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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY
GIRLS' SOCCER

Photos Courtesy of Kevin Cope

FOUR LADY TIGERS NAMED TO P-G ALL-SECTION TEAM

Four Lady Tigers were selected as members of the Section 2 All-Section team as announced by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Senior MF Leigh Cullen, senior F/MF Jackie Givens, senior defender Kelly Langhans and junior forward Maura Romano were named to the squad.

CONGRATULATIONS TO LEIGH, JACKIE, KELLY AND MAURA!!!

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
SECTION 2 ALL-SECTION TEAM

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NORWIN ENDS LADY TIGERS TITLE HOPES
WITH 2-1 VICTORY

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

A late goal with just 3:25 remaining  gave the Norwin Knights a 2-1 victory over the Lady Tigers at Norwin Stadium on Tuesday night.  NA battled the Knights all night and had tied the game at 1-1 early in the second half on senior Leigh Cullen's penalty kick.  Mandi Miller and Jessica Sharick scored for the Lady Knights.

Both teams came out ready to play in the early going.  Despite the cold and wind, the Lady Tigers had the first chance in the first minute when Norwin GK Jenna Kulik had to make a save on junior Chrissy Marshall's cross just 51 seconds into the contest.  Norwin was able to score first when freshman Dana Dellefemine broke down the right side and sent a cross to Mandi Miller who shot high into the right corner of the net.    The Lady Knights took a 1-0 lead just 5:00 minutes into the game.  Senior defender Kelly Langhans found junior forward Maura Romano open on a direct kick but the attempt went over the goal.  Minutes later, Langhans made a good defensive play to stop a long run down the right side by Dellefemine.  Midway through the half, senior defender Melia Muckle was able to block a Norwin attempt with the ensuing corner kick sent over the goal.  NA forced a corner kick at the 22:25 mark but could not convert on senior MF Kellie Cope's cross.  Romano had a chance less than a minute later, but her header was stopped by Kulik.  Cullen followed with a shot that went wide with a shot from 30 yards with 14:48 remaining.  The Knights turned up the pressure for the remainder of the half, keeping the ball in the North Allegheny end for much of the time.  A shot by Norwin co-captain Dani McLaughlin was caught by NA freshman GK Rachel Middleman with 10:10 left in the half.  NA coach Chet Gapczynski countered by sending in his two freshman forwards on the wing.  Larissa Steeb sent a cross that was caught by Kulik with 8:00 remaining.  Minutes later, Kylie Fuller sent a cross to Steeb that was stopped by the Norwin defense with a physical play in the box.  Langhans led the NA defensive effort throughout the half allowing the Knights few real scoring opportunities.  The half ended with Norwin holding a 1-0 advantage.

The Lady Tigers came out determined early in the second half.   Cope was fouled in the penalty area drawing a penalty kick.  Cullen converted as NA tied the score at 1-1 just 34 seconds into the half.  Norwin came back quickly and almost regained the lead, but Sharik's shot went wide to the left of the NA goal at the 1:22 mark.  The Lady Tigers put additional pressure on the Norwin goal in the next couple of minutes forcing Kulik to come out to cover the ball on two occasions.  Mandi Miller countered for the Knights with a hard shot from 35 yards that Middleman stopped on a good save at the 7:34 mark.  Sophomore Molly Antimarino, who was moved to the forward position in the second half, had a great chance at the 14:11 mark but Kulik made the save.  Sharick came back for the Knights with two more chances in the next four minutes but put one over the goal and the second wide right.  Halfway through the period, Sharick was wide again, and senior Jackie Givens countered with an attempt that was caught by Kulik.  Romano had two chances to give NA the lead but was stopped on both attempts by Kulik.  With 14:25 remaining, the Lady Tigers forced a scramble in front of the Norwin goal that was finally cleared.  Seconds later, Givens put a shot just wide to the right from 25 yards.  With 7:13 remaining, Antimarino broke free down the right side.  The NA sophomore was pulled down from behind giving the Lady Tigers their second penalty kick.  This time, however, Cullen's attempt went just over the crossbar and the game remained tied at 1-1.  Three minutes later with the ball at midfield, Mandi Miller made a good defensive play to steal the ball.  Miller then took off down the right side where she crossed the ball to Sharick who blasted it into the net.  Norwin took a 2-1 lead with only 3:25 remaining.  The Lady Tigers applied pressure over the remaining time but could not score.  Norwin advanced to the quarterfinals with the 2-1 victory.

It was a great effort by the Lady Tigers in a very physical contest.  In the second half, NA controlled play for a good portion of the time.  Kulik was tough in goal for the Knights, coming out beyond the 18 at times to stop NA attacks.  For her efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Kelly Langhans as the Player of the Game.  Unofficially, NA outshot Norwin, 15-10.  The Knights held a 2-1 advantage on corner kicks.

The loss ended the NA season with a final record of 14-6-2.  Norwin advanced to the quarterfinals and will meet Hopewell, a 1-0 upset winner over Ambridge. 

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH GAPCZYNSKI AND THE LADY TIGERS FOR A SUCCESSFUL SEASON!

(Special thanks to Claudia Steeb for providing game information for the 2006 season!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORWIN - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

WPIAL CLASS AAA GIRLS' SOCCER
2006 PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

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LADY TIGERS BLANK KNOCH, 3-0, TO ADVANCE IN WPIAL TOURNAMENT

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

The Lady Tigers defeated Knoch, 3-0, on Saturday afternoon at Newman Stadium to advance to the first round of the WPIAL playoffs.  Goals were scored by seniors Kelly Langhans and Leigh Cullen, and junior Maura Romano, as NA dominated play.  Senior Kellie Cope added a pair of assists for the winning Lady Tigers.

The Lady Tigers came out strong and controlled play early.  Just 2:48 into the contest, NA got the first of eleven corner kicks but could not score.  Several minutes later, NA had another chance but Knoch GK Erin Lewis was able to collect the ball before a shot was taken.  Romano had a chance at the 9:22 mark but her shot was blocked by Lewis over the goal line for another corner.  The Lady Tigers did not score but received another corner two minutes later.  Romano's attempt was sent over the goal for yet another corner kick.  This team, the Lady Tigers finished with Langhans heading in a high cross from Cope to give NA a 1-0 advantage at the 12:39 mark.  With 13:30 remaining, Knoch Co-Captain P.J. Abels sent a hard direct kick toward the NA goal but Tiger freshman GK Rachel Middleman made the catch.  The Knights had another chance at the midway point of the half but shot wide.  From this point until halftime, the Lady Tigers kept up the pressure but could not score again.  Romano had a chance but missed to left at the 22:17 mark.  Cullen had a great opportunity with 12:41 remainining but her shot just missed the left corner of the net.  Two more corner kicks did not result in an NA goal in the next couple of minutes.  Knoch came back to send a ball into the box, but Middleman made an easy catch.  Freshman Kylie Fuller sent a hard shot from 15 yards with 5:10 left, but Lewis made the save.  With 2:40 remaining, freshman Taylor Gapczynski put one over the goal from the 18.  NA had one finally opportunity but Cullen missed wide right with just 47 seconds on the clock.  The Lady Tigers took a 1-0 advantage to the intermission.

In the second half, NA wasted no time in increasing the lead.  Early in the half, Cope made a nice move down the right side and beat the defender.  The senior midfielder then sent a high cross in front of the goal that Cullen put into the net to give NA a 2-0 lead just 2:23 into the half.  The Knights came back at the 7:10 mark when Alex Gordon broke through on the left side, but Middleman was there to make the save.  The Lady Tigers countered with Langhans sending a long ball into the Knoch third where Romano collected and headed toward the goal.  The junior forward beat two defenders, and, when Lewis came out of the goal, chipped the ball high into the net to give the Lady Tigers a commanding 3-0 margin at the 7:58 mark.  The patented ball control possession game of NA took over at this point.  Coach Chet Gapczysnki continued to send additional players into the contest in the remaining time.  Cullen had another chance at the 15:26 mark, but her shot was sent wide to the left.  Later in the half with 15:22 remaining, Knoch's Amanda Sharbaugh had a great chance but  Middleman was able to punch the ball over the goal.  On the ensuing corner, Middleman went high again to punch the ball away.  The Lady Tigers continued to pressure the Knoch goal and earned a pair of corner kicks by freshman Larissa Steeb, but NA could not finish.  Steeb had another chance with 8:05 left  but her attempt went over the goal.  Two minutes later, Gapczynski put another shot over the goal from 10 yards away.  Cullen had a chance with 4:50 remaining but shot wide again.  Two more corner kicks by Steeb were not converted as time ran out.  The Lady Tigers completed a 3-0 victory to send them on in the playoffs.

It was a strong performance by the Lady Tigers and the statistics beat this out.  NA had eleven corner kicks to just one for the Knights.  The Lady Tigers also outshot Knoch by a 14-6 margin.  The victory was marred, however, by injuries to sophomore Dawn Murphy and junior Leigh Wiker.  It is uncertain whether either player will be available for the next round of the playoffs.

With the win, the Lady Tigers moved on to the first round of the playoffs and will travel to Norwin on Tuesday night.  The game is a rematch of last year's contest won by the Knights, 4-2.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 5:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 6:00 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  KNOCH - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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FULLER'S GOAL GIVES LADY TIGERS 2-1 VICTORY OVER HOWLAND IN PLAYOFF TUNEUP

Freshman Kylie Fuller scored early in the second half and the NA defense took over as the Lady Tigers defeated Howland (OH), 2-1, at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  Senior Leigh Cullen assisted on the goal as she did on the first NA score by junior forward Maura Romano.  The game served as a good warmup for the WPIAL playoffs that will begin on Saturday when NA hosts the Knoch Knights in preliminary round action. (NOTE: See playoff schedule below)

The Lady Tigers started quickly with several opportunities early in the game.  Just 37 seconds into the contest, Romano had her first attempt that was stopped by the Ohio Tigers' goalkeeper Meagan McLaughlin.  The pressure paid off later when Romano scored to put NA on top, 1-0, at the 6:52 mark.  The goal came on a great cross from Cullen.  Howland came back with shots by Melissa Kohn and Valerie Spano but NA goalkeeper Rachel Middleman made the saves.  The Lady Tigers countered later in the half with senior MF Jackie Givens just missing the Howland goal at the 17:50 mark.  The Howland Tigers came back and threatened to equalize with attempts by Britany Martorana and Megan Long but both shots were denied.  Howland did tie the game with 7:11 remaining in the half off a corner kick.  Long set up Alexa Williams who just got the ball past Middleman to tie the contest at 1-1.  NA rallied but could not take the lead before halftime.  Fuller had a chance with 5:06 left and sophomore Dawn Murphy's attempt was stopped just before the break.  The teams went to the intermission tied at 1-1.

In the second half, the Lady Tigers struck early to retake the lead.  Cullen's pass to Fuller was converted just 3:19 into the half to give NA a 2-1 advantage.  Later in the half at the 16:00 minute mark, sophomore Molly Antimarino came close to extending the margin but McLaughlin was able to make the save.  The Howland Tigers put good pressure on later in the half with three good opportunities but missed the net on all three chances.   With 6:36 remaining, Givens sent another hard shot toward the Howland goal but could not beat McLaughlin.  With NA playing a ball control game throughout the second half, Howland had only one more opportunity but Long's attempt was stopped by Middleman.  Time ran out as the Lady Tigers picked up a hard-earned 2-1 victory as the regular season ended.

It was a good victory against a quality team.  Howland was undefeated during regular season play and was ranked #1 in the local district playoffs.  With the win, the Lady Tigers finished the regular season with an overall record of 13-5-2.  The playoff opener is against Knoch on Saturday.  The Knights finished in second place in section 7 with a section record of 8-3-1 and an overall mark of 12-6-1.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 4:45 pm.  Game time is set for 5:00 pm.

JV UPDATE: The JV team finished an unbeaten season with a 3-0 victory over Howland.  Scoring for the JVs were Kyle Fuller with 2 goals and Brienne Schuliger.  Congratulations to the JV team for a fine season!

(Thanks to Claudia Steeb for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  HOWLAND - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LADY TIGERS AVENGE EARLIER LOSS WITH 4-2 VICTORY OVER NORTH HILLS

Junior Maura Romano scored with 10:05 remaining in the game to break a 2-2 tie as the Lady Tigers went on to a 4-2 victory over North Hills at Martorelli Stadium on Monday night.  Romano paced NA with a three-goal hat trick with senior Leigh Cullen adding a goal and an assist. 

Neither team could muster much offense in the early going as they game opened with defense as the key.  Senior MF Jackie Givens had a pair of chances at the 8:05 and 9:00 mark but was stopped by NH goalkeeper Katie Muller.  The Indians came back with several opportunities by Shannon Seiler , the second coming halfway through the period, but NA freshman GK Rachel Middleman was able to make the saves.  Five minutes later, an NA direct kick was not converted but the Lady Tigers got a corner kick by senior Kellie Cope that was not converted.  Less than a minute later, NH's Shannon Seiler gave the Indians a 1-0 lead off a direct kick that Middleman got a hand on but could not keep out of the net.  The Lady Tigers answered quickly After senior Cullen sent a hard shot that was dropped and covered by Muller, senior defender Kelly Langhans came close on another direct kick.  NA tied the game at the 27:24 mark when Romano took a pass from sophomore forward Dawn Murphy and drove the ball past Muller into the upper corner of the net.  Seiler came back for NH, but Middleman made the save with 11:27 remaining in the half.  A little over two minutes later, Murphy had a chance to put NA ahead, but Muller made the stop.  Neither team was able to score in the remaining time as the half ended with the score tied at 1-1.

The Lady Tigers came out strong in the second half to take an early lead.  Cullen gave NA a 2-1 advantage with a goal just 2:21 into the period.   The Lady Tigers continued to pressure the NH goal forcing Muller to make two saves over the next several minutes.  Romano sent a hard shot at the 7:19 mark that Muller stopped, Langhans sent a long direct kick in front of the goal that was cleared at 8:48 mark, and Murphy was stopped by the NH keeper a little over a minute later.  The Indians tied the game at the 10:55 mark, however, when Lindsay Steinsdoerfer drove home a rebound off a shot by Seiler.  With the score tied at 2-2, the Lady Tigers continued to attack the Indian goal.  Over the next ten minutes, junior Lanie Smith sent a shot over the goal, and NA had two direct kicks but could not get the equalizer.  Romano came close just after the midway point when her attempt was stopped by Muller but went over the goal line for an NA corner.  Both Cullen and Murphy had chances after the corner kick but could not convert.  Romano finally put the Lady Tigers in front with a goal at the 29:55 mark.  After NH had a chance with 8:00 minutes left, Romano scored again, her third of the game, on a great cross by junior forward Leigh Wiker to give NA a 4-2 lead with just 4:15 on the second half clock.  After Murphy had one final attempt at the NH goal, the Lady Tiger defense took over and held the Indians off the board for the remainder of the game.  NA took a 4-2 victory back to Wexford.

It was sweet revenge for the Lady Tigers after the earlier loss to NH at Newman Stadium.  With the victory, the Lady Tigers completed section play with a 7-4-1 record that was good for third place and a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.  The WPIAL Pairings Meeting will be held tomorrow night to determine the brackets for the upcoming playoffs.  The meeting will be carried live on the internet by MSA Sports beginning at 7:00 pm.  NA will complete their regular schedule with a 7:30 pm non-section game against Howland, Ohio, tomorrow night.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team remained undefeated with a 3-0 victory over North Hills.  Scoring for the Lady Tigers were Brittany Antonucci, Brienne Schuliger, and Alexis Smith.

(Thanks again to Claudia Steeb for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4  NORTH HILLS - 2

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LADY TIGERS EDGE BETHEL PARK, 1-0,
ON SENIOR NIGHT

The Lady Tigers prepared for the upcoming WPIAL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over Bethel Park at Newman Stadium on Saturday night.  It was Senior Night with the seven NA seniors and their parents honored before the game.  Appropriately, senior Leigh Cullen scored the game's only game.

All seven NA seniors started the game, including Emily Guzzetti who underwent knee surgery a few weeks ago to repair a torn ACL.  Guzzetti started at right forward, received the ball, passed it and was substituted out of the game.  Throughout the first half, all seniors were pulled out of the game individually and re-enterd.  As they went back into the game, their senior information was re-read to the Senior Night crowd.  The NA team came out to support their seniors both on the field and on the bench.  It was a great night for all of the NA seniors!

The Lady Tigers took control of the game early when Cullen made a great individual effort to score.  After beating several BP defenders, Cullen faked right and shot to the GK's left to put NA on top, 1-0.  It was all the Lady Tigers needed.  At the 17:00 mark, senior MF Kellie Cope sent a cross in front of the BP goal but the Lady Tigers could not score.  Halfway through the period, sophomore Dawn Murphy took a pass from senior Melia Muckle but her hard shot was stopped by the BP keeper Christa Pantages.  Less than two minutes later, senior Shannon Fusina sent a ball into the box that Murphy headed toward the goal but Pantages made the save again.  The Blackhawks came back with two scoring opportunities in the next several minutes but NA freshman goalkeeper Rachel Middleman was there to make the saves.  Cullen had a chance to extend the lead with 9:48 remaining in the half but her attempt was stopped.  Minutes later, the Lady Tigers could not convert a corner sent in by Cope.  With 5:39 left, senior Jackie Givens drove a hard shot that was stopped by Pantages.  NA had one last chance with 18 seconds on the clock but Cullen could not score.  The Lady Tigers took a 1-0 advantage to the intermission.

Six of the seven seniors, excluding the injured Guzzetti, played the entire second half.  Early in the half, NA controlled the ball and had several early chances but could not score.  Halfway through the second stanza, junior Maura Romano sent a cross through the box but the NA forwards could not get to the ball in time.  Three minutes later, Romano almost scored but the BP defenders were able to clear the attempt.  Less than a minute later, Cope sent another corner kick in front of the net but the Tigers could not convert.  With 14:55 remaining, senior defender Kelly Langhans drove a long shot above the net and through the football goal posts.  Cope had an opportunity with 12:20 left, but her shot went directly to Pantages.  With 10 minutes remaining, an NA header was stopped by the BP keeper.  The Lady Tigers came close at the 34:00 mark when Romano's cross went off the hand of the keeper and was almost sent into the net by Cullen.  With 4:40 left, junior MF Lanie Smith sent a hard shot that was stopped by Pantages.  With 15 seconds on the clock, Cope forced the BP goalkeeper to make a final save.  The clock ran out with the Lady Tigers picking up a 1-0 victory.  Junior Katie Mahoney played the second half and shared the shutout with Middleman.

It was a good win by the Lady Tigers on an emotional Senior Night against a qualify opponent.  The Blackhawks dropped to 10-6-4 on the season while the NA overall record improved to 11-5-2.  The Lady Tigers will try to avenge an earlier loss to North Hills when they travel to Martorelli Stadium tonight to meet the Indians in the final section game.  The starting time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

(Special thanks to Claudia Steeb for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  BETHEL PARK - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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FIRST HALF GOAL ENOUGH FOR LADY TIGERS IN 1-0 VICTORY OVER FOX CHAPEL

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

The Lady Tigers scored on a corner kick with 11:59 remaining in the first half and held off Fox Chapel for a 1-0 victory at Newman Stadium on Thursday night.  Junior Chrissy Marshall's goal was the difference for the winning Lady Tigers.  The NA defense controlled Fox Chapel for most of the contest as the Lady Tigers defeated the Foxes for the second time this season.

Both teams started slowly on a cold and windy night in Wexford.  Fox Chapel had the first shot of the game 6:10 into the contest, but Jenny Turnbull's long attempt was caught by NA freshman GK Rachel Middleman.  The Foxes' Adriana Vega shot wide left from 20 yards out at the 27:54 mark.  The Lady Tigers came back with pressure on the FC goal, but a long cross from sophomore Dawn Murphy went over the head of a breaking junior forward Maura Romano with 24:07 left.  Midway through the half, senior MF Leigh Cullen had a great opportunity from 12 yards away, but her shot was caught by FC goalkeeper Tiffany Oliver.  Six minutes later, junior MF Melanie Versaw shot wide left from 25 yards away.  Less than two minutes later, Romano had another chance but her shot from a tough angle to the right was stopped by Oliver.  The Lady Tigers finally broke through with 11:59 left in the half.  Senior MF Kellie Cope sent a high cross on a corner kick that Oliver could not hold on to with Marshall right there to finish.  NA took a 1-0 lead with what would prove to be the game's only score.  Romano had another chance with 9:14 left but was stopped by Oliver.  With 7:29 remaining in the half, Oliver was injured in a collision in the penalty area and had to leave the game.  Senior Alicia Miksic finished the game in goal for the Foxes.  With 5:29 left, Middleman made a great save on Kelsey Russo when she leaped high to punch the ball over the goal.  Middleman was forced to make another good save 30 seconds later to keep NA in front.  Neither team threatened in the remaining 4:52 as the Lady Tigers took a 1-0 advantage to the intermission.

The Lady Tigers had numerous scoring chances in the second half but could not finish.  Early in the period, Miksic had to fall on a bouncing ball in the box to stop an NA chance.  Just 2:40 into the half, Romano drove a hard shot from 20 yards but Miksic made the save.  On a corner kick at the 4:25 mark, junior Lanie Smith got off a quick shot from 16 yards away that was stopped by the FC keeper.  With 25:19 remaining, junior Katie Mahoney replaced Middleman in the NA net.  Coach Chet Gapczynski substituted liberally throughout the remainder of the half.  Midway through the half, freshman Taylor Gapczynski sent a shot from the 18 that was caught by Miksic.  The NA defense, led by seniors Kelly Langhans and Melia Muckle, along with sophomore Molly Antimarino, was able to keep Fox Chapel and offensive leader Vega bottled up for most of the game.  Vega did get off a good pass to a breaking Kate Roberts with 18:31 left, but the attempt by Roberts went wide of the NA goal.  Junior Leigh Wiker had one last opportunity with 10:12 on the clock but her shot went wide.  The Lady Tigers used ball control to run out the remainder of the time and pick up a hard-earned 1-0 victory.

The Lady Tigers dominated the game in possession time but could score just one time.  NA recorded four corner kicks to two for the Foxes.  For her efforts on defense, and her play on  the offensive end of the field for part of the game, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Molly Antimarino as the Player of the Game. 

With the win, the NA section record improved to 6-4-1, the overall mark to 10-5-2.  The Lady Tigers have already qualified for the WPIAL playoffs that will begin next week.  NA will host Bethel Park on Saturday night in an 8:00 pm non-section game before traveling to North Hills on Tuesday to close out the regular season.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  FOX CHAPEL - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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BUTLER FALLS TO LADY TIGERS, 1-0, AS NA CLINCHES PLAYOFF SPOT

Sophomore Molly Antimarino scored early in the second half to lead the Lady Tigers to a 1-0 victory over Butler at Butler on Monday night.  Antimarino moved up from her defensive spot to tally her first goal of the season.  With the win, the Lady Tigers clinched a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.

The Lady Tigers had an early chance with an indirect kick at the 2:38 mark but could not finish.  NA had the next two chances with junior Maura Romano at the 10:25 mark and junior Lanie Smith at 12:26 but both shots missed.  Butler came back to register the next three scoring opportunities.  After a failed attempt with 16:25 left, Amy Macurdy was stopped at the 31:26 mark.  Tornado sophomore Ashley Oluschak failed in her attempt with 3:43 remaining.  Neither team could score in the time left as the game was scoreless at the intermission.

In the second half, Butler came out strong but Oleschak's attempt missed the goal just 1:45 into the period.  Antimarino answered a minute and a half later to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 advantage that they would hold for the remainder of the game.  After Oleschak had a chance at the 13:10 mark, the Lady Tigers tried to increase the lead with the next three opportunities.  Romano came close at the 16:18 mark, senior MF Leigh Cullen had a chance just 39 seconds later, and Romano again missed the goal midway through the period at the 20:40 mark.  Both teams had limited scoring chances down the stretch.  Senior MF Jackie Givens had the best opportunity with 12:35 remaining but could not score.

The Lady Tiger defense and freshman GK Rachel Middleman kept the Tornado off the board.  Butler registered only six shots at the NA goal while the Lady Tigers recorded nine.

With the win, the NA section record improved to 5-4-1, the overall mark to 9-5-2.  The Lady Tigers will host Fox Chapel tonight at Newman Stadium in a section contest.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:30 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:45 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  BUTLER - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LATE PENALTY KICK GIVES PINE-RICHLAND 1-0 VICTORY OVER LADY TIGERS

The Lady Tigers fought a good battle but a penalty kick by Meghan Klingenberg with 3:27 remaining gave defending WPIAL and PIAA champion Pine-Richland a 1-0 victory at Newman Stadium on Thursday night.  The win kept the Rams undefeated with a record of 13-0. 

In the first half, the Rams outshot the Lady Tigers but could not score.  The NA defense was able to stop all Pine-Richland attempts to send the teams to the intermission with a scoreless tie.  Just 40 seconds into the game, Adrienne Steckel missed the NA goal.  Tori Pikur had three early chances but could not score.  At the 14:10 mark, Klingenberg sent in a corner kick that the NA defense headed out.  A minute later, Steckle had another opportunity but could not convert.  The Lady Tigers countered but could not score halfway through the period.  Freshman GK Rachel Middleman made a tough save to rob Pikur with 13:21 remaining.  Less than two minutes later, Steckle had another chance but put it over the goal.  The Rams had two more chances with corner kicks, but the NA defense held until halftime.

In the second half, Pine-Richland continued to pressure the NA goal.  A direct kick at the 12:26 mark was headed out by senior defender Kelly Langhans.  Jordan Baranowski had an opportunity at the 16:06 mark but the attempt went wide left.  Senior Melia Muckle made a good defensive play to clear the ball from in front of the NA goal just 30 seconds later.  Middleman was forced to make another good save with 18:27 left.  Baranowski's shot with 10:00 remaining went just wide.  After the Rams put another attempt over the goal with 6:34 left, the Lady Tigers were called for a penalty in the box.  Klingenberg converted with just 3:27 left.  The Rams were able to hold off NA for the remainder of the game to earn the hard-fought 1-0 victory.

It was a good effort on the part of the Lady Tigers against a very good Pine-Richland team.  The loss dropped the NA section record to 4-4-1 and the overall mark to 8-5-2.  The Lady Tigers will to Butler on Monday night for a 7:30 pm section contest.

(Thanks to Debbie Hnat and Ray Steeb for the info in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
PINE-RICHLAND - 1  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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SENECA VALLEY TOPS TIGERS, 2-0

Two first half goals were the difference as Seneca Valley defeated the Lady Tigers, 2-0, in a physical section contest at Seneca on Monday night.  Karisa Fernandez and Courtney Leon scored the Raider goals as the Lady Tigers saw their three-game winning streak ended.

Seneca Valley came out strong at the beginning of the first half and threatened to take an early lead.  At the 4:45 mark, freshman GK Rachel Middleman was forced to make a good save on a header by the Raiders.  Later in the half, Leon's shot went wide of the net at the 9:08 mark.  Less than thirty seconds later, a direct kick by Caitlyn Elser went over the net.  Sophomore Dawn Murphy came back in the fourteenth minute to give NA an opportunity, but her shot went just over the net.  Three minutes later, Middleman had to make a catch of a high SV attempt about five yards in front of the NA goal.  Seneca Valley continued to pressure the NA goal, and it finally paid off.  Midway through the half, Middleman stopped a shot by Grace Emerling and another by Elser that rolled to the NA keeper.  With 17:20 remaining, Fernandez was able to send a corner by Elser into the goal to give Seneca Valley a 1-0 advantage.  Senior MF Leigh Cullen countered a minute later, but her attempt went over the SV net.   Leon broke through to score an unassisted goal with 4:53 left on the first half clock to give SV a 2-0 lead.   Neither team could score late in the half as the fog rolled in over the field.  The Raiders took a 2-0 lead to the intermission.

In the second half, the fog cleared but the game continued to be physical.  The Raiders got the first three chances in the half but did not score.  Aleisha Rees sent an attempt over the goal at the 7:05 mark, Middleman made a save a little over a minute later, and a header went wide of the NA goal at the 10:09 mark.  Three minutes later, junior forward Leigh Wiker sent a shot toward the SV goal but Raider keeper Stacy Harkins picked it out of the air.  The Raiders came back to again threaten with several chances, one by Barbie Rohm and another by Rees, that went wide of the NA net.  Just past the midway mark, the Raiders had a corner but could not convert.  Two minutes later, junior Maura Romano sent an attempt over the goal, but the Raiders countered with two more shots.  Murphy came close with 2:15 remaining but her shot hit the side of the right post.  Junior Lanie Smith just missed one minute later.  A final attempt by the Raiders missed the goal with 43 seconds remaining, but Seneca Valley did not need any more goals.  The Raiders finished with an important 2-0 section victory.

With the loss, the NA section mark stands at 4-3-1 with the overall record at 8-4-2.  The Lady Tigers will host #1 ranked Pine-Richland tomorrow night at Newman Stadium.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:30 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:45 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team tied Seneca Valley, 1-1.  Alexis Smith scored the NA goal.

(Thanks again to Claudia Steeb for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
SENECA VALLEY - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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MURPHY'S LATE GOAL BEATS
FRANKLIN REGIONAL, 2-1

Sophomore Dawn Murphy scored with just 1:10 remaining to give the Lady Tigers a 2-1 victory over Franklin Regional on a rainy Saturday afternoon at the Hampton Invitational.  Junior Lanie Smith had given NA a 1-0 lead earlier in the second half before the Panthers tied the game.  Freshman Kylie Fuller had two assists for the winning Lady Tigers.

Early in the contest, NA played a ball control style with the first shot of the game coming at the 8:36 mark.  Senior MF Leigh Cullen passed to freshman Taylor Gapczynski who was stopped by FR goalkeeper Christine Pellegrino.  After an NA corner was not converted at the 12:55 mark, senior MF Kellie Cope let a long shot go that just went over the net.  At the 15:26 mark, junior forward Maura Romano came close on a header from a corner kick.  Romano came back a little over two minutes later but shot over the net.  The Panthers sent a ball into the NA box with 13 minutes remaining, but Cope stole the ball from a Panther player and cleared it out of danger.   Another NA corner at the 28:10 mark did not succeed, and senior MF Jackie Givens drove a hard shot that was caught by Pellegrino with 6:02 remaining in the half.  Junior GK Katie Mahoney made a save with 3:49 left, and the Panthers earned two consecutive corner kicks a minute later but could not score.  With just 1:04 remaining, Meredith Gipson got off the final shot of the half, but Mahoney made the save.  The teams went to the intermission with a scoreless tie.

In the second half, the Lady Tigers came out strong.  Fuller had a chance in the first minute, but her shot rolled past the FR goal.  The Panthers countered with a direct kick minutes later that sophomore defender Molly Antimarino headed out.  NA finally broke through at the 5:26 mark.  After receiving a pass from Fuller, Smith got around several Panther defenders and beat Pellegrino to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 advantage.  NA kept the pressure on over the next couple of minutes with both Romano and Smith getting opportunities but could not finish.  At the 16:23 mark, the Panthers' Alyssa Falcone intercepted a goal kick and sent it back toward Mahoney who made the save.  A little over two minutes later, Cullen stole the ball and set up Gapczynski who was pulled down but NA could not convert.  The Lady Tigers had several additional opportunities over the succeeding five minutes.  Romano shot wide, another NA shot was stopped by Pellegrino, and Cope was stymied by the Panther keeper with 12:36 remaining in the game.  The Panthers came back to equalize on a direct kick by Paige Foughty with 10:00 minutes left on the second half clock.  Gipson just missed putting FR ahead when she missed just to the right of the NA net at the 32:35 mark.  The Lady Tigers would not be denied, however, as they pressured the FR goal over the remaining time.  After Murphy just missed with 4:14 left, Fuller crossed the ball past Romano to Murphy who netted the game winner at the 38:50 mark.  The Lady Tiger defense took care of the remaining time as NA went home with the 2-1 victory.

Although it was a non-section win, the victory was the third straight for the Lady Tigers and fifth in the last six games.  With the win, the Lady Tigers improved their overall record to 8-3-2 on the season.  NA will be back in action tomorrow night when they travel to Seneca Valley for a key section contest.  Game time at Seneca is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  FRANKLIN REGIONAL - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LADY TIGERS SHUT OUT SHALER, 2-0

The Lady Tigers defeated Shaler, 2-0, at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night in an important section contest.  Freshman Taylor Gapczynski and sophomore Dawn Murphy scored the NA goals as the Lady Tigers moved a step closer to the playoffs.

Gapczyski put NA on the board early in the game when she scored on an assist from senior defender Kelly Langhans just 4:21 into the contest.  Shaler almost tied the game when a long attempt was headed toward the NA goal but was caught by freshman GK Rachel Middleman at the 7:09 mark.  Senior MF Jackie Givens had a chance at the 9:26 mark but her shot went wide.  Less than three minutes later, junior Maura Romano sent a shot wide right and over the goal.  Shaler came back and had several opportunities to equalize but could not score.  After Rosie Terak shot wide at the 13:50 mark, Terak rolled another attempt just wide of the NA goal.  The Titans continue to pressure the NA defense but a corner kick was not converted with 18:40 remaining.  With eight minutes left in the half, the Lady Tigers had a golden opportunity to increase the lead.  After Gapczynski was pulled down just outside the box, her shot was kept in play by NA but Givens attempt went over the goal.  Junior Leigh Wiker set up freshman Kylie Fuller with 5:01but the shot was stopped.  The Lady Tigers went to the intermission with the 1-0 advantage.

In the second half, Shaler had the first scoring opportunity.  Rosie Terak broke free early in the half, but Langhans chased her down and partially blocked the shot.  Wiker came back at the 5:58 mark with a good attempt but Shaler GK Alicia Tutino made the save.  The Titans countered with several attempts ten minutes later but could not score.  Givens was able to head out the final shot of the sequence.  Halfway through the period, Emma Tutino had an opportunity off a Shaler corner but Middleman made the stop.  After a Shaler foul at the 25:10 mark, Romano's attempt went over the goal.  A little over two minutes later, senior MF Leigh Culllen was stopped by Tutino.  The Lady Tigers finally broke through at the 29:19 mark when Murphy scored with Cullen picking up the assist.  A minute later, Murphy's corner was not converted.  The Titans tried to rally, but two shots failed to reach the net as the clock wound down to the 33:00 minute mark.  With 3:4 left, Tutino stopped Murphy, and Romano had a final attempt with 15 seconds left, but Tutino made the save.  The Lady Tigers came away with a 2-0 victory to sweep the season series with the Titans.

It was a key victory by NA as they improved their position in the section race.  The win increasedd the NA section record to 4-2-1 and the overall mark to 7-3-2.  The Lady Tigers will be back in action again on Saturday when they meet Franklin Regional at Hampton in the Hampton Invitational.  Game time is scheduled for 2:00 pm.

JV UPDATE: The JV team remained unbeaten with a 1-0 victory over Shaler.  Alexis Smith scored the goal with Katie Mahoney earning the shutout.

(Thanks to Claudia Steeb for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  SHALER - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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FULLER'S TWO GOALS LEAD LADY TIGERS OVER
DEER LAKES, 2-0

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

Coach Chet Gapczynski used his entire squad against Deer Lakes on Monday night at Newman Stadium, and the Lady Tigers responded with a 2-0 victory over the Lancers in a non-section game.  Freshman Kylie Fuller scored both NA goals as the Lady Tigers bounced back from a tough loss to North Hills last week.

The Lady Tigers came out employing a ball control offense featuring a methodical short passing attack.  NA controlled the ball for much of the first half although scoring chances were limited.  Early in the half, junior MF Lanie Smith launched a shot from the 18, but Deer Lakes' GK Shay Smith made the save.  Five minutes later, senior MF Leigh Cullen broke through on the left side, but her shot from just inside the box was blocked by the Lancer defense.  A little over a minute later, junior forward Maura Romano send a one-hopper in to Smith who again made the stop.  Junior forward Leigh Wiker got a good attempt off from the left side 30 yards out at the 28:10 mark, but could not score.  Deer Lakes came back for one of their infrequent scoring attempts, but Katie Butler's shot from 25 yards was caught on a hop by junior GK Katie Mahoney.  Two minutes later, the Lancers were back on offense, but a shot by Shelby Parks from the 18 went wide left.  A minute and a half later, Fuller had a chance on a cross from Lanie Smith, but her shot went high and wide.  Sophomore Alexis Smith made a long run down the left side at the 20:40 mark and broke in on goal.  DL keeper Shay Smith made a great save by blocking the shot from right in front of the Lancer goal.  Fuller finally was able to put NA on the board with a determined effort. After a cross by freshman Larissa Steeb, Fuller's first shot was stopped by Shay Smith but the ball bounced behind the DL keeper.  Fuller tracked it down and put in into the open net to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead with 17:24 remaining in the half.  Coach Gapczynski continued to send players in off the bench.  With 9:00 minutes remaining, the starters returned.  Deer Lakes, however, got the only scoring chances as the half wound down.  Captain Krista Goralczyk sent a good cross to Alyssa Wozniak who just missed wide left with 7:40 left.  Mahoney had to come out to dive on a rolling ball with 6:35 remaining.  There were no further scoring chances as the teams went to the intermission with NA holding a 1-0 advantage.

The second half opened with a mixture of starters and reserves in the NA lineup.  The Lancers had the first opportunity when Marina Mattone sent a one-hopper toward the NA goal that Mahoney caught just 1:17 into the half.  Two minutes later, Romano made a nice run down the left side but her cross was cleared by the DL defense.  With 33:34 still left on the second half clock, sophomore Amy Rosenzweig got off a good left-footed attempt from 25 yards that was caught by GK Shay Smith.  Alexis Smith had a great chance just two minutes later when she broke away from the Lancer defenders.  Her attempt from 10 yards went over the crossbar.  Fuller made it 2-0 on a great cross from freshman Savanna Kelly who had just come into the game seconds earlier.  Fuller's second goal came at the 10:10 mark.  Neither team had a good scoring chance in the succeeding minutes as Coach Gapczynski kept inserting additional players into the contest.  Deer Lakes did not bring a JV team, but the NA JV players saw a lot of playing time in this varsity game.  With 17 minutes left, the NA starters returned.  With 12:40 left, senior MF Kellie Cope sent a good cross to Romano, but the Lancer defense blocked and cleared the attempt.  With 8:53 remaining, Mahoney had to made a good stop on a skipping one-hopper.  One minute later, sophomore Dawn Murphy sent a cross along the goal line but Shay Smith caught the ball before NA could score.  With 4:02 remaining, freshman Taylor Gapczynski broke through the box from left to right.  Her attempt from a tough angle on the right just missed the left corner of the net.  Murphy had another chance with 2:23 remaining but Shay Smith made the stop on the shot from 10 yards.  Neither team threatened again as the Lady Tigers took a 2-0 victory.

It was a great chance for a number of Lady Tigers to see varsity action.  NA stayed with the ball control game plan regardless of who was in the game and it paid off.  For her offensive efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Kylie Fuller as the Player of the Game.

The victory improved the overall NA record to 6-3-2 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will be back in action again tomorrow night when they host Shaler in an important section battle.  In the first meeting at Shaler, NA won a 1-0 decision.  Game time at Newman Stadium is set for 7:45 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  DEER LAKES - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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NORTH HILLS UPSETS LADY TIGERS, 2-1

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

After a scoreless first half, the North Hills Indians scored twice in the second half  and held off a late NA rally to defeat the Lady Tigers, 2-1, at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  Senior MF Kellie Cope scored the NA goal with just 3:20 remaining in  the game.

In the first half, the Lady Tigers had an early chance when Cope sent a cross in front of the NH goal but it sailed high and out of play.  North Hills came back with two scoring opportunities in the fifth minute.  Senior Jaimie Morra sent a shot just wide of the NA net at the 3:19 mark, and senior Casey Arena put one over the goal less than a minute later.  NA junior forward Leigh Wiker came close from ten yards out at the 6:13 mark, but her shot went over the goal.  The Lady Tigers earned a corner with 30:11 left, but the NH defense cleared the attempt.  Two minutes later, junior forward Maura Romano sent Wiker in again, but Indian GK Katie Muller fell on the ball in front of the net.  NA kept the pressure on with junior MF Melanie Versaw driving a hard shot from 25 yards that hit the football crossbar midway through the half.  After NA freshman GK Rachel Middleman caught a NH direct kick from 30 yards, the Lady Tigers counter attacked.  A cross by senior MF Leigh Cullen was blocked by the NH defense with 12:46 remaining.  A little over two minutes later, junior Lanie Smith set up Romano for a header but the attempt went just wide right.  It was the best chance that the Lady Tigers had in the half.  Freshman Taylor Gapczynski sent a shot wide of the NH goal just a minute later.  NH came back with one of their few first half chances, but senior MF Shannon Seiler's long attempt from 35 yards was caught by Middleman.  Romano had another chance with 6:52 left, but her shot from the 18 was wide.  Senior defender Kelly Langhans had the last NA opportunity with 1:20 remaining but Muller made the save.  The teams went to the intermission with the game scoreless.

North Hills scored the all-important first goal early in the second half.  A long pass sent Arena in toward the NA goal.  Middleman came out to stop the first attempt, but Arena was able to lift the rebound over the NA keeper and into the net.  North Hills took a 1-0 lead just 1:50 into the second half.  The goal seemed to energize the Indians, particularly on defense.  NH had two more chances in the next several minutes, but Middleman made good saves on both Arena and junior Lindsey Steinsdoerfer.  Junior MF Dawn Murphy got free with 7:24 remaining but her shot went over the goal.  The NH defense stymied the Lady Tiger attack over the next ten minutes.  Romano got off a cross a little over ten minutes into the half, but NA could not get a shot.  Steinsdoerfer had a chance with 22:26 left, but Middleman made an easy save.  Midway through the period, Romano sent another attempt toward the NH goal, but Muller stopped the soft shot.  North Hills then turned up the pressure.  Morra's hard shot was stopped on one-hop by Middleman at the 23:12 mark.  Junior Caitlin Cahill sent a cross in front of the goal just a minute later, but Middleman caught the ball.  The NA defense that had played so well for most of the game allowed an own goal with 8:02 remaining to put NH on top 2-0.  A bouncing ball into the box deflected off an NA player into the net with NH's Steinsdoerfer the closest Indian player to the ball.  The Lady Tigers rallied desperately in the final minutes.  Cullen headed the ball to Cope who broke through on the right side and blasted a shot into the NH net to cut the margin to 2-1 with 3:20 left.  The North Hills defense, led by senior Diana Harrison, staved off the final shots with Muller made a catch at the goal line of senior Jackie Given's final shot from long distance.   The Indians had pulled off the upset with a 2-1 victory.

It was a tough loss by the Lady Tigers to their rivals from down the road.  NA had won 10 straight from the Indians before last night.  Credit the North Hills defense, particularly in the second half, as they shut down NA and kept them off the board for most of the game.  The Tiger defense also played well with the North Allegheny Sports Network selecting sophomore defender Molly Antimarino as the NA Player of the Game.

The loss dropped the NA section record to 3-2-1 as the first half of section play came to an end.  The Lady Tigers currently hold the third and final playoff spot.  The overall record fell to 5-3-2.  NA will travel to Howland (O.) for a non-section contest on Saturday night.  Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team shut out North Hills, 4-0.  Alexis Smith scored twice with Taylor Gapczynski and Cara Hovan picking up the other NA goals.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH HILLS - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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WPIAL GIRLS' SOCCER 2006

The Lady Tigers will compete again in Class AAA along with 53 other teams.  The top three teams and ties will enter the WPIAL tournament.  All playoff entries will be determined by section record only and will be determined by the best section win/lost record.  Ties will be broken by the following method: three points for a win, one point for a tie.  Minus points for losses will NOT be applied.  Teams that tie for first place will not have the tie broken and both will be declared co-champions and each will receive a section winner's plaque.  Those two teams will enter the tournament and the second place team will enter as the third section representative.  In the event of a tie for second or third place, the tie breaker system will be employed.  If a tie persists, head to head competition will determine the qualifier.  In the event of a multiple tie, the following tie breaker will be employed:

1.  Section records of the tied teams will be compiled.
2.  The team that has the best numerical record among the tied teams will be the qualifier.
3.  If the tie cannot clearly be broken, all tied teams will enter the tournament.

Each game will consist of two equal halves of 40 minutes each.  Regular season game overtimes shall be resolved by playing no more than two "sudden victory" overtime periods not to exceed ten minutes each.  If a tie persists at that point, the game is over and is recorded as a tie.  In post-season play, the procedure to determine a game winner will be the state adopted method of the Natinal Federation soccer rules book.

PIAA qualifiers - Six teams will advance - the four semifinalists and two quarter final teams determined on a follow the leader basis.

Players and coaches who receive hard red cards and are disqualified from any game by the game official will not be permitted to participate in the next scheduled game played by their team at the same level of competition.  Repeated red cards offenders will be subjected to more severe penalties.

2006-07 ALIGNMENT - CLASS AAA (54 teams)

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