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LADY TIGERS BLANK LEBO, 5-0

After coming off a "competitive weekend" out of state, the Lady Tigers were ready to get to WPIAL competition.  On Tuesday night, NA defeated Mt. Lebanon, 5-0, at Newman Stadium.  Senior forwards Brooke Baxendell and Alex Schenk scored two goals each to pace NA.

The Lady Tigers started the game aggressively but could not score in the early going.  At the 18:14 mark, Baxendell scored on a deflection off a primary penalty corner with assists going to senior Meredith Feingold, senior MF Hillary Richard, and senior MF Shannon Sullivan.  NA was able to convert another corner less than four minutes later when Feingold ripped a shot past the Lebo goalie with assists going to Richard and junior forward Caroline Torie.  Five minutes later, Schenk scored her first goal on an assist from junior Andrea Camut as the NA lead went to 3-0.  Baxendell tallied her second goal of the half with senior Kelly Carioto picking up the assist as the Lady Tigers took a commanding 4-0 advantage to the intermission.

In the second half, the NA defense was determined to keep Mt. Lebanon from getting back into the game.  The Lady Tigers shut down any Lebo forward momentum and kept the 4-0 lead throughout most of the half.  With 5:56 remaining, Schenk put the finishing touch on the victory with her second goal on an assist from Baxendell.  Senior Natalie Martin and junior Steph Anderson shared time in the net.  Each goalie had two saves whie the NA defense gave up only one corner all game.  The Tiger offense recorded 13 penalty corners converting on four.  NA finished with 13 shots on goal.

COACH'S NOTES:  To score 4 goals off penalty corners shows NA's ability to improve in areas of play that had been suffering.  Last weekend we were unable to convert on penalty opportunities and tonight they blew the doors open with them.  That shows strength within the team since a corner can only be successful when all players in the circle are working together for one goal, to the ball in the cage.  NA's defense and midfield is consistently improving their transition and explosiveness in the back field.  NA's offense is particularly dangerous because we are not dependent on one player to step up every single game.  We have 6 forwards who have all stepped up their play at different times to create the offensive momentum.  As a coach it is always a pleasure to come into a game wondering, who will be the spark tonight? - Coach Jen Diaz

(Thanks to Coach Diaz for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  MT. LEBANON - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LADY TIGERS SHOW COMPETITIVE SPIRIT
IN CHICAGO TOURNAMENT

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The Lady Tigers traveled to Chicago over the weekend to play in the prestigious Huskie Invitational Tournament.  Head Coach Jen Diaz filed this report on the play of the  Lady Tigers:

We had a great weekend in Chicago.  I was really happy with the improvement and the "fight" all the players showed all weekend long.  The team never gave up or got sown on themselves.  For 50 minutes strong, the girls competed; working together as a team to control the ball and everyone gave not only "second effort" but "third", "fourth" and "fifth" effort.

We were seated in Pool 'D' with teams:

Kentucky Country Day (KY)
New Trier (IL)
Arrowhead (WI)
North Allegheny (PA)

Every game was 50 minutes long (25 minute halves)

1st game vs KCD

The girls came out hard and fast and communicated well to control the ball and the pace of the game.  KCD was reactive to NA but never let up on the aggression.  NA didn't waiver and continued to fight back to regain control of the ball and work it down the field.  Half time was a tie at 0-0 and all the girls had the look on determination on their faces.  Kelly Carioto continued to quarterback the team as NA transition was much improved.  Meredith Feingold and Hillary Richard were the glue that held the defense and the offense together as they fought hard to maintain possession and send stick to stick passes to their teammates.  Shannon Sullivan continued to support the forwards and had quick releases to send them the ball.  Through the hard fought game, the last 3 minutes was what KCD needed to get a scrappy circle play goal in the cage.  NA fought hard to get the ball at the other end of the field but in the end, we were unable to finish the ball.  Natalie Martin racked up 12 saves while NA's offense had 5 shots on goal and 3 corners, not able to finish the ball.  

2nd game vs New Trier

It was dark and very cold evening and NA was ready to take on the challenge.  New Trier has a strong reputation for having great hockey but NA went in ready to compete.  For the first 21 minutes, NA dominated New Trier!  We controlled the ball had shots on goal and had 3 corners.  Our defense shut down their offense and was quick to find their teammates to work the ball up the field.  The last 4 minutes of the 1st half, we had a couple of mistakes that New Trier was able to capitalize on and scored 2 quick goals before halftime.  NA wasn't defeated yet though.  They came into halftime angry at the score and ready to get back what was given up.  As the second half started, NA was controlling the ball.  New Trier got their second wind and was more explosive than the first half.  We were holding them off when some of their feisty forwards stepped up and up the ball in the back of the net.  New Trier speckled 3 more goals the second half.  Did that get NA down?  NO!  Caroline Torie and Alexandra Schenk were put in the game with 12 minutes to go and were told by Coach Diaz, "Go in and be a spark for your team!"  That's exactly what they did.  They ran in there and gave the team new life.  At the 4:15 mark, Brooke Baxendell connected with Caroline Torie to score our first goal of the tournament.  Two minutes later we were back in their circle and Caroline Torie found Shannon Sullivan who finished the ball for NA.  When the clock ran down, NA came off the field excited that they were able to overcome a 5-0 deficit to put 2 goals in the cage for NA.  These 2 goals gave NA much needed points for their pool play seating.

3rd game vs Arrowhead

After an emotional and cold game the night prior, Coach Diaz was a bit worried about whether or not NA would be able to get themselves ready and excited for their early game.  A pre-game dance party was what NA needed to get their bodies moving and their hearts' ready to fight through their last game in pool play.  NA had a sharp warm-up and everyone in the stands could see that they were ready to play.  It was an even match.  NA again, controlled the ball and was proactive on all levels: defense, offense, and transition.  Hillary Richard and Meredith Feingold again held the team together with their explosive play, their communication and their ability to stay calm no matter how many opponents are defending them.  The defense picked up their marking game and was able to come up with the ball in the circle critical moments.  Liz Herb continues to control the backfield as she picks up her play every game and had key shut downs on the offense momentum.  Kim Hucko was super-aggressive as she shut down their right wing and connected with Meredith Feingold to get the ball out of the ball corner.  Michelle Cotter's stick was always on the ground in the circle and came up with the ball and had quick releases out to stop Arrowhead's forwards from scoring.  At the end of the game, the competitive and well played game ended in a 0-0 tie.  NA's forwards scattered 7 shots on goal to match Arrowheads 7 shots on goal.  NA had 2 penalty corners to match Arrowhead's 2 penalty corners.  Natalie Martin and Steph Anderson shared the shut-out with 10 saves.  

North Allegheny was named 3rd pool play due to the 2 goals scored the night before.  New Trier was 1st with 11 points, KCD 2nd with 10,  NA was 3rd with 3 points, and Arrowhead took 4th with 2 points.

North Allegheny then played the 3rd place team out Pool 'A' which was Villa Duchesne (MO).  The NA team was so excited to come out 3rd in their pool and have a shut-out in the tournament.  I was especially proud of the fact that the reason they were 3rd was because they didn't give up against New Trier.  It is so easy to give up when a team is able to capitalize on a few mistakes and finish in the cage.  NA fought through it and answered with two goals and that was the reason they were third.  That show of guts and pride makes any coach extremely proud of their team and their performance regardless of the final score.

4th game vs Villa

Again, NA came out fired up and ready to compete.  NA controlled the ball and stayed composed as Villa tried to regain their footing.  NA continued to show improvement in getting to ball first, receiving the ball on the move, and controlling the ball with pressure.  NA's midfield (Hillary Richard and Meredith Feingold) finished the tournament with the same explosive composure as they started the season.  The defense (Cotter, Herb, and Hucko) continued to increase their level of aggression and confidence to take on Villa's forwards.  The forwards were doing a better job of being available for the midfielders and getting the ball and moving forward.  At the 10:30 mark, Villa was able to capitalize on a break away and finish the ball to gain the lead at 1-0.  Our forwards speckled 8 shots on goal, accumulated 7 penalty corners but was unable to answer Villa to a 1-0 loss.  All NA teammates saw playing time during the final game and was still able to dominate the game.  Natalie Martin and Steph Anderson shared goalie duty had 6 saves.  In the end, we did everything right; we were just unable to put the ball in the net.  

Coaches note:  To come into a competive tournament that the Huskie Invitational is and finish 3rd in your pool is a huge accomplishment.  The Huskie Invitational is a culmination of 16 team powerhouse teams from 6 different states in which NA was never dominated, in fact, we did most of the dominating.  To lose two games 1-0 is disappointing but only from the stance that the score doesn't reflect how well the girls' played.  I am proud of each and every player as they faced 50 minutes of intense, explosive play and they not only stepped up to the challenge to compete; they kept their composure and leaned on each other to represent North Allegheny with class and ferocity.  I hope they use this experience to gain confidence in their ability to compete at the highest level in the midwest and use the momentum to carry them throughout the rest of the WPIAL season and onto the post-season.

 The Lady Tigers return home tonight to face Mt. Lebanon at Newman Stadium.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

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LADY TIGERS SPOIL NORWIN'S HOME OPENER, 6-3

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In a rematch of last year's championship game, the Lady Tigers defeated Norwin, 6-3, at Norwin Stadium on Tuesday night.  Junior forward Andrea Camut led the way with three goals and an assist as NA won their fourth straight without a loss in section play.

In the early going, the Lady Tigers pressured the Norwin goal but could not score.  NA finally broke through with 17:34 remaining in the half when Camut scored her first goal of the game on an assist from senior Meghan Hoot to give the Tigers a 1-0 advantage.  Camut scored again five minutes later off a broken corner pass from senior midfielder Kelly Carioto.  Senior midfielder Hillary Richard made it 3-0 when she ripped a shot from the top of the circle at the 10:30 mark.  After Norwin answered with a goal with 7:48 remaining, junior forward Caroline Torie set up Camut seconds before halftime and the NA junior completed her hat trick to give the Lady Tigers a 4-1 lead at the intermission.

Norwin came out strong early in the second half and cut the lead to 4-2 with a goal just 2:18 into the stanza.  NA answered off a penalty corner at the 23:33 mark.  Senior MF Shannon Sullivan set up Richard for the stick stop.  Senior MF Meredith Feingold sent a solid hit toward the Norwin goal and senior forward Brooke Baxendell deflected it over the goalie's head to give NA a 5-2 lead.  Norwin regrouped and earned a pair of corners that NA senior goalie Natalie Martin and the Tiger defense were able to shut down.  Junior Steph Anderson went in to replace Martin halfway through the second half and saw Norwin score off a scramble in front of the net thirty seconds later to cut the margin to 5-3.  The Knights continued to pressure the NA goal and earned a penalty stroke.  Anderson came up big as she stopped the stroke to keep the NA lead at three.  According to Head Coach Jen Diaz, "The remaining 14 minutes was a grueling fight over 50-50 balls in the midfield as both teams aggression, power, and will competed."  With less than a minute remaining, the NA defense forced a turnover and got the ball to an open Camut.  The Tiger junior then found a breaking Hoot accelerating from the left side.  Hoot made a great move to beat the goalie and put the finishing touches on a 6-3 Lady Tiger victory.

Statistically, the Lady Tigers accumulated 22 shots on goal and produced six corner opportunities in earning the victory.  In goal, Martin had five saves and Anderson two, including the key stop on the penalty stroke.

The win improved the NA section record to 4-0.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Chicago over the weekend to again compete in the Oak Forest Tournament.  NA will play games on Friday and Saturday.

(Special thanks to Coach Diaz for the details in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 6  NORWIN - 3

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LADY TIGERS DROP TWO AT HERSHEY INVITATIONAL

The Lady Tigers traveled to Hershey over the weekend to play in the Hershey Invitational.  According to Head Coach Jen Diaz, "NA had an eye opening experience versus Hershey HS."  The Trojans wasted no time as their aggressive offensive play resulted in a goal by Emily Grimes just 35 seconds into the game.  Hershey went on to score six more goals in the first half despite the play of junior Liz Herb, sophomore Michelle Cotter, senior Kelly Carioto, and senior Kim Hucko  In the second half, the defense held Hershey to just one goal and helped senior goalie Natalie Martin who was forced to make 18 saves as Hershey took an 8-0 victory.

In the consolation game, the Lady Tigers played Central York.  Both teams came out flat and exhausted at the beginning of the game.  Central broke through at the 15:00 mark of the half to score the first goal of the game.  Again, the NA defense regrouped and kept the Panthers off the board for the remainder of the half.  Offensively, the Lady Tigers were unable to score.  In the second half, Central scored two more goals, one with 17:23 remaining, and the second, off an NA mistake, with 9:00 left in the game.  Once again, Martin played the entire game in goal recording eight saves.  The Lady Tigers picked up their play in the second half, but were still outshot, 11-5, as the Panthers went on to a 3-0 victory.

For their strong defensive play, Elizabeth Herb and Kelly Carioto were named to the Hershey All-Tournament Team.  The losses gave NA a good indication of the level of play in central and eastern Pennsylvania.

The Lady Tigers will be back in section action tomorrow night.  NA will travel to Norwin to meet the Knights in a 7:30 pm section contest.  Last year, the Lady Tigers defeated Norwin, 1-0, in the WPIAL Championship game.

(Thanks to Coach Diaz for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARIES - HERSHEY TOURNAMENT
HERSHEY - 8 NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0

CENTRAL YORK - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0

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PENN-TRAFFORD FALLS TO LADY TIGERS, 4-0

The Lady Tigers increased their section record to 3-0 in the early season with a 4-0 victory over Penn-Trafford at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night. After a scoreless first half, NA controlled the ball in the second half and took control of the game.

Junior Caroline Torie gave NA a 1-0 lead with 17 minutes remaining in the game on a pass from senior Brooke Baxendell.  Five minutes later, senior Meghan Hoot scored her 7th goal of the week on a deflection of a Baxendell shot to increase the margin to 2-0.  It took only thirty seconds for Baxendell to add to the lead when she scored with senior Alex Schenk getting the assist.  Schenk put the finishing touches on the victory as she scored with just 1:46 remaining.  Baxendell registered her third assist of the game to go along with a goal. 

NA recorded 24 shots on goal while senior Natalie Martin and junior Steph Anderson shared the shutout.  With the win, the Lady Tigers won their third game in three nights and increased their section record to 3-0.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4  PENN-TRAFFORD -  0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LADY TIGERS OVERWHELM LATROBE, 8-0

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

Led by senior Meghan Hoot's second hat trick in as many days, the Lady Tigers defeated Latrobe, 8-0, at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  Senior forward Brooke Baxendell and senior midfielder Shannon Sullivan both scored two goals as NA improved their record to 2-0.  Senior forward Alex Schenk added a goal and two assists.

The Lady Tigers started early with Hoot scoring just 40 seconds into the game with Schenk getting the assist off a scramble in front of the Latrobe goal.  Less than three minutes later, Hoot made it 2-0 with Baxendell picking up the assist.  A minute and 22 seconds later, Baxendell tipped in a shot by senior midfielder Meredith Feingold as NA jumped off to a 3-0 advantage.  Baxendell put in a rebound from the right side to increase the margin to 4-0 at the 20:33 mark of the half.  The Lady Tigers continued to pressure the Latrobe goal and scored again with 12:50 remaining but the goal was disallowed because of an NA infraction.  Schenk scored a minute later to make it a 5-0 game on a good centering pass by junior forward Andrea Camut.  In the last minute of the half, Hoot completed her hat trick with Schenk earning her second assist of the half as the Lady Tigers took a commanding 7-0 lead into the intermission.

Early in the second half, neither team threatened as NA maintained the six-goal lead.  The Lady Tigers slowly got back into their first half rhythm and began to dominate again around the 20:00 minute mark.  Sullivan was able to score off a penalty corner with 18:49 remaining to increase the lead to 7-0;  Hoot had a good opportunity with 18:16 left but her shot went wide.  NA continued to pepper the Latrobe goal but goalie Emily Farah made some good saves to keep the Lady Tigers off the board again until late in the half.  With 12:43 remaining, Farah stopped Feingold's attempt.  With 9:45 on the second half clock, junior forward Caroline Torie sent Feingold in again with a good pass but Farah made the save.  Camut got free on the left side but her shot hit the side of the net with 9:45 remaining.  Sullivan was able to score her second of the game with a hard blast on a penalty corner to close out the scoring with just 2:27 left in the game.

It was a dominating performance by the Lady Tigers.  In addition to scoring eight goals, the NA defense kept Latrobe from getting a shot at the Tiger goal.  Good efforts by junior defender Liz Herb, senior Kim Hucko, and sophomore Michelle Cotter continually stymied Latrobe rushes to send the ball back into Wildcat territory.  Senior Natalie Martin and junior Stephanie Anderson once again shared time in goal.  NA accumulated 17 total penalty corners to none for Latrobe.  For her efforts on both halves of the field, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Shannon Sullivan as the Player of the Game.

The Lady Tigers will be back in action tonight when they host Penn-Trafford in a section contest.  Game time at Newman Stadium is set for 7:30 pm.

JV UPDATE: The JV team also improved their record to 2-0 with a 10-0 rout of Latrobe.  Kellie Roach scored six goals while Alli Schwer recorded a goal and five assists to lead the Lady Tigers.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 8  LATROBE - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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HOOT'S HAT TRICK LEADS LADY TIGERS TO 7-0 VICTORY OVER HEMPFIELD

The Lady Tigers got off to a successful start with a 7-0 victory at Hempfield on Tuesday afternoon.  Senior forward Meghan Hoot scored three goals to pace NA to the section win.  The Lady Tigers dominated the game building a 5-0 lead at halftime.

The Lady Tigers got on the board early when Hoot scored her first goal of the game on an assist from senior forward Alex Schenk just three minutes into the contest.  Midway through the period, Schenk made it 2-0 on an assist from senior midfielder Hillary Richard.  NA increased the margin to 3-0 on a score off a penalty corner by senior Shannon Sullivan with assists going to senior midfielder Kelly Carioto and senior Meredith Feingold.  Less than two minutes later, Hoot scored again with senior forward Brooke Baxendell assisting as the lead went to 4-0.  Junior forward Andrea Camut made it a 5-0 game with Baxendell picking up her second assist with 1:15 remaining the half.  The Lady Tigers took a commanding 5-0 advantage to the intermission.

In the second half, Hoot completed the hat trick with her third goal 5:56 into the half with Richard adding an assist.  Richard put in a rebound with 6:24 remaining in the game to complete the scoring as NA went on to the impressive 7-0 victory.  Senior goalie Natalie Martin and junior goalie Stephanie Anderson shared the shutout stopping eight Hempfield shots.

It was an impressive opening game for the Lady Tigers.  According to Head Coach Jen Diaz, "Everyone showed up ready to perform and everyone contributed to a fine win."  NA earned nine offensive penalty corners while allowing only one defensive.  The Lady Tigers piled up 24 shots on goal on their way to their first win of the season.

The Lady Tigers will host Latrobe tonight 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 7:15 pm.  Be sure to join Don Vandergrift and George Guiley for all the action with game time scheduled for 7:30 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team defeated Hempfield, 3-1.  Scoring for the Lady Tigers were Katrina Baumann, Kellie Roach, and Sarah Molter.  Roach also picked up an assist.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 7  HEMPFIELD - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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