be back in action again on Wednesday night when they host the Fox Chapel Foxes.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

JV UPDATE: The JV team showed their strength with a flat-out 12-0 stomping of the USC JV team.  Scoring in the first half for NA were Alex Schenk (2), Stephanie Ertzberger, and Megan Hoot.  In the second half, the scoring frenzy continued with goals by Alex Schenck (2), Meredith Feingold (2), Shannon Sullivan, Megan Hoot and Erin McGee.  So far, the JV has matched the varsity record in the games they played together with 4 wins and 1 loss.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4  UPPER ST. CLAIR - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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WOODLAND HILLS NO MATCH FOR NA

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!

Despite scoring just two goals, the Lady Tigers dominated Woodland Hills at Newman Stadium on Tuesday night in a 2-0 victory.  NA did not allow the Wolverines to attempt a shot at the NA goal.   Senior Laura Peery and sophomore Strealy Clark tallied second half goals to pace the Lady Tigers to the win.

In the first half, the Lady Tigers used pressure defense to cause numerous turnovers that became scoring opportunities.  Peery,  along with  seniors Carly Riggin and Lauren Ertzberger, had chances to score but were stymied by the Wolverine defense.  Senior Cassie Watson and goalie Lauren Heidingsfeldere kept NA off the board, and the teams went to the intermission in a scoreless tie.

The Lady Tigers resumed the pressure immediately in the second half, and it paid off.  Ertzberger had the first scoring opportunity after a long run but was stopped by a Wolverine penalty with25:53 remaining.  Peery was able to score just 33 seconds later with Ertzberger picking up the assist to give NA a 1-0 advantage.  Just four minutes later, Strealy Clark deflected an Ertzberger shot into the goal as the Lady Tigers opened a 2-0 lead.  NA continued to pressure the WH goal but could not score.  Ertzberger was wide left at the 19:10 mark, and Riggin hit the right post minutes later.  With 9:50 remaining, Ertzberger had a great chance on a rebound, but Heidingsfeldere was able to make a pad save.

Credit goes to the Lady Tiger defense led by seniors Abby Clark and Katie Schwartz.  They made life easy for both NA goalies, senior Meghan Coleman and junior Erin Conwell.  The Tiger domination was reflected in the game stats.  NA had 12 penalty corners while the Wolverines had none.

The win improved the NA record to 2-0 against WPIAL teams.  The Lady Tigers are on the road tomorrow night when they travel to Upper St. Clair to meet the Panthers.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  WOODLAND HILLS - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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"CHICKS WITH STICKS" STEAMROLL SEWICKLEY, 9-0

by Kevin Cotter

Returning from a successful Labor Day weekend tournament in St. Louis where they faced the top competition in the Midwest, the Lady Tigers came out steaming with a 9-0 victory over Sewickley Academy on Tuesday night at Newman Stadium.  With less than two minutes gone in the first half, senior Laura Peery scored the first of her four first half goals.  Senior Jean Walton finished off the first half with a late goal cementing the victory with a full thirty minutes left.

Second half goals were scored by seniors Lauren Ertzberger (2), Carly Riggin, and Sandy Fulkerson.  The game was played mostly in the NA attacking half.  When the ball did make it into the defensive zone, the Tiger players quickly transitioned the play back to offense.  Overall, it was a strong start for the defending WPIAL champions.

The Lady Tigers will be back in action again on Saturday when they travel to Lancaster, PA. to compete n the Conestoga Valley Tournament.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  SEWICKLEY ACADEMY - 0

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LADY TIGERS WIN, LOSE IN GATEWAY CLASSIC

The Lady Tigers defeated the Lafayette Lancers, 1-0, and lost to the John Burroughs Bombers, 1-0, in the Gateway Classic in St. Louis over the weekend.  NA defeated the Villa Duchesne Saints, 2-0, before losing to Kinkaid, Texas, 2-1.  It was a great experience for the Lady Tigers playing against top-notch competition from the Midwestern United States. 

Thirty-four schools from eight states participated in the Classic.  Teams were placed in pools of three or four teams with pool winners decided by the following - 3 points for a win, 1 point each for shutouts and ties, and 1 point each for goals scored up to four.  The Lady Tigers were in a pool with two St. Louis teams --- Villa Duchense and Lafayette along with Kinkaid, Texas.

GATEWAY CLASSIC
Anheuser Busch Sports Centre - St. Louis, MO
September 3-6, 2004

NORTH ALLEGHENY SCHEDULE

Crossover game with pool B - no points earned

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WPIAL FIELD HOCKEY - 2004

The Lady Tigers will compete again in Class AAA, along with four other teams.  Two section plaques will be awarded, one for the AAA winner and one to the AA winner.  Those teams will be the teams with the best record against all schools in their classification.  Ties in section record will be broken by head-to-head competition.  If the tie is not broken in headl-to-head, the following point system will be applied to games in similar classification:

1.  All victories will earn two (2) points.
2.  All ties will earn (1) point.
3.  The Team with the greatest number of points will be the champion.

If a tie still persists, the best overall record (against both classifications) will prevail.  If the tie still cannot be broken, a playoff game will be conducted to determine the champion and entry into the PIAA championships.

Duration of the game shall be a maximum of sixty (60) minutes played in two equal halves.  All regular season that end in a tie will enter a sudden victory --- reduced player --- tie-breaking procedure not to exceed ten (10) minutes with the teams not changing goals to begin the period.  A coin toss will determine which team will take possession of the ball.  If the score remains tied at the completion of the overtime period, the game will be entered into the record as a tie.

Any questions or comments should be directed to Athletic Director Bob Bozzuto at:  bbozzuto@northallegheny.org