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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY ICE HOCKEY

* PIHL RUNNERUP *

* DIVISION CHAMPIONS *

Photo Courtesy of Ken McGlumphy

THANKS TO THE NA FANS FOR THEIR SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THE 2004-05 SEASON!!!

KRISTEN, DITTRICH RECEIVE POST-SEASON HONORS

Two members of the Tigers' regular season PIHL champions have received post-season honors.  Senior goalie Jeff Kristan was selected to the MSA Sports All-Icers First Team while junior defenseman Paul Dittrich was named to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Stellar Six.

CONGRATULATIONS TO JEFF AND PAUL!!!!!

2005 MSA SPORTS ALL-ICERS TEAM

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
THE STELLAR 6

* - indicates MVP

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BETHEL PARK EDGES TIGERS, 1-0, FOR PIHL CHAMPIONSHIP

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

The Tigers lost a tough 1-0 decision to the Bethel Park Blackhawks at Mellon Arena on Wednesday night in the PIHL Penguin Cup Championship game.  The Tigers outplayed Bethel for most of the night, outshooting the Hawks, 28-15, but were unable to beat BP junior goalie Bryce Merriam.  Junior defenseman Tim O'Brien scored the game's only goal midway through the second period, and it turned out to be the game winner.

The first period gave indications of how the game would be played as both teams played a hard-hitting defensive style.  Junior defenseman Paul Dittrich had the first scoring opportunity at the 5:11 mark, but Merriam made the save.  After junior defenseman Ian McGlumphy was sent off for interference at the 7:23 mark, Bethel Park came close to taking an early lead.  Sophomore winger Kenny Lehman beat Tiger goalie Jeff Kristan but his shot hit the left post.  With a little over three minutes remaining in the period, senior forward Derek Rusbarsky had a chance but Merriam made a good kick save to keep the game scoreless after one period.  NA outshot Bethel Park, 8-3, in the opening stanza.

Early in the second period, the Tigers threatened.  Senior Garrett Waldschmidt made a good move in front of the net and got off a backhander that Merriam saved.  Brother Wes was there for the rebound, but Merriam made a spectacular kick save to keep NA off the board.  Minutes later, Kristan made a good save against senior forward Connor McLean.  With 8:09 remaining in the period, senior forward Matt Pekins got loose in front of the net, but Merriam made a spectacular glove-hand save to again keep the Tigers from getting the all-important first goal.  A little over two minutes later, Lehmann made a good play to get around the Tiger defense and set up O'Brien who came in alone from the right side.  Kristan made the save on his first shot, but O'Brien was able to steer the rebound into the net to put Bethel Park on top.  It was the only goal allowed by NA in four playoff games, and it would prove to be the difference.  Late in the period, the Tigers had a power play, but Dittrich was forced to pull down freshman forward Brian McGinty on a shorthanded breakaway.  With the teams playing 4-on-4, Kristan kept the game close with a big save.  The Tigers outshot Bethel, 10-5, but the Blackhawks took a 1-0 lead into the final period.

In the third period, the Tigers had to kill off an early penatly to keep the deficit at just one goal.  After that, the Tigers turned up the pressure.  Senior defenseman Ryan Sheran had two good shots from the right point but again Merriam was there.  With a little over nine minutes remaining, senior defenseman Matt Zrebiec launched a hard shot from the left point, but Merriam was able to get his left pad on it at the last second.  The Tigers continued to attack and Dittrich got a chance from the right side with 5:24 left, but Merriam again came up big.  Pekins had another opportunity with 2:27 left, but Merriam was able to cover up the rebound in front of the goal.  With under a minute to go, Coach Tom Pandolfo pulled Kristan for the extra attacker.  The Tigers kept the puck in the Bethel end for the remainder of the game, but it was not to be as the Blackhawks held on for the 1-0 victory.

It was another strong defensive effort for the Tigers.  Sheran had a big game on the blueline with Zrebiec, Dittrich and McGlumphy all pitching in to keep Bethel to just 15 shots.  The NA offense had their chances but ran into a hot junior goalie who made all the big saves.  For his effort in the game and on the season, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Matt Pekins as the Player of the Game.

The loss ended a 26-game winning streak by the Tigers going back to the opening game in PIHL play.  It was the first time the Tigers had ever gone to the championship game of the Penguin Cup.  They gave a great effort but just fell a little short.  NA finished the season with an overall record of 26-2.  

(Note: FSN Sports will broadcast a replay of the game on Sunday afternoon at 3:00 pm)

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH TOM PANDOLFO AND THE TIGERS FOR AN OUTSTANDING SEASON!!!!

GAME SUMMARY
BETHEL PARK - 1  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

SHOTS ON GOAL

84 LUMBER PENGUINS CUP CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

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TIGERS STOP UPPER ST. CLAIR, 3-0, TO ADVANCE TO PIHL CHAMPIONSHIP

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

Senior goalie Jeff Kristan stopped all 18 Upper St. Clair shots as the Tigers shut out the Panthers, 3-0, at Bladerunners in Harmarville in the PIHL Penguin Cup semifinals on Wednesday night.  NA scored in each of the three periods with junior Paul Dittrich, sophomore Wes Waldschmidt, and senior Brandon Lied picking up the goals.  Senior captain Derek Rusbarsky added two assists.

The Tigers got on the board early in the first period when Dittrich let go a hard slap shot from the right point that deflected into the Upper St. Clair net at the 2:08 mark.  Two and a half minutes later the Panthers went on a power play.  The Tiger defense killed the penalty with Kristan making a big save on Brian Gorder.  With 6:43 remaining in the period, Pekins intercepted a clearing pass but was stopped twice by Panther goalie Kevin Gorder to keep the score at 1-0.  After Lied took a cross-checking penalty with 4:39 left in the period, the Panthers almost scored.  Kristan made the initial stop of a shot by Mike Penkrot, and, as the puck rolled near the goal line, the Tiger defense was able to just keep it out of the net.  Kristen came up big again with 1:20 remaining as he made a save of a USC shot from right in front of the goal.  The Panthers outshot NA, 9-6, in the opening stanza, but the Tigers took a 1-0 lead into the first intermission.

Defense continued to dominate throughout most of the second period.  The Tigers finally broke through at the 5:24 mark when Wes Waldschmidt put in a rebound of a shot by brother Garrett to give the Tigers a 2-0 advantage.  NA continued to spend time in the penalty box and had to kill off two more penalties, thanks to Kristan and the NA defense of Dittrich, senior Matt Zrebiec, Ryan Sheran and junior Ian McGlumphy.  Pekins was able to steal a pass and got off a good shot that Gorder saved during the first of the two penalties.  With Sheran in the box for a slashing call with 2:06 left in the period. Jono Lohman got loose on the right side, but Kristan again made the save.  USC picked up a holding call with just 14 seconds remaining, and NA took a 2-0 lead into the final period.

The Tigers opened the period with 1:46 remaining on the power play, but USC's John Markwell broke free at center ice and looked like he would skate in all alone on a breakaway.  Dittrich made a diving play to just knock the puck off Markwell's stick to stop the scoring threat.  The Tigers continued to play outstanding defense and finally got an opportunity to extend the lead.  NA peppered the USC goal midway through the period, but Gorder stood tall, robbing Garrett Waldschmidt on a point blank shot with 8:23 remaining.  After a time out by USC coach John Harford at the 6:03 mark, the Panthers send everyone deep to try to get back in the game.  As a result, the Tigers broke free on a two-on-one, with Rusbarsky blasting a shot from the right side.  Lied was right there to tuck in the rebound as NA picked up the goal that put USC away.  The lead went to 3-0 with just 4:38 left in the game.  Kristan made his best save of the game a minute later when he snagged a deflection by Jake Klancher to preserve the shutout.  The Tigers went on to a 3-0 victory that sent them to the Penguin Cup finals for the first time.

Kristan recorded his third consecutive shutout in the playoffs, his eighth on the season.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Jeff Kristan as the Player of the Game.  According the Tiger coach Tom Pandolfo, "The key to the game was Kristan.  He won the game for us!"

With the win, the Tigers advance to the championship game of the PIHL Penguin Cup Championship Series.  The victory was the 26th consecutive win for the Tigers in PIHL competition.  NA will face Bethel Park, a 4-0 winner over Mt. Lebanon in the first semifinal on Wednesday.  The game will be played at Mellon Arena with game time set for 9:00 pm.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 8:45 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  UPPER ST. CLAIR - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGER DEFENSE STOPS MEADVILLE, 2-0, AS NA ADVANCES TO SEMIFINALS

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

A strong defensive performance by the Tigers held Meadville to just five shots as NA defeated the Bulldogs, 2-0, at Bladerunners in Warrendale in a PIHL quarterfinal game.  Junior Chris Simanic gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead early, and junior defenseman Paul Dittrich scored the insurance goal midway through the third period.  

The Tigers set the stage early in the first period when they stormed the Meadville goal.  Sophomore forward Wes Waldschmidt sent the puck toward the Bulldog goal where Simanic had his first shot stopped by freshman goalie Brian Danczak.  Simanic then calmly put the rebound in the net to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead at the 3:21 mark.  The Tigers continued to come in waves, but Danczak got stronger as the game went on.  Bulldog defenseman Brian Stanton was called for cross-checking at 8:55, but the Tigers were unable to beat Danczak.  Senior forward Brandon Lied got loose in front of the net with 2:56 remaining, but the Bulldog netminder stopped him cold.  With just 24 seconds left, Danczak made a sparkling glove hand save to rob Wes Waldschmidt and send the teams to the first intermission with NA on top, 1-0.  The Tigers outshot Meadville, 20-2, in the period.

In the second period, Meadville regrouped defensively and held NA to just nine shots.  Danczak made good saves again to keep it a one goal game going into the third period.  Early in the final stanza, Danczak robbed Wes Waldschmidt again with an incredible glove hand snag to keep the game at 1-0.  Seconds later, Tiger defenseman Matt Zrebiec was sent to the penalty box giving the Bulldogs a chance to tie the game.  The Tigers, however,  were the team that ended up with the best scoring chances.  NA ended up with a two-on-none break shorthanded but Danczak again came up big stopping Dittrich.  The Tiger defenseman got a little revenge minutes later when he blasted a slap shot from the blue line that beat Danczak cleanly to give NA a 2-0 lead at the 4:06 mark of the period.  The Tiger defense took over at this point and stymied the Bulldog offense.  With 2:46 left,  however, sophomore forward Pat Leone broke free and Zrebiec was forced to take a hooking penalty to stop a scoring chance.  With little time left in the game, Meadville coach Jamie Plunkett pulled Danczak for the extra attacker.  Even with a six-on-four advantage for the Bulldogs, the Tiger defense did not allow any good scoring opportunities.  The Tigers were able to deny Meadville for the remainder of the game and earned a hard-fought 2-0 victory.  

The Tigers used a hard-checking physical game to keep Meadville under control for the entire game.  Tiger defensemen Dittrich, Zrebiec, senior Ryan Sheran, and junior Ian McGlumphy kept Meadville off balance all night.  NA outshot the Bulldogs, 40-5, and only the acrobatics of Danczak kept the score close.  For his efforts in giving the Tigers an early lead, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Chris Simanic as the Player of the Game.  Senior goalie Jeff Kristan picked up his seventh shutout of the season in earning the victory.

The victory was the 25th consecutive win for the Tigers in PIHL play this season.  With the win, NA advances to the semifinals that are tentatively scheduled for next Wednesday night at Bladerunners in Harmarville.  The opponent will not be known until the remaining quarterfinal games are completed tomorrow night.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  MEADVILLE - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS CRUSH BALDWIN AGAIN, 9-0, TO ADVANCE TO PIHL QUARTERFINALS

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

For the second time in a week, the Tigers rolled over the Baldwin Highlanders, 9-0, on Tuesday night at Bladerunners in Warrendale.  Sophomore Wes Waldschmidt led the way with two goals and four assists while seniors Matt Pekins and Garrett Waldschmidt added two goals and two assists each.  NA scored four times in the first period and never looked back.

Pekins opened the scoring just 1:25 into the contest, converting on a cross ice pass from Garrett Waldschmidt.  The Tigers continued to pressure the Baldwin goal, and senior defenseman Ryan Sheran came close to making it 2-0 but was stopped by Baldwin goalie Brian Madeja.  Garrett Waldschmidt was able to beat Madeja on assists from Wes Waldschmidt and Pekins at the 8:56 mark to give NA a two-goal advantage.  Pekins tallied his second goal of the period again on a cross ice pass from Wes Waldschmidt as the Tiger lead went to 3-0.  With Craig Canofari in the penalty box for Baldwin, the Tigers scored again with Wes Waldschmidt picking up the power play goal.  The Tigers dominated the period, outshooting Baldwin, 12-0, as they took a 4-0 lead to the first intermission.

Baldwin played better in the second period, mainly because of a couple of NA penalties.  Senior goalie Jeff Kristan made several good saves early in the period to keep the Highlanders off the board.  Junior Chris Simanic tipped in a shot from the point by junior Ian McGlumphy to push the lead to 5-0 at the 10:59 mark.   A minute later, senior Brandon Lied skated free on a breakaway but Madeja was able to make the save.  The Tigers scored again with just eight seconds left in the period when senior defenseman Matt Zrebiec slid the puck past Madeja on a shot from the right point.  The Tigers took a commanding 6-0 lead after two periods.

Wes Waldschmidt picked up his second goal of the game early in the third period to make it a 7-0 game.  With the goal, the mercy rule was invoked and the clock ran for the remainder of the period.  Just twenty-one seconds later, junior Alan Halapin scored from the right side to push the margin to 8-0.  Baldwin had a good chance at the 11:20 mark, but Kristan made a save on Dan Cox's shot from point-blank range to preserve the shutout.  Garrett Waldschmidt finished the scoring with a power play goal at the 4:13 mark.

The Tigers dominated Baldwin again in earning the easy victory.  NA outshot the Highlanders, 43-9, in moving on in the playoffs.  Kristan was able to make saves when he had to as he recorded his sixth shutout of the season.  For his offensive efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Wes Waldschmidt as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of the PIHL Penguins Cup Championship Series.  The game will be played next week at Bladerunners in Warrendale.  We will post date, time and opponent when it is announced.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  BALDWIN - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS BLAST BALDWIN, 9-0, IN REGULAR SEASON FINALE

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

On Senior night, senior Brandon Lied scored a pair of goals and picked up two assists to pace NA to a 9-0 victory over Baldwin in the regular season finale at Bladerunners in Warrendale on Thursday night.  Senior Garrett Waldschmidt tallied a pair of goals as the Tigers won their 23rd consecutive victory in PIHL play.  NA got goals from seven different players as they tuned up for the playoffs.

The Tigers started early with Garrett Waldschmidt getting a shorthanded opportunity on a pass from senior Matt Pekins just a minute into the contest.  Baldwin goalie Brian Madeja made a good save and robbed Waldschmidt again at the 10:37 mark to keep the game scoreless.  Lied finally got NA on the board with a power play goal on assists from Pekins and sophomore Wes Waldschmidt with 6:52 remaining in the period.  Seconds later, Lied almost scored again but Madeja made another good save to keep the score at 1-0.  With 1:40 left, Wes Waldschmidt tipped in a shot by junior defenseman Paul Dittrich to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead at the first intermission.  NA outshot Baldwin, 10-3, in the opening stanza.

Baldwin had a chance to get back in the game early in the second period.  With a man already in the penalty box, junior defenseman Ian McGlumphy was given a high sticking penalty to give the Highlanders a two-man advantage.  Garrett Waldschmidt then turned the game around.  The Tiger senior blocked a shot from the point and broke free, skated around a defenseman and beat Madeja to score a shorthanded goal to increase the NA margin to 3-0.  It was all Tigers from that point in the game.  NA controlled play in the Baldwin end, and senior David Hudzinski made it 4-0 on assists from Lied and junior Chris Gilson at the 6:57 mark.  Gilson made it 5-0 on a blistering shot from the right face off circle just 1:40 later.  The Tigers increased the lead to 7-0 with two goals in the final 1:02.  Junior Chris Simanic poked in a rebound of a shot by Lied, and junior Alan Halapin converted from the right side of the net with just 8.4 remaining as NA took a commanding seven-goal lead into the final period.  The Tigers dominated the period, outshooting Baldwin by a 17-3 count.

With the clock running under the mercy rule, the Tigers continued to control play in the final period.  Garrett Waldschmidt made a couple of nice moves down the right side to score in the first minute of the period to increase the lead to 8-0.  Lied put the finishing touches on a Senior Night victory when he tipped in a shot from the point by senior Matt Zrebiec with just 21 seconds left.  The Tigers came away with a 9-0 victory in impressive fashion.  

Senior goalie Jeff Kristan turned away all 11 shots he faced to earn his fifth shutout of the season.  NA outshot Baldwin, 38-11, on the night.  For his Senior Night efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Brandon Lied as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers completed their regular season with a final record of 23-1-0.  NA is the #1 seed in the upcoming PIHL playoffs that will start next week.  The Tigers are tentatively scheduled to open play on Tuesday night against either Norwin or Cathedral Prep.  We will post the playoff information as soon as it is released.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  BALDWIN - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS CAPTURE PRESIDENT'S CUP WITH 3-1 VICTORY AT MEADVILLE

The Tigers edged the Meadville Bulldogs, 3-1, at Meadville on Monday night to earn their 22nd consecutive victory.  The win clinched the President's Cup as the PIHL regular season champion.  Sophomore Wes Waldschmidt scored a pair of goals, including a shorthanded tally early in the third period that gave NA a 2-1 lead.  Junior Chris Gilson put the Tigers ahead with a first-period goal.

The Tigers took the lead early as Gilson scored to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead after one period.  In the second period, Patrick Leone scored a shorthanded goal to bring the Bulldogs even at 1-1 after two periods.  With Meadville on a power play early in the third period, Wes Waldschmidt stole the puck and scored a shorthanded breakaway goal to put NA ahead 2-1.  It was Wes Waldschmidt again midway through the period as he scored an all important insurance goal on assists from seniors Garrett Waldschmidt and Matt Pekins to clinch the victory.

Senior Jeff Kristan recorded the victory in net for the Tigers as NA outshot Meadville, 23-8.  The Tiger defense was impressive once again as they held the Bulldogs to just one goal.  NA has given up just 21 goals in 23 PIHL games this season.

With the victory, the NA record improved to 22-1 in PIHL contests with just one game remaining in the regular season.  The Tigers have also clinched home ice for the first two rounds of the playoffs.  NA will conclude regular season play on Thursday night.  It will be Senior Night at Bladerunners in Warrendale.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:50 pm.

(Thanks to Jim Pekins for the info in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  MEADVILLE - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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PENGUIN CUP FINALS SET FOR 
MELLON ARENA

There will be hockey at the Mellon Arena in March, but not the NHL!  The PIHL announced that the finals of the Penguin Cup will be played at Mellon Arena on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 22 and 23.  The Pennsylvania High School Hockey Championships will be played at Hersheypark Arena in Hershey on Saturday, March 26.

The Tigers travel to Meadville tonight to take on the Bulldogs in a PIHL contest with game time set for 7:30 pm.  NA will return home on Thursday for the regular season finale against Baldwin.  It will be Senior Night at Bladerunners in Warrendale with game time scheduled for 8:00 pm.

2005 PENGUIN CUP SCHEDULE

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TIGERS ROUT SHALER, 11-0

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

The Tigers scored six goals in the first period and coasted to an 11-0 pasting of Shaler at Bladerunners in Warrendale on Tuesday night.  Sophomore Wes Waldschmidt scored three goals and added three assists to pace NA to its twenty-first consecutive PIHL victory.  Junior center Chris Simanic recorded five assists while senior Matt Pekins had a pair of goals and an assists.

The Tigers wasted no time in taking control of the game as they scored twice in the first 26 seconds.  Wes Waldschmidt opened the scoring just 15 seconds into the game and Pekins followed 11 seconds later to give NA a 2-0 lead.  The two quick goals put Shaler back on their heels early.  Five minutes later, Wes Waldschmidt tallied his second goal of the game, and senior Brandon Lied blasted a shot from the right faceoff circle less than a minute later giving NA a 4-0 advantage with 8:22 still remaining in the period.  After Shaler's Neil Stanek was sent off at the 5:22 mark, Garrett Waldschmidt converted a goal mouth pass from brother Wes to score a power play goal that increased the margin to 5-0.  Pekins scored his second goal of the period to give the Tigers a commanding 6-0 lead after one period.  The Tigers outshot Shaler, 26-1, in the opening stanza.

In the second period, the Tigers continued to dominate.  Junior Alan Halapin wasted no time as he scored 29 seconds into the period to push the margin to 7-0.  At this point, the mercy rule kicked in and the remainder of the game was played with a running clock.  After Shaler's Chris Thompson took an unsportsmanlike penalty, junior defenseman Paul Dittrich made Shaler pay with a power play goal on an assist from Simanic as the lead ballooned to 8-0.  Junior defenseman Ian McGlumphy scored from the right side of the net to increase the lead to 9-0 as the teams went to the second intermission.

Early in the third period, senior defenseman Cameron Egerter scored his first goal of the season with a nice move just across the Shaler blue line.  Senior David Hudzinski picked up the assist as the NA lead reached double figures at 10-0.  Fittingly, Wes Waldschmidt finished off the scoring with an unassisted goal at the 11:30 mark.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Wes Waldschmidt as the Player of the Game. 

Although senior Jeff Kristan started in goal, junior Brandon Wiedwald came in early in the first period and played the remainder of the game to earn the majority of the minutes in the shutout.  The Tigers outshot the Titans, 44-6, in a dominating performance by the West Division champions.

The victory improved the NA record to 21-1 on the season as they prepare for the upcoming PIHL playoffs.  NA will travel to Meadville on Monday night for a 7:30 pm contest before returning home next Thursday to conclude the regular season against Baldwin on Senior Night.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 11  SHALER - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS WIN SHOWDOWN AGAINST BETHEL PARK, 4-1

The Tiger defense dominated Bethel Park as NA downed the Blackhawks, 4-1, at Bladerunners in Bethel Park on Thursday night.  Senior Matt Pekins scored a pair of goals and added an assist while sophomore Wes Waldschmidt recorded a goal and an assist.  Senior Garrett Waldschmidt scored the fourth NA goal as the Tigers won their 20th consecutive PIHL contest.

In the first period, Wes Waldschmidt got the Tigers on the board first with a shorthanded goal  as NA took a 1-0 lead after one period.  In the second period, Pekins got loose on a breakaway down the right side and beat Bethel goalie Bryce Merriam to make it a 2-0 game.  In the period, the Tigers were forced to kill off a 5-on-3 Bethel Park power play for a minute and thirty seconds.  After two periods, the Tigers held a 2-0 advantage.

Midway through the third period, Garrett Waldschmidt scored from Wes Waldschmidt and Pekins as NA pushed the lead to 3-0.  In the waning minutes of the period, Pekins scored an open net goal to put the game out of reach at 4-0.  Sophomore Bryan Brown was able to get Bethel Park on the board with just 57 seconds remaining, but the game belonged to NA as the Tigers defeated the Blackhawks, 4-1.

It was another outstanding effort by the Tiger defense and goalie Jeff Kristan.  NA killed six Blackhawk penalties, including the two-man advantage in the second period.  Credit goes to senior defenseman Matt Zrebiec and Ryan Sheran, along with junior blueliners Paul Dittrich and Ian McGlumphy, as they continually denied the powerful Bethel Park offense.  The Tigers outshot Bethel Park, 25-14.

With the win, the NA division record improved to 20-1 on the season.  The victory also wrapped up the West Division Championship for the Tigers.  NA will be back in action again on Tuesday night when they host the Shaler Titans.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:20 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 6:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4  BETHEL PARK - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

INDIVIDUAL HONORS

Junior defenseman Paul Dittrich was named the Player of the Month for December by the PIHL.  Seniors Matt Pekins and Garrett Waldschmidt, along with Dittrich, were named to the Top 25 players in western Pennsylvania by PA Hockey.  Head coach Tom Pandolfo was selected as one of the top five coaches.

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TIGERS BLANK BUTLER, 5-0

The Tigers shut out Butler, 5-0, at Bladerunners in Warrendale for the nineteenth consecutive victory in PIHL play.  Sophomore Wes Waldschmidt scored a pair of goals and added an assist while junior defenseman had a goal and three assists to pace the Tigers. Seniors Garrett Waldschmidt and Matt Pekins also scored for NA.   Senior goalie Jeff Kristan recorded the shutout.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead after the first period on the first Wes Waldschmidt goal.  Garrett Waldschmidt and Pekins assisted to give the Tigers the lead.  In the second period, it was Garrett Waldschmidt from Pekins and Dittrich as NA took a 2-0 advantage after two periods of play.

In the third period, the Tigers scored three times to put the game out of reach.  Wes Waldschmidt tallied his second of the game unassisted to make it a 3-0 NA lead.  Dittrich's goal pushed the margin to 4-0, and Pekins finished off the scoring from Dittrich and Wes Waldschmidt  as the Tigers earned a 5-0 victory.  Strong defense by Dittrich, senior Matt Zrebiec, and juniors Ian McGlumphy and Chris Korenoski helped Kristan pick up his fourth shutout of the year.

With the victory, the Tigers improved their division record to 19-1 on the season.  On Thursday, NA will travel to Bethel Park to meet the Blackhawks in a battle of two of the top teams in the PIHL.  Bethel Park is currently 20-1 and in first place in the South Division while the Tigers are ranked #1 and are first in the West Division.  NA defeated Bethel Park, 5-1, in the finals of the Scholastic Showcase Tournament earlier in the season.  Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.  The MSA Sports Network will broadcast the game on WBGG radio (970 AM) and also on the internet.

(Thanks to Jim Pekins for the info in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  BUTLER - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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PIHL ICE HOCKEY - 2004-05

The Tigers will once again compete in Class AAA along with 21 other teams.  The Tigers are in the West Division and will play two games against Cathedral Prep and McDowell from Erie, along with Seneca Valley, Meadville and Butler.  NA has a 24-game schedule in league play with home games played at Bladerunners in Warrendale.

PIHL AAA ALIGNMENT - 22 TEAMS

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