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RUNKEL, BURDWOOD NAMED TO PG ALL-SECTION TEAM

Senior forward Justin Runkel and senior defender Elliott Burdwood were selected to the WPIAL All-Section 3 team as announced by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

CONGRATULATIONS TO JUSTIN AND ELLIOTT!!!

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
CLASS AAA ALL-SECTION TEAMS
SECTION 3 - AAA

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CHARTIERS VALLEY DOWNS TIGERS IN SHOOTOUT

After the Tigers had tied the game at 1-1 on senior forward Justin Runkel's goal with just 40 seconds remaining, the Chartiers Valley Colts were able to outscore NA on penalty kicks to defeat the Tigers, 2-1, in the WPIAL Quarterfinals at Shaler on Wednesday night.  Neither team was able to score in the two overtime periods setting up the penalty kick competition to decide the winner.

Chartiers Valley took a 1-0 lead with 10:34 remaining in the first half when John Yurchak scored for the Colts.  CV had nine shots to three for the Tigers in the first half of play.  The Colts took the 1-0 advantage to the intermission. 

In the second half, it looked like the one goal would hold up, but Runkel got the equalizer on a pass from senior Andrew Barbin with good work by junior Ian Payling setting up the play with time running out.  NA posted five shots in the second stanza to seven for the Colts.  The teams went to overtime tied at 1-1.

In the overtime periods, neither team scored, with Char Valley outshooting NA, 8-6.  In the shootout, the Colts scored on their first attempt, missed the second, and were able to finish the last three.  For NA, senior Ryan Croker scored on the second Tiger chance with Runkel tallying on the third.  When NA could not score on the other three shots, Chartiers Valley had a 4-2 edge to give them a 2-1 victory in the match.

Outstanding play in the NA goal by junior Ian McFarlane kept the Tigers in the game and gave them a chance to win.  McFarlane made was able to make outstanding saves on a number of occasions to stymie the Colts.  It was a tough loss for the Tigers who made a statement in the playoffs.  After knocking off #2 seed Bethel Park, the Tigers came close to their second straight upset victory against a good Chartiers Valley team.

The loss gave NA a final record of 9-10-1 overall.  The Tigers finished with a section record of 8-3-1.  Congratulations to Coach Vosmaer and the Tigers for their play in the second half of the season.  NA made the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and played well against good competition in the WPIAL Playoffs.

(Special thanks to Steve Runkel for the information in this report and for sending game reports throughout the season!)

GAME SUMMARY
CHARTIERS VALLEY - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

WPIAL BOYS' SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
CLASS AAA

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TIGERS UPSET BETHEL PARK, 1-0, ON BARBIN'S GOAL IN OVERTIME

To listen to a replay of the game, click here!
(NOTE: Due to technical difficulties at MSA, the broadcast is
joined eight minutes into the game)

Junior forward Andrew Barbin drove home a rebound with 3:20 remaining in overtime to give the Tigers a 1-0 victory over second seed Bethel Park at Peters Township Stadium on Monday night.  On a cold and rainy night, NA gave a great defensive effort to hand the Blackhawks only their second loss of the year.  The loss eliminated Bethel Park from the WPIAL Class AAA tournament.

Bethel Park dominated the first half but could not score against the NA defense and junior GK Ian McFarlane.  With both teams trying to adjust to the rain and wet field conditions, the first shot did not come until 4:55 into the game when sophomore defender Jordan Walsh drove an attempt wide from 25 yards.  Junior defender Josh Coulson drove a long ball into the box from 40 yards away that McFarlane had to punch away at the 30:17 mark.  Less than a minute later, McFarlane had to come out to the edge of the box to beat a breaking BP forward to the ball.  With 27:11 left in the half, Coulson sent another long ball into the penalty area, but the ball was headed over the goal.  Senior co-captain and midfielder Ryan Heuler had a chance from 30 yards with 16:42 remaining, but his shot went wide to the left of the goal.  Junior MF Matt Griffin went wide left also with a good chance at the 15:24 mark.  As the physical play picked up, NA was given a yellow card with 6:20 remaining.  Sophomore forward Kyle Young had the last Bethel opportunity with 1:45 on the first half clock, but McFarlane made a good save. The Tigers tried to get something going offensively, but the Blackhawk defense kept them from getting any good scoring chances.  Bethel had given up only four goals all season.  The teams went to the intermission with the game still scoreless.

The break seemed to energize the Tigers as they had two good chances early in the second half.  Senior forward Kevin Kearney drove a hard shot from 25 yards that senior GK Brett Ferlic stopped just 1:47 into the half.  A minute later. senior forward Justin Runkel forced Ferlic to make a diving save to keep the game scoreless.  Walsh came back for the Blackhawks with a chance at the 31:20 mark but his shot went wide to the left of the goal.  Junior Brian Jewell gave the NA offense a boost when he entered the game.  His shot from 15 yards out again forced Ferlik to make a good save with 27:02 remaining in regulation time.  Junior MF Chet Gapczynski sent junior Ian Payling clear on the right side, and only a diving stop by Ferlik kept the Tigers from taking the lead.  Bethel had a chance at the 17:41 mark when Euler shot wide from the 18.  With under ten minutes remaining in the half, Jewell came free on the right side but his cross was just too far for a breaking Payling.  With 7:52 on the clock, Bethel sophomore MF Andy Clifford drove a hard shot over the goal from 30 yards away.  Down the stretch, neither team seemed willing to make a crucial mistake.  The game into overtime with neither team able to score.

In the overtime period, the Tigers had the first opportunity but Runkel's hard shot from 25 yards went wide left.  Euler came back for Bethel but his shot also missed to the left of the goal.  Finally, at the 7:43 mark of the period, Barbin was able to boot home the winning goal on a rebound from just to the right of BP goalkeeper Ferlic.  The Tigers had won an upset victory over a tough opponent.

Coach Bobby Vosmaer used almost his entire bench in the victory.  It was a great effort by the Tigers who gave it everything throughout the game.  The NA defense was there when needed led by senior sweeper Andy Martin.  Seniors Elliott Burdwood, David Mills and Paul Rubritz consistently played tough defense against the high-scoring Blackhawks.   The Tiger bench was pivotal as they stepped in when needed.  McFarlane made the big saves, particularly in the first half, when Bethel Park controlled play.  For his winning goal, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Andrew Barbin as the Player of the Match.

With the win, the Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Class AAA tournament.  NA will play Chartiers Valley, a 4-3 winner over Butler in first round action.  The date, time and site of the game have not been announced.  We will post the information as soon as we receive it.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  BETHEL PARK - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORE

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TIGERS ROUT NORTH HILLS, 5-0, IN SECTION FINALE

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

Led by seniors Justin Runkel and Ryan Croker, the Tigers exploded for four goals in the second half on their way to a 5-0 shutout over rival North Hills at Newman Stadium on Monday night.  Runkel had a goal and two assists while Croker added a goal and an assist.  Juniors Garland Page and Ian Payling, along with sophomore Ken Nakajima, added tallies for the winning Tigers.

The Tigers controlled play in the first half but were able to finish on just one goal.  Just eleven seconds into the game, senior Kevin Kearney stole the ball and raced down the left side, but his shot hit the side of the net.  Senior forward Jordan Wiegand came back for the Indians with a hard shot from 25 yards that NA junior goalkeeper Ian McFarland caught at the 35:12 mark.  Senior Ben Basara then went to work on the right side but his pass to Kearney was a little too far.  Basara followed with a good pass to junior MF Chet Gapczynski but his shot went wide with 25:33 remaining in the half.  The Tigers continued to pressure the NH goal as Croker got off a strong attempt from 30 yards that Indian GK Steve Speicher had to dive to his right to save.  With 18:38 left in the half, Runkle sent shot off a corner kick high off the football upright.  With 14:59 on the first-half clock, Runkel had another chance from 22 yards but his strong attempt went wide.  The Tigers finally broke through at the 12:55 mark when Runkel set up Croker on the right side, and the Tiger senior found the net to give NA a 1-0 advantage.  The Tigers were not finished attacking and had three more good chances before halftime.  Gapczynski sent the ball high over the goal just 53 seconds after the goal.  Payling forced Speicher to make a tough save with his turning shot in the box with 6:25 remaining, and Runkel had another opportunity at the 3:25 mark but Speicher made the stop.  The Tigers took a 1-0 lead into the intermission.

Early the second half, the Tigers continued to pressure the NH goal, and it paid off.  In the second minute, Croker made a good move along the left sideline and broke free along the goal line.  The Tigers senior then sent a perfect pass to Page in front of the goal, and the Tiger junior responded with his third goal of the season to give NA a 2-0 advantage.  Wiegand came back for the Indians with a good attempt from 20 yards, but junior GK Kevin Dreher made his first save after starting the second half.    The Tigers would not be denied, however, as Payling was able to give NA a 3-0 lead after taking another good pass from Runkel just 3:37 into the half.  Indian Senior Sebastian Dovernor followed with the best NH chance of the game.  Dovenor beat the NA defense and got around Dreher, but his attempt at an open goal bounced off the left post allowing Dreher to cover up. 

The Tigers continued to pressure the NH goal and had numerous opportunities to increase the lead.  Runkle was wide to the right with a strong shot from 18 yards at the 27:02 mark.  Less than two minutes later, Runkel tried to send Payling in but the Tiger junior could not control the ball.  Senior NH defender Dan Bauer had a chance for the Indians a minute later, but Dreher came out to make the save.  Just past the midway point in the half, it was Payling again, this time shooting wide of the goal at the 19:48 mark.  The Indians tried to get back into the game with two good opportunities.  Dovernor took a good cross but headed it wide at the 17:40 mark.  Less than a minute later, senior Phil Andrews drove the ball wide of the NA goal from 15 yards away.  Sophomore Tommy Petrus had another NA chance with 10:20 left but his shot just missed the right corner.  Runkel then broke free on the right side and drilled a perfect shot just inside the left post to give the Tigers a commanding 4-0 advantage with just 8:54 remaining.  After Page was stopped right in front of the NH goal, Nakajima finished the NA scoring with a hard shot that Speicher got a piece of but good not keep it out of the goal.  Neither team scored in the remaining time as the Tigers completed their section schedule with an impressive 5-0 victory.

It was a dominating victory for the Tigers as they controlled play for most of the game.  The Tiger junior goalkeepers, Ian McFarland and Kevin Dreher, split the game and shared the shutout.  Corner kicks were even a four each, but that stat was not indicative of the NA domination.  For his efforts in giving the Tigers the lead, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Ryan Croker as the Player of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers finished the section season with a mark of 8-3-1, good for third place and a playoff spot.  The overall NA record stands at 8-8-1.  The Tigers will travel to Erie for games against McDowell tonight and Cathedral Prep tomorrow night.  Both games are scheduled for 5:30 pm starts.  The playoffs are scheduled to get under way this weekend with the WPIAL Pairings meeting set for tomorrow night.  The MSA Sports Network will broadcast the meeting live at www.msasportsnetwork.com.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  NORTH HILLS - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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#2 PLUM DOWNS TIGERS, 4-0

The second-ranked team in the WPIAL showed the Tigers why as Plum defeated NA, 4-0, at Newman Stadium on Saturday night.  The loss was the final game of Soccerfest 2005 and also Senior Recognition Night for the Tigers.

The Mustangs scored twice in each half on their way to the four-goal victory.  Plum outshot NA, 5-2, in the first half and 5-4 in the second half.  Total shots were 10-7 in favor of the Mustangs.

With the loss, the overall NA record dropped to 7-8-2 on the season.  The Tigers will complete their section season tomorrow night when they host neighborhood rival North Hills at Newman Stadium.  The game is the second game of a girl/boy doubleheader with game time scheduled for 7:45 pm.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet immediately following the first game.

JV UPDATE:  The Tiger JV defeated Plum 2-0.

GAME SUMMARY
PLUM - 4  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS TIE SHALER, 1-1, TO ADVANCE TO THE WPIAL PLAYOFFS

Sophomore Tommy Petrus' goal near the end of the first half was all the Tigers needed for a 1-1 tie at Shaler on Wednesday night.  With the tie, the Tigers qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2002.  Prior to 2002, NA had qualified for the playoffs for twenty consecutive years and had won seven WPIAL titles.

Neither team could score for most of the first half.  The Tigers had the better of the play, outshooting the Titans, 6-3.  Finally, with just 23 seconds remaining, Petrus was able to deflect a shot into the net to give the Tigers a 1-0 advantage at the intermission.

In the second half, Shaler battled back with their playoff lives on the line.  Senior Mike Monahan was able to tie the score with a goal at the 28:34 mark of the half.  Neither team could score again in regulation with NA registering seven shots  to Shaler's six.  In the first overtime period, both teams went for the win with ten shots being taken at the opponents' goals.   Things settled down in the second OT with NA turning up the defense to hold Shaler to just one chance. 

It was a good result for NA as they held off the Shaler charge.  The Tigers had seven corner kicks to none for Shaler during the game.   With the tie, the NA section record improved to 7-3-1 while Shaler completed their section play at 6-5-1.  The Tigers will host Plum, one of the top-ranked teams in the WPIAL, on Saturday at Soccerfest '05.  Game time is set for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  SHALER AREA - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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SEWICKLEY ACADEMY RALLIES TO TIE TIGERS, 1-1

Senior forward Justin Runkel scored late in the first half to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead at halftime at Sewickley Academy on Monday afternoon.  The Panthers came back early in the second half to tie the game.  Neither team was able to score again as NA was forced to settle for a 1-1 tie in the non-section contest.

The Tigers dominated play in the first half, outshooting Sewickley, 6-1, but could not score until the last minute.  Senior forward Ben Basara set up Runkel for the NA goal with just 39 seconds remaining in the half.  The teams went to the intermission with the Tigers holding the 1-0 advantage.

In the second half, Jeff Bobish was able to get the equalizer at the 10:30 mark.  Both teams had chances in the second half with the Tigers posting five shots, Sewickley Academy six.  The Tigers took the play to the Panthers in the first overtime with five shots to one for Sewickley.  In the second OT period, both teams had one shot.  Neither team could score, and the game went into the books as a 1-1 tie.  The Tigers had seven corner kicks to three for Sewickley Academy.

With the tie, the overall NA record stands at 7-7-1.  The Tigers will travel to Shaler on Wednesday night for an important section game with the Titans.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

(Thanks again to Steve Runkel for the info in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  SEWICKLEY ACADEMY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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PENALTY KICK IN OT BOOSTS SENECA VALLEY OVER TIGERS, 2-1

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

Junior defender K.J. Gorman drilled a penalty kick into the NA goal just 35 seconds into the first overtime period to give Seneca Valley a hard-earned 2-1 victory over the Tigers at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  Senior forward Kevin Kearney had given NA a 1-0 halftime advantage with an early goal.

Both teams started slowly as the defenses took over for the first ten minutes of the game.  Junior forward Matt Jones had the first scoring opportunity for the Raiders but his shot went wide at the 10:02 mark.  Junior MF Phil Greenblatt came back for NA a minute later, but his header went over the goal.  Senior MF Justin Runkel broke free less than a minute later as the game opened up, but his shot from the 18 was blocked.    The Tigers finally got on the board with 22:10 remaining when Runkel sent a perfect through pass to Kearney who cleanly beat SV goalkeeper David Monteleone to give NA a 1-0 lead.  Later in the half, freshman midfielder Adam Sharpnack had a chance in front of the goal, but his short shot was blocked over the goal giving NA their only corner kick of the game.  The Tigers had two great chances minutes later.  Senior forward Ben Basara beat the defender on the right side, but Monteleone made a diving save of his cross.  With 12:15 left in the half, Basara sent another good cross in front of the goal that Runkel barely missed finishing as the Tigers continued to hold a 1-0 advantage.  Raider senior MF Bobby Albrecht came back to almost tie the game with 7:43 left, but junior GK Ian McFarlane was able to make the save.  With just 27 seconds left in the half, it was Basara again, but this time his hard shot from 20 yards was stopped by Monteleone.  The Tigers took a 1-0 lead to the intermission.

In the second half, the Raiders came out with strong offensive pressure.  Just 6:47 into the half, senior MF Kevin Miller's header just went wide.  With 26:56 on the clock, senior Tyler Smith broke through the Tiger defense and beat McFarlane with a hard shot into the right corner from 15 yards to tie the game at 1-1.   Basara came back to send a ball through that Monteleone was able to come out and cover with 24:17 remaining.  Smith countered minutes later but his attempt went wide left from 25 yards.  With 18:07 remaining, junior forward Garland Page drove a hard shot from 25 yards out but Monteleone was there again to make the save.  With 13:57 on the second half clock, senior MF David Mills made a good block on a hard shot from Miller just inside the 18.  Miller then grabbed Mills and picked up a yellow card after the play.  With 8:25 left, the Tigers had a great chance to take the lead.  After Runkel beat the Raider defender down the left side, he set up Kearney in the center of the field about 25 yards away.  The Tiger senior blasted a hard shot that just missed the right corner and the game remained tied at 1-1.  Neither team threatened after that the game went to overtime.

Early in the OT, Albrecht took a pass from Smith and broke into the box.  He was pulled down by the NA defense, and Seneca Valley was given a penalty kick.  Sweeper Gorman was brought up from the defense and beat McFarlane on a rocket into the left corner that gave the Raiders a 2-1 victory.

It was a tough loss for the Tigers who had chances to win the game.  With the loss, NA dropped to third place in Section 2 with a record of 7-3.  The Tigers have only two game  remaining --- at Shaler on Wednesday and at home against North Hills on the following Monday.  A win in either game would put the Tigers in the playoffs.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Justin Runkel as the Player of the Match.  The overall Tiger mark stands at 7-7.  The Tigers will travel to Sewickley Academy on Monday for a 4:30 pm non-section contest.  NA will travel to Shaler on Wednesday for an important section game with the Titans with kickoff scheduled for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
SENECA VALLEY - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGER COMEBACK BEATS HAMPTON, 3-2

After trailing 2-1 at halftime, the Tigers scored twice in the second half to defeat Hampton, 3-2, at Hampton on Tuesday night.  Junior Ian Payling got the game winner with 17:22 remaining in the game.  Senior Justin Runkel and junior Chet Gapczynski also scored for the winning Tigers.  Dan Ubinger tallied both Hampton goals.

In the first half, the Tigers jumped on top early when Runkel scored on an assist from Gapczynski just 5:32 into the contest.  A little over two minutes later, Ubinger scored his first goal to tie the game.  The Talbots took a 2-1 lead on Ubinger's second goal with 30:44 remaining in the half.  Neither team could score again in the half with NA outshooting Hampton, 5-4.

The Tigers came out strong early in the second half and got the equalizer when Gapczynski scored on an assist from senior defender Elliott Burdwood at the 9:32 mark of the half.  Later in the period, Payling put NA ahead for good with junior MF Nick Severyn assisting.  The Tigers outshot the Talbots, 4-2, in the half, and 9-6 on the game.  NA recorded five corner kicks to none for Hampton.

It was a good victory for the Tigers as they gained revenge for an earlier defeat at Newman Stadium.  With the win, the Tigers improved their section record to 7-2, the overall mark to 7-6.  NA is tied with Butler for second place in Section 2, just one-half game behind Seneca. 

The Tigers will host first-place Seneca Valley tonight at Newman Stadium in the second game of a girl/boy doubleheader.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will broadcast both games LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show for the girls' game at 6:00 pm.

JV UPDATE: The Tiger JVs shut out Hampton, 3-0.

(Thanks again to Steve Runkel for info in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  HAMPTON - 2

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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SOUTH PARK EDGES TIGERS, 2-1, ON PENALTY KICK

A penalty kick by T.J. O'Brien with 7:48 remaining broke a 1-1 tie and gave South Park a 2-1 victory over the Tigers on Saturday morning at Newman Stadium.  Freshman MF Adam Sharpnack scored the Tigers' goal.   South Park entered the game the #2 ranked team in Class AA.

South Park took the lead halfway through the first half on a goal by Matt Williams.  The Tigers outshot the Eagles, 6 to 2, but could not score as South Park took a 1-0 advantage to the intermission.

In the second half, Shapnack tied the game at 1-1 on a goal with 18:24 remaining.  O'Brien was able to get the game winner on the penalty kick, and NA was unable to answer.  The Eagles had three shots to just one for the Tigers in the second half.  Both teams recorded three corner kicks in the match.

With the non-section loss, the NA overall record dropped to 6-6 on the year.  The Tigers will be back in aciton again on Tuesday night when they travel to Hampton to meet the Talbots in a 7:30 pm section contest.  Hampton downed NA, 4-1, earlier in the season.

GAME SUMMARY
SOUTH PARK - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS ROLL OVER PINE-RICHLAND, 6-1

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

The Tigers built a 4-1 halftime lead on their way to a 6-1 victory over Pine-Richland at Newman Stadium on Thursday night.  Juniors Phil Greenblatt and Chet Gapczynski had two goals each to pace NA to their fifth straight section victory.  Senior Ben Basara and junior Garland Page also scored for the winning Tigers.

After neither team could gain an advantage in the first couple of minutes, senior Justin Runkel broke free and had his hard shot blocked over the goal line for an NA corner just 3:25 into the contest.  Less than three minutes later, it was Runkel again but his header was stopped by Pine-Richland GK Stephen Tenev.  Junior MF Nick Severyn had a chance from 30 yards out with 29:51 remaining, but his shot went high and wide to the right of the Ram goal.  The Rams took advantage of their first scoring chance when senior Jeff Thompson broke free down the left side and set up sophomore Adrian Karas for the game's first goal at the 12:34 mark.  The Tigers responded quickly to tie the game.  Runkel sent Gapczynski through free in front of the goal.  Tenev made a great save but Basara was able to put the rebound in the left corner of the goal to tie the game at the 19:30 mark.

The goal inspired the Tigers, and they began to take control of the game.  Basara sent a perfect cross to Page in front of the net, and the Tiger junior gave NA a 2-1 lead with a hard shot that beat Tenev cleanly with 17:58 remaining in the half.  NA continued to pressure the PR goal and scored twice late in the half.  Runkel sent a long ball down the right side that bounced over the head of GK Tenev.  Greenblatt ran it down and blasted it into the goal to give NA a 3-1 lead with 3:42 left in the half.  Just 1:14 later, Page set up Greenblatt for his second goal of the game as the Tigers were able to take a 4-1 advantage to the intermission.

In the second half, the Tigers continued to dominate play.  Just 2:55 into the half, Gapczynski fed Basara just to the right of the goal but the Tiger senior forward lifted the ball over the PR net.  Basara broke free again in the box but Tenev made a diving play to slow down the shot.  After a PR defender kept the rolling ball out of the net, Gapczynski got a foot on the rebound and sent it slowly over the line to give NA a 5-1 lead with 30:01 remaining.  The Tigers continued to get good scoring chances.  Senior forward Kevin Kearney sent a booming shot high over the net at the 27:32 mark, and senior forward Ryan Croker had his hard shot from 30 yards stopped by Tenev just40 seconds later.  With 18:07 on the clock, sophomore Julian Hoberman finally added the Rams' second shot of the game but it sailed over the NA goal from 20 yards away.  Crocker had a great chance with 14:00 left when he broke in from the left side, but Tenev made the save.  The Rams countered two and a half minutes later when senior MF Chris Loeffert was given a direct kick from the 18, but his shot went over the goal.  NA kept attacking and had two more opportunities.  Gapczynski put a header over the net with 5:43 remaining, and Runkel blasted a shot from 20 yards with his left foot that just missed with 2:35 left.  Gapczynski was able to get his second goal when he directed a cross from junior Brian Jewell off the PK goalkeeper into the far left corner of the goal with just 1:23 on the clock.  The Rams had a final chance with just under a minute but the shot went high off the football goalpost.  The Tigers earned a 6-1 victory over the Rams, their second win over Pine-Richland this season.

It was a good overall performance by the Tigers who dominated play for most of the evening.  The young Rams allowed the Tigers a lot of space to create scoring chances, and NA took advantage by scoring six times.  A number of Tigers had good games, but the North Allegheny Sports Network selected senior Ben Basara as the Player of the Match.  A misleading statistic showed Pine-Richland with four corner kicks to just two for the Tigers.

The win improved the NA section record to 6-2 and kept them in a second place tie with Butler just one game behind Seneca Valley.  The overall NA mark is now 6-5.  The Tigers will host South Park in a non-section contest on Saturday morning at Newman Stadium with the opening kickoff set for 10:30 am.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 6  PINE-RICHLAND - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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RUNKEL'S GOAL GIVES NA 1-0 VICTORY
OVER BUTLER

Senior forward Justin Runkel scored on a breakaway early in the second half, and the Tigers made the goal stand up for a 1-0 victory at Butler on Tuesday night.  With the win, the Tigers avenged an earlier 2-1 overtime loss to Butler at Newman Stadium.

Neither team was able to score in the first half.  The Tigers had three shots at the Butler goal while the NA defense held the Tornado to just one shot.  The teams went to the intermission with game scoreless.

Early in the second half, Runkel broke free at midfield on a pass from junior Chet Gapczynski.  The Tiger senior was able to score the all-important first goal just 2:29 into the half.  The Tiger defense again came up big in the second half, holding Butler to just three shots.  For the game, the Tigers outshot the Tornado by an 11-4 margin.  Butler had five corner kicks to four for NA.

With the win, the Tigers moved into a tie for second place in Section 2 with Butler.  Both teams trail Seneca Valley by one game.  The Tigers will host 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 7:15 pm.  The opening kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The NA JV team tied Butler, 1-1.

(Thanks again to Steve Runkel for info in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  BUTLER - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS KNOCK OFF NORTH HILLS, 4-2

The Tigers won their third straight section match on Thursday night with a 4-2 victory over rival North Hills at Martorellli Stadium.  Four different Tigers scored goals.  Senior Ryan Croker, junior Ian Payling, junior Chet Gapczynski, and senior Kevin Kearney all tallied for the winning Tigers.

The Tigers got on the board early with Croker scoring on an assist from senior Justin Runkel just 38 seconds into the game.  Neither team was able to score again for most of the half until North Hills' Sebastian Govenour tied the game at 1-1 on a penalty kick with 4:46 remaining.  NA broke the game open with two quick goals in the last minute of the half  Senior Ben Basara assisted on Payling's goal with 43 seconds left.  Just 22 seconds later, Gapczynski made it 3-1 on an assist from Payling.  The Tigers took a 3-1 advantage to the intermission.

In the second half, the Tigers extended the margin to 4-1 on a goal by Kearney with Basara picking up his second assist at the 35:13 mark.  Devon Williams came back to score for the Indians with 14:08 left, but it was too little, too late as the Tigers went on to a 4-2 victory.  NA outshot North Hills, 27-8, and also led the Indians in corner kicks, 3-2.

With the win, the Tigers improved their second record to 4-2 as the first half of section play ended.  The overall NA mark improved to 4-5.  The Tigers will be back in action again on Tuesday when they travel to Butler for a 7:30 pm section match.

JV NOTES:  The JV game between the Tigers and North Hills ended in a 2-2 tie.

(Thanks again to Steve Runkel for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4  NORTH HILLS - 2

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LATE GOALS GIVE TIGERS 3-1 VICTORY OVER SHALER

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

Junior Nick Severyn set up junior Garland Page for the winning goal with 10:01 remaining as the Tigers came back to defeat Shaler, 3-1, at Newman Stadium on Tuesday night.  Senior defender Elliott Burdwood added an insurance goal with under two minutes to secure the win.  Senior Justin Runkel scored the first NA goal in the first half.

The Tigers came out strong early and controlled play but did not get any good scoring opportunities.  At the 27:52 mark, senior forward Ryan Croker got off a good shot from just outside the box that was blocked over the goal line for an NA corner.  Later, freshman midfielder Adam Sharpnack hit a hard one-hopper that Shaler GK Alex Foht was able to stop at the 19:39 mark.  Shaler was able to break through with 11:20 left in the half when sophomore defender Kevin Monahan set a long cross off a direct kick that sophomore striker Ross Carhart directed into the net to give Shaler a 1-0 lead.  Less than three minutes later, Runkel sent a long drive that Foht could not control.  The ball rolled into the net to tie the game at 1-1.  With less than six minutes left, there were two collisions between Shaler players and junior NA goalkeeper Kevin Dreher, both on Shaler crosses into the box.  The NA defense was able to clear the ball on both occasions.  With 5:57 remaining, Runkel got off another low, hard shot that Foht was able to stop.  Neither team threatened in the remaining time, and the teams went to the intermission deadlocked at 1-1.

Both teams replaced their goalkeepers at the beginning of the second half.  For NA, junior Ian McFarland took over in the net while senior Ross Browning replaced Foht for Shaler.  The Titans put early pressure on the NA goal with a direct kick by Kevin Monahan going wide at the 33:16 mark.  Minutes later, McFarland made a good save on another Monahan direct kick.  With 30:35 left, junior midfielder Chet Gapczynski sent a good cross to junior Ian Payling who pushed the ball wide from inside the box.  Just a minute later, Runkel blasted a shot wide to the left of the goal.  Senior forward Kevin Kearney had two chances as the Tigers kept the pressure on Shaler.  With 22:28 remaining, Kearney sent a 22-yarder wide, and then hit the football crossbar with a shot off a direct kick.  With 15:40 left, Severyn made a good move down the right side but the Tigers were unable to convert his cross.

With 14:02 left in the game, physical play took over.  After an altercation, three players, two Shaler and one NA, were given red cards.  Both teams played short down the stretch.  After Shaler MF Alex Simakas had his shot from 20 yards away stopped by McFarland, the Tigers quickly counter-attacked.  Severyn again tried the right side and found Page open in front of the goal.  The Tiger junior beat GK Browning cleanly as the Tigers took a 2-1 lead with 10:01 remaining.  In the last ten minutes, NA had at least three more opportunities to add an insurance goal.  On a corner, Gapczynski sent a long ball to the far post that sailed just over the head of Sharpnack.  Minutes later, Croker led a two-on-none break, but Browning came out to just get a piece of Croker's shot and deflect off the NA striker to stop the threat.  With 2:20 left, junior forward Andrew Barbin put a hard shot on Browning and the rebound came right to Payling.  The Tiger junior was unable to convert as the ball rolled over the goal line.  Finally, Burdwood put the game away with a rocket shot from 25 yards that found the right corner of the net.  The Tigers ran out the remaining time and collected a big 3-1 victory.

It was a tough, physical game that the Tigers were able to take control of late in the game.  NA had six corner kicks to just one for Shaler, an indication of the ball control that NA had for most of the game.  For scoring the winning goal, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected both Garland Page and Nick Severyn as Co-Players of the Game.

With the win, the Tigers improved their section record to 3-2 as they jumped into the race for a playoff spot.  The overall NA mark improved to 3-5.  The Tigers will travel to North Hills tomorrow night for the final section game of the first half of the season.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm at Martorelli Stadium.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SHALER AREA - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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WPIAL BOYS' SOCCER 2005

The Tigers will compete in Class AAA along with 32 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/loss record.  Ties will be broken by the following method:  three points for a win, one point for a tie.  Please not the change in the tiebreaker system (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 section 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.

Teams that qualify for the tournament should be aware that they may be placed in a preliminary round and may be assigned to play the weekend prior to the first round of 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 National Federation soccer rules book.

PIAA qualifiers - three teams will qualify for the PIAA championship bracket.  The WPIAL champion, runnerup, and the winner of the third place consolation game will advance.

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.

CLASS AAA - 33 TEAMS

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