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NORTH ALLEGHENY VARSITY
GIRLS' SOCCER

GAME SUMMARIES

SECOND HALF RALLY GIVES LADY TIGERS 3-1 VICTORY OVER FOX CHAPEL

After trailing 1-0 at halftime, the Lady Tigers came back with three second-half goals to down the Foxes, 3-1, at Fox Chapel on Monday night.  Sophomore Dawn Murphy tied the game, junior Maura Romano put NA ahead, and senior Leigh Cullen secured the win for the Lady Tigers. 

The Fox Chapel Foxes came out of the gate ready to play with three early chances.  Senior MF Jackie Givens stopped a FC chance just 2:44 into the contest.  Freshman GK Rachel Middleman made a good save on Adriana Vega at the 3:18 mark, and a header by Kate Roberts hit the side of the net just two minutes later.  After senior defender Kelly Langhans drove a ball over 40 yards that was caught by the Foxes GK Alicia Miksic, the Foxes were able to come back and take the lead on a goal by Adriana Vega at the 12:58 mark.  In the next several minutes, the Lady Tigers had two chances at the equalizer but a shot by senior Leigh Cullen was caught by Miksic and another attempt by Romano went over the goal.  At the 16:04 mark, Murphy set up Romano but her shot went wide right.  The Foxes had two opportunities several minutes later but Middleman was able to make the saves.  NA's Melia Muckle had  two chances down the stretch but could not beat Miksic.  The half ended with Fox Chapel holding a 1-0 advantage.

Early in the second half, junior Lanie Smith and Romano had attempts but could not convert.  Smith again was stopped by Miksic at the 11:59 mark, and Langhans was denied by Miksic on a direct kick after a pushing call on the Foxes.  Less than a minute later, a corner by Murphy was sent over the goal.  After Middleman saved a FC shot, Cullen had a chance but could not beat the FC keeper.  Finally, Murphy was able to score the tying goal on an assist from freshman Taylor Gapczynski at the 16:26 mark.  With the game tied at 1-1, Lily Feldman of the Foxes tried to regain the lead but her shot was wide left.  After another FC shot missed the net with 20:20 remaining, Romano scored to give NA the lead, 2-1, with Cullen earning the assist.  Fox Chapel tried to come back, but an attempt by Morgan Masci was stopped by Middleman at the 24:14 mark.  Five minutes later, Cullen put in an insurance goal with senior Kellie Cope assisting as NA took a 3-1 lead with 9:29 left in the game.  Fox Chapel did not threaten again, but junior Leigh Wiker came close with just 39 seconds left but was stopped by Miksic.  The Lady Tigers emerged with an important 3-1 section victory.

It was a big road win for the Lady Tigers.  The victory improved the NA section record to 3-1-1 and moved them into a second place tie with Seneca Valley.  The overall record is now 5-2-2.  NA will host rival North Hills 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 Fox Chapel, 1-1, with Kylie Fuller scoring the NA goal.

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

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  FOX CHAPEL - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LATE GOAL THE DIFFERENCE IN 2-1 VICTORY
OVER BUTLER

Freshman Taylor Gapczynski scored with 9:40 remaining to give NA a big 2-1 section victory over the Butler Golden Tornado at Newman Stadium on Friday night.  Senior Leigh Cullen scored the first NA goal for the Lady Tigers.  The game was part of SoccerFest 2006 which will continue throughout the day today.

The Lady Tigers dominated play in the first half but did not score.  In the first minute of play, juniors Maura Romano and Leigh Wiker both had chances.  Cullen followed with an opportunity at the 1:35 mark.  A good defensive play by senior defender Kelly Langhans headed a Butler shot to freshman GK Rachel Middleman to stop a threat.  NA had two corners, one by Cullen and another by senior Kellie Cope but could not finish.  At the 18:06 mark, Cullen got off a good attempt but was stopped by Butler GK Lisa Rodgers.  At the midway point, the Tornado had a chance but could not covert on a corner by Michelle Peoples.  Rodgers was forced to make a leaping save against Romano with 16:45 remaining.  With 13 minutes left, a shot by sophomore Dawn Murphy was headed toward the goal by Langhans but again Rodgers made the save.  Cullen set up Murphy for a header at the 28:24 mark but Rodgers was there again.  With 8:56 left, Rodgers had to jump to stop Romano's direct kick.  Romano then had three chances all of which were stopped by Rodgers.  Cullen had a last chance with three seconds remaining but the shot went wide to the left of the goal.  Although NA outshot Butler, 15-2, the teams went to the intermission with a scoreless tie.

In the second half, senior Jackie Givens had a chance at the 11:15 mark but Rodgers made the save.  After a corner by Cope was not converted, Cullen gave NA a 1-0 lead on an assist from Langhans at the 12:50 mark.  After NA could not finish on a corner by Murphy, Butler came back to pressure the NA goal.  Middleman made a good save at the 17:45 mark, and a corner by Michelle Peoples was sent over the net.  KariLee Cowan managed to beat Middleman on a direct kick as Butler got the equalizer at the 24:21 mark.  With the game tied at 1-1, Romano had a shot deflected to Rodgers who gave up a rebound to Gapczynski who shot it directly at the Butler keeper.  Less than a minute later, Gapczynski put the Lady Tigers ahead for good, 2-1, with Givens picking up the assist.  Butler had several chances in the next three minutes, but Middleman was able to made the saves.  With 9:07 left, Murphy had a chance but shot over the goal.  With two minutes left, it was Murphy again lifting a shot over the net.  With just 1:10 left, a corner by Peoples was cleared by the NA defense and the Lady Tigers held on for a 2-1 victory.

The win improved the NA section record to 2-1-1, the overall mark to 4-2-2.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Fox Chapel on Monday night to meet the Foxes in a section contest.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

JV UPDATE:   The JV team defeated Butler, 3-1, behind goals from Rachael Perl, Kylie Fuller, and Taylor Gapczynski.

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

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  BUTLER - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LATE GOALS LIFT PINE-RICHLAND OVER NA, 3-0

The Lady Tigers battled defending PIAA champion Pine-Richland on even terms for most of the evening at Pine-Richland Stadium before the Rams scored twice in the final three minutes to put the game out of reach.  After the Rams scored an early goal, NA rebounded and had a number of scoring opportunities.

Pine-Richland struck first early in the half.  Junior Jordan Baranowski assisted on a goal by junior Adrienne Steckel just 1:22 into the contest to give the Rams a 1-0 advantage.  The Tigers came back with a couple of early opportunities.  Junior Leigh Wiker had a chance at the 4:09 mark but her shot went wide.  Senior defender Kelly Langhans drove a ball from long range, but it was caught by Pine-Richland keeper Christie Kimball.  The Rams countered when Baranowski shot over the net and an attempt by senior Meghan Klingenberg was stopped by NA freshman GK Rachel Middleman.  The Rams had three more chances in the next several minutes but could not score.  NA rebounded in the later stages of the half.  Sophomore Dawn Murphy had her corner kick headed out by the Rams at the 24:10 mark.  After the Rams hit the post after a corner kick, Steckel sailed a shot over the net.  Neither team could score again and the Rams went to the intermission with the 1-0 advantage.

The Lady Tigers came out strong in the second half.  Senior MF Kellie Cope had a good chance at the 7:30 mark, but Kimball made the save.  On an NA direct kick, Langhans just missed junior forward Maura Romano with a long attempt and the ball was headed out of danger by the Ram defense.  Pine-Richland came back with several chances but Middleman denied them.  With 36:30 left, freshman Kylie Fuller had a chance at the equalizer, but Kimball once again made the stop.  With just 2:47 remaining, the Lady Tigers were called for a foul in the box, and Klingenberg converted the penalty kick to make it 2-0.  With just one second on the clock, Klingenberg sent a wild shot into the net to complete the scoring.

It was a good effort by the Lady Tigers.  Assistant coach Jerry Concannon said, "...it was an evenly played game regardless of the score.  NA played well against last year's PA state champs."  The loss dropped the NA section record to 1-1-1and the overall mark to 3-2-2.  The Lady Tigers will host Butler on Friday in a section contest at Newman Stadium.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team tied Pine-Richland, 1-1.  Sophomore Rachael Perl scored the NA goal.

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

GAME SUMMARY
PINE-RICHLAND - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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SENECA VALLEY, LADY TIGERS PLAY TO A 0-0 TIE

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

For the second consecutive year, neither NA or Seneca Valley could score at Newman Stadium.  In a physical contest on Monday evening, the Lady Tigers and Raiders went at it through regulation time and two overtime periods and had to settle for a tie in the section standings.  Both teams had chances to score, but good defense and good play by the goalkeepers denied any scores.

Seneca Valley held a territorial edge for most of the first half, but the NA defense stopped any scoring chances.  Freshman GK Rachel Middleman made a diving save against the Raiders' Jessica Meuer with 31:28 remaining in the half to keep the game scoreless.  Less than four minutes later, Rebecca Pecora shot wide left from 20 yards out.  Midway through the period, Karisa Fernandez had a chance from the 18 but drove it wide to the right of the goal.  Freshman Taylor Gapczynski gave NA an offensive chance when she broke through the defense with 11 minutes left but could not get a shot away.  After Fernandez was stopped by Middleman, junior forward Maura Romano sent a header toward the goal that was caught by SV goalkeeper Catherine Messmer with 4:50 left on the first half clock.  Late in the half, the Lady Tigers applied pressure.  Senior MF Kellie Cope had a chance from just inside the 18 but her shot went wide.  Messmer was forced to stop Romano again with a little over a minute left.  With just 17 seconds remaining, Fernadez had a chance from right in front of the NA goal but put it over the crossbar.  The half ended in a scoreless tie.

The Lady Tigers opened the second half with more offensive pressure, but neither team had a good scoring opportunity early.  With 26:23 remaining, sophomore forward Dawn Murphy sent a good cross to Cope who sent a sliding shot just wide.  A little over two minutes later, Fernandez tested Middleman from 25 yards but the NA keeper made the save.  Romano was stopped by Messmer at the 17:20 mark, and Barbara Rohm came back with a good attempt from 18 yards on the right side that Middleman caught.  With 3:48 left, Romano got off a soft shot after being marked closely by a SV defender but Messmer was able to make the save.  In the last 40 seconds, the Raiders had two corner kicks.  On the second corner, the ball bounced near the NA goal line, but senior MF Jackie Givens sent the game to OT with a header that kept the ball out of the NA goal.

Each team had only one good chance during the first overtime.  With 5:10 remaining, the Raiders broke free at midfield and came in with a 3 on 1 advantage.  Meuer attempted a turning shot from 15 yards but her attempt went wide.  At the other end, a long cross by Romano was sent just wide by Murphy.  With neither team scoring, the game went to a second overtime.

Seneca Valley turned up the pressure during the first half of the second overtime.  The NA defense denied the Raiders, however, and kept them from getting any good scoring attempt.  In the last three minutes of the second overtime, the Lady Tigers pressured the SV goal earning three corner kicks.  On the second corner, Cope had a good chance but the SV defense blocked the shot.  Cullen sent a shot wide from 25 yards.  The final NA corner came with just 10 seconds left, but the Raider defense was able to stop the chance and the game ended in a scoreless tie.

Both teams had periods of offense during the game.  Assistant coach Jerry Concannon said, "The game went back and forth with scoring opportunities for both sides.  Each team had a rhythm going at different times."  The difference came down to defense.  For her defensive efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Kelly Langhans as the Player of the Game.

With the tie, the NA section record stands at 1-0-1 with the overall mark at 3-1-2.  The Lady Tigers will travel to top-ranked and defending WPIAL and PIAA champion Pine-Richland tomorrow night.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team rallied in the second half to tie Seneca Valley, 1-1.  Alexis Smith scored the NA goal.

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

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0  SENECA VALLEY - 0

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LADY TIGERS, PENN HILLS FINISH WITH 2-2 TIE

The Lady Tigers and Penn Hills battled to a 2-2 tie at Penn Hills on Saturday night.  Sophomore Dawn Murphy and senior Leigh Cullen both had a goal and an assist to pace NA.  The Lady Tigers dominated the two overtime periods but could not push home the winning tally. 

Penn Hills started quickly with a goal just 2:30 into the game.  Erica Pitacciato scored after a corner kick by Rachel Lova to give the Indians an early 1-0 advantage.  The Lady Tigers tried to equalize and had many opportunities.  Murphy shot wide on a corner from senior Kellie Cope at the 10:33 mark.  Two and a half minutes later, Murphy's hard shot was stopped by PH goalkeeper Jackie Gribben.  At the 15:14 mark, junior Leigh Wiker's shot went wide.  Cullen came back and nearly scored on two occasions but her shots missed the net.  After senior Melia Muckle just missed at the 32:16 mark, freshman Kylie Fuller came close but did not score.  The Lady Tigers kept pressing, however, and it finally paid off.  After a shot by Cullen went wide and NA hit the football goal post after a corner by Cope, Murphy finally got the Lady Tigers on the board on an assist from Cullen with 1:10 remaining.  The teams went to the intermission tied at 1-1.

Early in the second half, it was the Lady Tigers who struck first.  After Murphy's shot hit the top of the net just 45 seconds into the half, the Indians came close to taking the lead but NA junior GK Katie Mahoney made a good save on Ali Yuill.  Cullen then gave NA a 2-1 lead on an assist from Murphy at the 4:00 minute mark.  The teams exchanged scoring chances for most of the remaining time.  Senior Kelly Langhan's shot was caught by Gribbin at the 5:23 mark while Mahoney stopped Pitacciato with 11:28 left.  Cop and Cullen just missed midway through the period.  At the 20:00 minute mark, Mahoney made a spectacular save to keep NA in the lead.  Langhans and Cope had chances later in the half but were stopped by Gribbin.  After Mahoney made another great save with 4:05 left, Emily Prokopik finally broke through to tie the game with just 1:58 remaining.  Neither team could score in the remaining time, and regulation ended with the score tied at 2-2.

The Lady Tigers came close early in the first overtime when a corner by Cope was nearly put into the PH net.  Junior Maura Romano shot wide at the 1:20 mark, and Gribben stopped Langhans with 6:23 left.  Emily Prokopec almost ended it with 3:40 left, but Mahoney made a great diving save to keep the game tied.  NA had two more chances but could not score forcing the game into a second OT.

In the second overtime period, the Lady Tigers totally dominated the game, outshooting the Indians, 10-1, but could not score.  Romano, Cope, Langhans, Cullen and senior Jackie Givens all had opportunities .  In spite of keeping the ball in the Penn Hills end for most of the period, the game ended in a 2-2 tie.  It was a frustrating result for the Lady Tigers, who outshot Penn Hills, 34-10.  Good offensive pressure by NA and good play in the net by Mahoney were highlights for the Lady Tigers in the tie.

The tie gave NA an overall record of 3-1-1 in the early season.  The Lady Tigers will host Seneca Valley in a section contest at Newman Stadium tonight.  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 defeated Penn Hills, 6-1.  Freshman Taylor Gapczynski scored twice with sophomore Brienne Schuliger, junior Brittany Antonucci, freshman Savanna Kelly, and sophomore Leah Stoof also tallying for NA. 

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

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  PENN HILLS - 2

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

SHOTS ON GOAL

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ROMANO'S GOAL HOLDS UP AS LADY TIGERS
 EDGE SHALER, 1-0

Junior forward Maura Romano scored late in the first half after a corner kick by senior Kellie Cope and the NA defense did the rest as the Lady Tigers defeated Shaler, 1-0, in the section opener at Shaler on Thursday night.  NA outshot Shaler, 14-7, in earning their third victory in four games.

The Lady Tigers dominated play in the first half and had numerous scoring opportunities.  After Bridget Smalstig had a header go just wide for the Titans midway through the half, senior captain Kelly Langhans was awarded a penalty kick.  After a save by Shaler GK Alicia Tutino, Murphy had a chance on the rebound but put it over the goal.  Senior Melia Muckle had another chance at the 25:19 mark but her shot went just over the crossbar.  NA finally found the net with 35:38.  After Murphy took a corner kick, Romano was able to collect a bounce in the penalty area and put it into the net with her left foot to give NA the all-important first goal.  Neither team threatened in the remaining time in the half, and the Lady Tigers to a 1-0 lead to the intermission.  NA outshot Shaler, 9-2, in the half.

In the second half, the Lady Tigers kept up the pressure.  Senior captain Leigh Cullen had a chance in the 16th minute but Tutino was able to make the save.  Four minutes later, Tutino was forced to come out and make a great save on Romano.  At the 23:05 mark, senior captain Jackie Givens sent a cross into the box that Tutino was able to pull out of the air.  Less than a minute later, Tutino stopped Romano.  The Lady Tigers kept attacking and Muckle was stymied twice in a minute and a half span.  Cope had an opportunity at the 31:28 mark, but again Tutino was there to make the save.  With 4:16 remaining, Romano was taken down in the box, and NA was awarded another penalty kick.  For the second time, Tutino was able to stop the PK.  Shaler had two chances in the remaining time but NA freshman GK Rachel Middleman was able to make the saves and preserve the victory along with the shutout.

The Lady Tigers played with "a composed style of possession soccer that offered creative opportunities", according to assistant coach Jerry Concannon.  The NA defense stayed "organized and aggressive" and denied Shaler any real scoring threats throughout the game.

With the win, the Lady Tigers improved their overall record to 3-1, the section mark to 1-0.  NA will travel to Penn Hills tomorrow night for a non-section game against the Indians.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

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

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  SHALER - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

SHOTS ON GOAL

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LADY TIGERS ROUT RINGGOLD, 6-0, FOR SECOND WIN

The Lady Tigers traveled to Ringgold on Tuesday night and defeated the Rams, 6-0, for their second win in three starts.   Senior Leigh Cullen and junior Maura Romano scored a pair of goals each for the winning Lady Tigers with junior Chrissy Marshall and freshman Larissa Steeb adding the others.

The Lady Tigers took control early when Marshall scored in the third minute.  Cullen tallied her first goal seven minutes later to give NA a 2-0 lead.  Romano made it 3-0 in the 30th minute and Steeb  scored just before halftime.  NA took a commanding 4-0 lead to the intermission.  In the second half, Roman and Cullen added goals as the Lady Tigers coasted to an easy 6-0 victory.  Freshman Rachel Middleman earned the shutout in goal for NA. 

With the win, NA completed their non-section games.  On Thursday, the Lady Tigers will travel to Shaler  to begin section play against the Titans.  Game time is set for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 6  RINGGOLD - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LADY TIGERS SPLIT PAIR OVER WEEKEND

Coach Chet Gapczynski's Lady Tigers defeated Kiski Area, 3-1, at Kiski on Friday but dropped a 2-1 decision to Baldwin on Saturday afternoon at Newman Stadium as the 2006 season opened.  NA will travel to Ringgold tonight for another non-section game before opening the section season at Shaler on Thursday night. 

Game time at Ringgold tonight will be at 7:00 pm with no JV game.  On Thursday at Shaler, game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm with the JV contest set for 6:00 pm.

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