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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY WATER POLO

File Photos by Craig Bentzen

LADY TIGERS QUALIFY FOR STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Lady Tigers defeated Villa Maria, 5-2, on Saturday at the Western Tiger Classic at the Senior High pool to earn their second consecutive trip to the state water polo championships.  Senior Katie Belardi got the Tigers off and running (swimming!) with a first-period goal on a terrific drive to the goal.  Junior Erika Harpur unleashed two long goals from the outside while senior Laura Powell and junior Lindsay Chapon contributed with a score a piece as the Lady Tigers continue to improve their game.  In other games in the Classic, the Lady Tigers were defeated by McDowell, 11-1, Governor Mifflin, 6-2, and Cumberland Valley, 13-3.

In boys' competition, the Tigers played well but were defeated by McDowell, 10-7, in their quest for a state playoff berth.  Over the weekend, the team played at their highest levels challenging the best teams in the state.  Seniors Jeff Glick and Rob Semanchik, along with juniors Steve Hilty, Craig Bentzen and Andrew Shepard, had career best performances with solid defense and timely goals.  The Tigers were also defeated by Governor Mifflin, 14-3, Cathedral Prep, 13-4, and Cumberland Valley, 6-5.

The Tiger teams will be back in action again this afternoon when they host the South Park Eagles in a pair of contests beginning at 5:00 pm.  These games were rescheduled from earlier in the year.

WESTERN TIGER CLASSIC
Friday and Saturday, October 15 and 16, 2004

TOURNAMENT SCORES

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TIGER TEAMS TAKE TWO FROM CHARTIERS VALLEY

Both the boys'  and girls' teams were victorious over the Chartiers Valley Colts at the Senior High pool on Wednesday afternoon.  The Lady Tigers downed CV, 7-1, with seven different players scoring goals.  Leading the way for NA were seniors Tara Thompson, Katie Belardi, Kim Jenkins, and Megan Hritz, along with junior Erika Harpur and freshman Ginny Thistle.

The boys' squad edged the Colts, 9-7, behind two goals each from senior Jeff Glick and junior Steve Hilty.  Senior Rob Semanchik, along with juniors Andrew Shepard, Craig Bentzen and Darren Masters and sophomore John Nolan, scored goals for the winning Tigers.

The Tiger teams will be back in action again tomorrow night as part of the Western Tiger Classic.  The girls will meet McDowell at 4:00 pm and Governor Mifflin at 7:20 pm while the boys will take on McDowell at 4:50 and Governor Mifflin at 8:10 pm.

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NA HOSTS WESTERN TIGER CLASSIC TOURNAMENT

The first Western Tiger Classic Tournament will be hosted by North Allegheny tomorrow and Saturday at the Senior High pool.  The tournament will feature some of the top teams from across the state of Pennsylvania.  There will be competition in both the boys' and girls' divisions with games starting on Friday at 4:00 pm and Saturday beginning at 8:00 am.  

TIGER TEAMS COMPETE IN CHARTIERS VALLEY TOURNAMENT

In boys' competition at the Chartiers Valley Tournament on Saturday, the Tigers gave the Trojans from McDowell all they could handle for three periods before succumbing by a score of 14-5.  Junior Craig Bentzen led the way for the Tigers with three goals while senior Jeff Glick tallied twice.  NA played a top-ranked Erie Cathedral Prep team tough before losing by a score of 14-8.  Senior Rob Semanchik scored four goals while Bentzen, and juniors Andrew Keelan, Patrick Kirsch, and Andrew Shepard each scored a goal for the Tigers.  

In the girls' bracket, the Lady Tigers put themselves in a position to return to the state championship tournament with a resounding 9-2 victory over Villa Maria.  Senior Kim Jenkins paced NA with four goals.  Seniors Tara Thompson and Katie Belardi also scored for the Lady Tigers.  In an earlier game, NA lost the state power McDowell by a score of 14-2.

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TIGERS RIP CHARTIERS VALLEY TWICE

Both the girls' and boys' teams won decisive victories at Chartiers Valley on Thursday afternoon.  The Lady Tigers dunked the Colts, 14-2, with freshman Ginny Thistle leading the way with 5 goals from the hole set position.  Nine NA players scored in the victory.

The boys' team overwhelmed Chartiers Valley, 15-2, as sophomore Joe Guenther led the way with four goals.  Nine Tigers got into the scoring column as NA won decisively.

The Tiger teams will be at home on Monday when they host the South Park Eagles.  Action is scheduled to get under way at 5:00 pm.

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TIGER TEAMS GET GOOD EXPERIENCE IN SCREAMIN' EAGLE TOURNAMENT

Both boys' and girls' teams participated in the Screamin' Eagle  Tournament last week at Cumberland Valley High School.  It was a great opportunity for the relatively new NA programs to compete against teams from the central and eastern part of the state.  Many of these teams have been sponsoring water polo teams for a number of years.

In the girls' tournament, the Lady Tigers were defeated three times.  Against North Penn, NA dropped an 8-3 decision.  In the second game, the Lady Tigers stayed close but were edged by Pottsville, 9-7.  In the finale, it was Wyoming Valley West downing NA, 8-2.  Senior Katie Belardi led the scoring for the Lady Tigers with 7 goals.

The boys' team had more success.  In the opener, NA dropped a 6-2 decision to North Penn with senior Jeff Glick and junior Steve Hilty each scoring a goal.  In the second game, the Tigers came back from a 9-7 deficit in the third quarter to upset Pottsville by a score of 12-11.  Glick and senior Rob Semanchik led NA in goals scored while juniors Andrew Shepard, Andrew Keelan, Craig Bentzen and Hilty made crucial plays to power the Tigers to the victory.  A total team effort led to a 9-6 upset victory over Wissahicken in game three.  Finally, the Tigers were defeated by the powerhouse home team, Cumberland Valley, by a score of 13-9.

CUMBERLAND VALLEY TOURNAMENT
September 11, 2004

(Special thanks to Coach Semler for the information in this report!)

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