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SECTION 2 ALL-STARS

 File Photos Courtesy of Steph Anderson

LADY TIGERS PLACE FOUR ON
ALL-SECTION TEAM

Four Lady Tigers were selected to the PG 2008 Soccer All-Area Girls team as announced by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Senior midfielder Molly Antimarino, senior midfielder Dawn Murphy, junior midfielder Taylor Gapczynski, and junior goalkeeper Rachel Middleman all were named to the Section 2 All-Section squad.

2008 PG 2008 SOCCER ALL-AREA TEAM
SECTION 2 ALL-SECTION

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MURPHY SELECTED TO PG NORTH ALL-STAR TEAM

Senior midfielder Dawn Murphy was named to the PG North Soccer All-Stars as selected by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  Murphy was instrumental in leading the Lady Tigers to a 15-4 mark and a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.

CONGRATULATIONS, DAWN!!!

PG NORTH ALL-STARS

* - Player of the Year

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MURPHY NAMED TO ALL-STAR SQUAD

Senior midfielder Dawn Murphy was named to play in the WPHSGSCA Senior All Section/All Star game on Sunday at Sportrac in Sewickley.  Murphy played in the feature game at 8:00 pm, the third of three games featuring all-section player.  Senior midfielder Molly Antimarino was also selected to play but could not attend.

Murphy and Antimarino helped the Lady Tigers to a 15-4 record that was good for second place in Section 2 along with a playoff appearance.

WPHSGSCA 2008 ALL SECTION/ALL STAR GAME
8:00 pm - Senior All Star Game

GOLD TEAM

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BELLE VERNON ELIMINATES LADY TIGERS, 2-1, WITH
LATE GOAL IN OVERTIME

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

The Belle Vernon Lady Leopards scored with 1.2 seconds remaining in overtime to defeat the Lady Tigers, 2-1, in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs at Belle Vernon Stadium on Monday night.  Senior midfielder Dawn Murphy scored late in the first half to tie the game at 1-1.  It was a tough loss for NA as they dominated the game forcing BVA goalkeeper Ashley Magruda to make 24 saves.

Belle Vernon controlled play early but did not get off a shot in the first two minutes of the game.  NA came back at the 1:30 mark with a long direct kick by junior Larissa Steeb that was caught on one hop by Magruda.  At the 5:45 mark, Magruda came up to send in a long direct kick from over 50 yards away that one sent into the goal by leading scoring Cori Stark to give the Lady Leopards a 1-0 advantage.  It was the 35th goal of the season for Stark.  The Lady Tigers came back to pressure to BVA goal with Murphy hitting the goal post on a pass from Steeb at the 11:10 mark.  A minute later, senior midfielder Molly Antimarino made a long run down the right side but her cross was blocked by the Leopard defense.  Senior MF Margaret Nikituk sent in an attempt from 25 yards that was stopped by the BVA keeper at the 12:40 mark.  After another direct kick was driven in on one hope to Magruda, Belle Vernon had a chance on a cross to Jocie Connolly but the NA defense prevented a shot at the 15:10 mark.  Midway through the half, junior forward Kylie Fuller hit the left upright with a shot from in front of the Leopard goal.  Two minutes later, NA sent a ball into the box that Magruda came out to collect as four players collided around the Leopard GK.  With 17:40 remaining, Steeb sent another long ball into the box from 40 yards away that was caught on one bounce.  A minute later, Murphy got loose in front of the BVA net, but the ball was knocked away at the last minute to prevent a shot.  With 14:21 remaining, Magurda came out to stop an attempt from freshman Katie Hohmann from in front of the goal.  With 11:30 left, Marla Sasko scored an apparent goal for the Lady Leopards, but it was waived off by the officials.  A minute later, the Leopards' Jamie Fordanich sent a hard shot toward the NA net that forced junior GK Rachel Middleman to make a diving save.  With 6:15 left, junior MF Taylor Gapczynski sent in a  hard direct kick from 26 yards away that Magruda had to stop.  With 3:30 left, NA continuted to pressure the BVA goal but a shot in front of the net was blocked by the defense.  The Lady Tigers finally broke through when Murphy drilled home a rebound from 15 yards out and right in front on the net as NA tied the score at 1-1.  With 40 seconds left, Gapczynski had one last chance but her shot from long range went wide right of the Belle Vernon goal.  The teams went to the intermission tied at 1-1.

Early in the second half, Belle Vernon made a strong effort to take the lead.  Just 37 seconds into the half, a headed went wide of the NA goal.  Less than a minute later, Middleman made a good save of a shot by Michelle Miele.  At the 2:39 mark, Middleman made a good play in beating Stark to the ball in the box.  NA came back briefly on a long run by Fuller down the right side, but her shot hit the side of the net.  At the 5:00 minute mark, Middleman had to make a diving stop on an attempt by Sasko.  At this point, NA regrouped and began to regain control of the game.  The Lady Tigers earned their first corner kick of the game, but the BVA defense cleared the ball.  At the 11:14 mark, an NA shot hit the crossbar.  Two minutes later, senior Brienne Schuliger drove a long attempt high and wide of the goal.  The Lady Tigers continued to pressure the Belle Vernon goal over the next three minutes but could not get off a good scoring chance.  At the 17:30 mark, Schuliger had a chance from 25 yards and in the middle of the field, but her shot went over the goal.  A minute later, Schuliger sent another hard shot that was collected on one hop by Magruda.  Later in the half, Antimarino had a great chance from right in front of the goal but her shot was blocked by Magruda.  The rebound just rolled past freshman forward Leah Langhans who could not reach the ball.  The Leopards answered with a direct kick by Sasko that was punched out by Middleman with 10:58 remaining in the half.  With 9:20 left, NA earned a second corner kick but the Tigers knocked the ball off the crossbar and out of play.  The Leopards' Kylie Heck sent in a long shot that Middleman caught with 9:27 left.  Langhans came back with a shot from 18 yards out that was stopped by Magruda.  Freshman Calene Dougherty made a key defensive play with 6:51 left when she came from behind to take the ball away from Sasko before she could get off a shot.  With 4:31 left, Magruda came up to take a direct kick from 45 yards out but the NA defense cleared the ball.  With 3:08 left, the Lady Tigers had a great chance for the lead.  Fuller broke in from the right side but her shot was stopped by Magruda.  Fuller recovered the rebound with the BVA keeper out of the net, but her her shot went right to Magruda who caught the ball.  Hohmann had another chance with 2:20 left, but Magruda was there again with a diving save.  With 1:30 left in regulation, Murphy got free in the box but her turning shot was stopped by the BVA keeper.  Neither team threatened in the final 90 seconds as the second half ended with the game still tied at 1-1.

The Lady Tigers dominated the overtime period forcing three corner kicks in the first 2:30 of the extra period.  After the first corner was cleared, Fuller had her shot blocked on the second corner kick with the ball going over the goal line setting up yet another corner.  With 4:30 remaining, Stark went down in the box but no foul was called as NA cleared the ball over the goal line.  On the only Leopard corner kick of the game, the NA defense cleared the ball.  NA had two more chances but could not score.  Gapczynski sent in a direct kick from 30 yards out that Magruda was able to catch on the fly.  Junior MF Chelsea Henderson broke in at the 1:33 mark, but Magruda made a diving save to keep the game tied.  Finally, as time was running out, Middleman and the NA defenders had trouble clearing a ball at the NA 18.  Out of the scramble, Connolly was able to roll the ball into the corner of the net to give Belle Vernon a 2-1 victory with just 1.2 seconds remaining.

It was a crushing defeat for the Lady Tigers who controlled play for most of the evening.  NA recorded five corner kicks to just one for BVA.  The difference was in the play of West Virginia recruit Magruda in goal for the Leopards.  The Lady Tiger defense of Steeb, sophomore Christina Boada and Dougherty was able to control the high scoring Belle Vernon offense all night long limiting the Leopards to a handful of scoring opportunities.  For her play, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Calene Dougherty as the Player of the Game.  With the loss, the Lady Tigers completed their season with a final record of 15-4 and a second place finish in Section 2.

GAME SUMMARY
BELLE VERNON - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

WPIAL CLASS AAA GIRLS' SOCCER

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LADY TIGERS OUTSCORE NORTH HILLS, 4-3

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

After trailing 2-1 at halftime, the Lady Tigers rallied to down rival North Hills, 4-3, at Newman Stadium on Monday night.  On Senior Night, senior Dawn Murphy, junior Kylie Fuller and freshmen Leah Langhans and Katie Hohmann scored for NA as they completed section play.  Senior Molly Antimarino assisted on two of the NA goals.

On Senior Night, NA Coach Chet Gapczynski started all of the seniors including Ava Makal at forward and Leah Stoof in the back.  The Indians came out ready to play and had a chance early that was stopped by NA junior goalkeeper Rachel Middleman two minutes into the game.    NH's Kelly Schlick followed with another attempt from 35 yards that Middleman had to catch.  The Indians' Jessica Speicher shot wide at the 5:10 mark before NA was able to generate some offense.  Three minutes later, Antimarino broke down the right side and sent a cross to Makal in the middle but the NH defense prevented a scoring attempt.  At the 8:10 mark, Antimarino set up Murphy but her shot went wide.  Murphy had another chance less than a minute, but NH goalkeeper Julie Stumbaugh made the save at the right corner of the net.  Fuller had another opportunity at the 12:20 mark by her attempt went over the head of the Stumbaugh before the NH keeper was able to recover.  It was North Hills, however, that struck first when Jansen Hartmann was able to score when the ball got behind Middleman who came out to make the play.  The Indians took a 1-0 lead at the 13:23 mark of the first half.  Makal countered less than a minute later, but her shot was blocked by Stumbaugh and went off the NH goalpost and not into the net.  The Indians came back to take a 2-0 lead on a hard shot by Bethanie Moreschi from 18 yards that found the left corner of the net at the 15:52 mark.  The Tigers responded with a number of scoring chances during the remaining time in the half.  NA earned a corner kick at the 17:03 mark that junior defender Larissa Steeb headed into the GK on one hop.  A minute later, Antimarino made a long run down the right side and broke in on goal where her shot was stopped by Stumbaugh just short of the goal line.  Junior forward Savanna Kelly sent a long attempt just wide of the goal with 14:37 remaining.  With 11:21 left in the half, Steeb drove a long direct kick that Stumbaugh bobbled before controlling.  Two minutes later, junior midfielder Taylor Gapczynski just missed wide left from 20 yards away.  At the 7:33 mark, Murphy shot wide right but the ball was deflected over the goal for another NA corner.  Gapcynski's ball from the corner kick was headed over the net by Steeb.  The Lady Tigers kept the pressure on the NH goal as Murphy rolled in a long shot from the right side that was stopped with 5:15 left.  Two minutes later, Antimarino sent a long cross in from the right side that Stumbaugh had to catch in the air.  With 2:45 remaining, Gapczynski missed wide left on another attempt from 20 yards.  With time running out, the Lady Tigers sent another ball into the box where Stumbaugh was able to make two saves.  Out of the scramble, Langhans was able to find the ball and drive it into the goal with just 17 seconds on the clock.  North Hills took a 2-1 lead to the intermission.

The Lady Tigers wasted little time in the second half before getting the equalizer.  Gapczynski sent a long cross field pass down the right side that Antimarino ran down.  The NA senior then beat the defender and raced along the goal line where she was able to feed Murphy in front of the net.  Murphy's 13th goal of the season tied the game just 57 seconds into the second half.  At the four minute mark, Gapczynski had a chance but was stopped by the NH keeper.  Less than a minute later, senior midfielder Kelly Gilmour shot wide from just right of the Indian goal.  At the 5:53 mark, Antimarino again sent a cross in front of the net where Fuller headed the ball over the goal against the football crossbar.  Less than a minute later, sophomore Maria Snyder came off the bench to send a turning shot toward the goal from the 18 that was stopped by Stumbaugh.  Gapczynski sent in a rebound from in front of the goal that was stopped again by the NH keeper at the 7:50 mark.  The Indians countered when Middleman had to save a long attempt from 30 yards away by Schlick.  At the 9:10 mark, Gapczynski drove a hard direct kick off the left goal post from just outside the box.  Off the only North Hills corner kick of the game, Hartmann sent in a long pass that went just wide of the NA goal at the 12:40 mark.  Snyder continued to get chances at the Indian goal with a shot from the left side that rolled to the NH keeper and another attempt from the right side that was stopped by Stumbaugh at the 17:50 mark.  NA was able to grab the lead at the 18:50 mark when Antimarino passed to Fuller who drove the ball just inside the right post to make it a 3-2 game.  Once again, Gapczynski started the play with a long ball down the right side.  Less than a minute later, Gapczynski sent a hard shot over the net from 20 yards away.  Freshman Katie Hohmann came close to extending the lead but was stopped by Stumbaugh who made the save while sitting on the ground.  Hohmann was able to convert just moments later when she took a pass from freshman Carly Brailer and direct it into the net with the side of her foot at the 23:36 mark as NA took a 4-2 lead.  Less than a minute later, Hartmann made a great individual play beating the NA defense and Middleman to the ball in the box and scoring to cut the Tiger lead to 4-3 with 16:24 still left in the game.  Down the stretch, however, NA dominated play forcing three corner kicks.  The first came with 13:26 left as Steeb sent another header over the goal.  NH had one last chance to tie when Schlick sent Hartmann in from the left side but her attempt just missed the goal with 11:00 remaining.  Freshman defender Calene Dougherty sent a long drive in on one hop to Stumbaugh just a little over a minute later.  With 7:42 remaining, Gilmour put a direct kick over the goal.  A minute later, Hohmann had a chance from the 18 but her shot was blocked.  The Tigers forced another corner kick with 5:14 left bout could not convert.  In the last several minutes, Hohmann and junior midfielder Chelsea Henderson both had shots stopped by Stumbaugh.  North Hills was unable to get any scoring chances in the remaining time as the Lady Tigers held on for the 4-3 victory.

It was an overall team victory for the Lady Tigers with the entire team seeing playing time throughout the game.  It was a combination of leadership by the seniors on Senior Night and contributions from younger players, many of them freshmen, that was able to secure the victory.  For her efforts down the right side and her assists on a pair of NA goals, the North Allegheny Sports Network named senior Molly Antimarino as the Player of the Game.

With the win, NA finished in second place in Section 3 with a final section record of 11-3-0.  The overall mark for the season stands at 15-3-0 as the Lady Tigers prepare for the upcoming WPIAL playoffs.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team finished the season with a pair of victories.  NA defeated North Hills, 4-0, on goals by Katie Hohmann Eleni Mermigas, April Knell and Emily Johns.  On Tuesday night, the JVs downed Hampton, 2-0, on goals by Katie Hohmann and Carly Brailer.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4  NORTH HILLS - 3

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LADY TIGERS BLANK MT. PLEASANT, 2-0,
AT HAMPTON TOURNAMENT

The Lady Tigers stepped out of section play on Friday afternoon and defeated previously unbeaten Mt. Pleasant, 2-0, at the Hampton Tournament.  After a scoreless first half, NA got goals from senior midfielder Dawn Murphy and junior midfielder Taylor Gapczynski to secure the victory.  The loss dropped the Class AA Mt. Pleasant record to 15-1-1 on the year.

Less than two minutes into the game, Mt. Pleasant earned their first corner kick of the game but it was cleared by the NA defense.  A little over a minute later, junior Chelsea Henderson had a chance but her attempt was picked up by the Viking keeper.  At the 4:49 mark, the Lady Tigers' Gapczynski sent a corner kick toward the goal that was again stopped by the keeper.  Two minutes later, another NA attempt was caught by the Mt. Pleasant GK.  Junior NA goalkeeper Rachel Middleman stopped a shot off a Viking corner kick.  At the 9:30 mark, Murphy set up senior forward Molly Antimarino, but her shot went over the net.  Neither team was able to record a good scoring chance over the next ten minutes.  At the midway point of the half, Murphy took the ball toward the Mt. Pleasant goal but again it was stopped by the keeper.  With 13:05 left in the half, junior forward Savanna Kelly had an opportunity, but the Viking GK made the save.  Less than a minute later, Gapczynski drove a corner kick into the box that was cleared by the Mt. Pleasant defense.  With 11:51 remaining, Gapczynski came close to scoring when her short direct kick was bobbled by the keeper who was finally able to grab the ball.  After a chance on a pass from Antimarino to junior forward Kylie Fuller, junior Margaret Nikituk crossed the ball back to Antimarino but she could not beat the Viking keeper.  With eight minutes remaining in the half, the Vikings had two opportunities with Middleman making the save on the first and the second going over the NA net.  With 6:40 left, Middleman had to make another save as the Vikings tried to grab the lead before halftime.  With 4:45 left, Gapcyznski sent a cross to Antimarino who tried to get it to Murphy, but the Viking keeper was there to pick up the ball.  Another NA passing play came close when junior defender Larissa Steeb sent a through ball to freshman Emily Johns who set up Murphy.  The Tigers senior drove a hard shot off the keeper's hands and over the goal line for an NA corner kick with 2:03 left.  On the corner, Gapczynski sent a bouncing ball in front of the goal that Steeb drove off a Viking defender right to the keeper.  With 1:08 left, Kelly sent a hard shot over the Mt. Pleasant net.  With 20 seconds left, Gapczynski had another chance but her shot went directly to the keeper.  Although NA came close to scoring late in the half, the teams went to the intermission in a scoreless tie.

The Lady Tigers picked up where they left off early in the second half.  Just 36 seconds into the half, Fuller sent a cross to Gapczynski but her shot was stopped by the Viking keeper.  At the 2:40 mark, Steeb drove a direct kick just in front of the goal that almost bounced over the head of the Mt. Pleasant GK who made a leaping save.  NA had another chance at the 6:36 mark but freshman Katie Hohmann's shot went just wide right of the net.  At the 12:23 mark, an NA pass into the box was shot right to the keeper by Nikituk.  At the 15:13 mark, Fuller sent a high cross into the box that the Viking keeper had to grab out of the air.  Just 40 seconds later, Hohmann took a pass from Nikituk and shot it just over the goal.  At the 18:30 mark, Steeb took the ball in deep and got off a good shot that went off the fingertips of the Viking GK.  Just after the midway point, freshman forward Leah Langhans tried to cross the ball to freshman Brianna Layman in front of the goal, but the ball rolled too far.  A little over a minute later, the Vikings had a great chance at the lead but their shot went just wide of the net.  With 16:31 remaining, freshman Melina Mermigas drove a hard shot from long range that the Viking keeper had to save.  With 14:46 left, Middleman was forced to make a good save on a Viking shot.  The Lady Tigers finally broke through on another good passing play.  Henderson gained control of the ball in the corner and sent it toward the Viking net.  Langhans let the ball go through to Murphy who blasted it into the net to give NA a 1-0 lead with 14:26 left in the game.  The goal was Murphy's twelfth this season.  The Lady Tigers had another chance a minute later on a corner kick that was cleared by the Viking defense.  With 9:10 left, Hohmann sent a ball to Langhans who forced the Mt. Pleasant keeper to make a good save.  With 8:53 left, a Viking attempt went over the NA net.  Murphy came back with a good chance less than a minute later but her shot also went over the goal.  At the 34:20 mark, Gapcyznski drove a hard shot that just missed the upper left hand corner.  With 2:10 left, Gapczynski took a pass from Steeb and found the net to give the Lady Tigers a 2-0 advantage with time running out.  NA almost scored again with 20 seconds left when freshman Carly Brailer forced the keeper to come out to make the save with the rebound rolling just past freshman Annie Erickson.  Time then ran out as the Lady Tigers posted a 2-0 victory that ended a 16-game unbeaten streak by the Vikings.

Although it was a non-section win, the Lady Tigers were able to defeat a quality opponent with good defense and offensive pressure for much of the game.  Middleman posted her ninth shutout of the season and 24th in her career.  With the win, NA improved to their overall record to 14-3 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will complete section play on Monday night when they host rival North Hills on Senior Recognition Night.  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.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  MT. PLEASANT - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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MURPHY'S SECOND GOAL BEATS BUTLER, 2-1

Senior midfielder Dawn Murphy scored a pair of goals, including the game winner in the second half, to lead the Lady Tigers to a 2-1 victory in the rain and fog at Butler on Wednesday night.  Junior defender Larissa Steeb picked up the assist on the winning goal with junior Margaret Nikituk assisting on the first NA tally.

Although most of the game was played in the middle of the field for most of the first half, NA had scoring chances.  At the 1:40 mark, junior Chelsea Henderson and junior midfielder Taylor Gapczynski had a great give-an-go down the field, but the final cross rolled too far.  At the 3:09 mark, NA junior goalkeeper Rachel Middleman was able to stop a rolling shot from Butler's Chelsea Rock.  At the 5:54 mark, Murphy found senior forward Molly Antimarino with a through ball but the play was called offside.  At the 10:10 mark, Steeb sent a long direct kick that Butler GK Taylor Troyan had to catch on a high bounce.  A minute and a half later, Murphy tried to set up Henderson in front of the goal, but the Tornado defense intercepted the pass.  At the 12:50 mark, junior Savanna Kelly crossed the ball to Henderson, but it rolled to the keeper.  Less than a minute later, Steeb sent a through ball to junior Kylie Fuller but her attempt rolled to Troyan.  At the 18:50 mark, a Lady Tiger passing play from Henderson to senior Brienne Schuliger to Antimarino failed to score.  At 19:50, Butler's Nikki Hladik sent a corner kick into the box, but the NA defense cleared the ball.  With 13:45 left, Steeb sent a long cross to sophomore Maria Snyder in the far corner, but Snyder slipped on the wet grass and could not play the ball.  Less than a minute later, NA had a chance but Kelly's pass was too far for either Gapczynski or Henderson and rolled to the keeper.  With 10:21 left, Kate Wahl of Butler sent a hard shot toward the NA net, but Middleman made the save.  With 5:13 remaining, Steeb drove a hard shot just wide of the Tornado net.  Less than a minute later, Fuller set up Nikituk, but her shot went right to the Butler keeper.  With 2:30 left, Antimarino and Murphy put together another good give-an-go but the Butler defense cleared the ball.  With 1:48 remaining, the NA pressure paid off when Murphy finished a passing play from Nikituk to Antimarino who put the ball in front of the net.  Murphy's goal gave NA a 1-0 lead.  The Lady Tigers had one final opportunity but Fuller could not run down a long pass.  NA took  a 1-0 advantage to the intermission.

Butler came out strong early in the second half in an attempt to get the equalizer.  Rock had a chance at the 50 second mark, but her shot went over the NA goal.  At the 1:44 mark, NA was called for a foul in the box giving the Tornado a penalty kick.  Middleman made a great save on the PK, blocked the first rebound but the second rebound went into the Tiger goal.  Mackenzie Hohn was given credit for the goal that tied the game at 1-1.  At 5:20, Butler tried for the lead, but Middleman was there to make the save.  Two minutes later, Fuller had a chance but was stopped by the Butler GK.  At the 8:28 mark, Fuller sent a cross to Antimarino who drove it over the Butler net.  At the 9:53 mark, Antimarino set up freshman Carly Brailer but her attempt went right to the keeper.  After another NA attempt was stopped by Troyan, a foul was called on Butler.  Steeb sent a long ball off the direct kick into the box where Murphy was able to score her second goal of the game to give NA a 2-1 lead at the 12:50 mark.  A minute later, Middleman had to make a good save to preserve the lead.  At the 16:30 mark, the Lady Tigers had a good scoring chance when Gapczynski put a corner kick into the box, but they could not convert.  A minute later, Hladik answered with a Tornado corner kick, but the NA defense was there to clear the ball.  At the 18:55 mark, Middleman had to make a save on a Butler direct kick.  Over the next several minutes, the Tornado made a determined effort to try to tie the game.  Butler attempted four shots, but Middleman was able to handle all of them to keep NA in front, 2-1.  With 12:20 left, freshman Leah Langhans tried to set up freshman Brianna Layman but the pass went too far.  Less than a minute later, Middleman had to make a good save on a slippery ball.  With 9:50 left, Fuller crossed the ball to Nikituk, but her attempt went over the goal.  A minute later, a passing play involving Murphy, Kelly, and Nikituk resulted in a ball that rolled right to the Butler keeper.  In the next two minutes, Middleman had to make a pair of saves, including one on a shot by Rock.  With 6:24 left. Gapczynski drove a short free kick over the Tornado net.  With 4:25 remaining, NA had one last chance when Fuller set up Murphy, but her shot went straight to the Butler GK.  The NA defense held of the Tornado for the remainder of the contest as the Lady Tigers brought home a key 2-1 victory.

With the win, the Lady Tigers clinched a playoff spot and second place in the section standings.  The NA section record improved to 10-3, the overall mark to 13-3.  Tomorrow afternoon, the Lady Tigers will play Mt. Pleasant in the Hampton Invitational.  Game time is set for 4:00 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team erupted for seven goals in the second half to hand Butler an 8-0 defeat.  Carly Brailer led the attack with two goals while Katie Hohmann, Christine Grom, Danielle Dorazio, Shanni Hagy, Alison Krause and Nikki Reynolds all added goals in the victory. 

(Thanks again to a wet and soggy Claudia Steeb for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  BUTLER - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LANGHANS' OVERTIME GOAL SINKS SENECA VALLEY, 3-2

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

Freshman forward Leah Langhans sent in a rebound of a shot off the goal post with just 19 seconds remaining in the second overtime period to give the Lady Tigers a 3-2 victory over section leader Seneca Valley on Monday night at Newman Stadium.  Senior forward Brienne Schuliger and junior defender Larissa Steeb recorded goals for NA as they solidified their hold on second place in the section.

The Lady Tigers came out strong and registered the first three scoring opportunities.  Senior Molly Antimarino sent in a shot from fifteen yards away just 2:14 into the game, but SV goalkeeper Keara Lydon made the save.  Less than a minute later, junior forward Savanna Kelly drove a hart shot from 25 yards that Lydon caught on the fly.  At the 5:55 mark, Fuller had a chance but shot wide of the goal.  The Raiders came back at the 9:28 mark with a chance, but Catherine Messmer's shot from inside the box was blocked by the NA defense.  The Raiders' Mandy Cerminara was stopped by junior GK Rachel Middleman at the 13:23 mark.  Sara Stevens came in off the Seneca bench to break in on the left side but was called for offside on the play.  Just short of the midway point in the half, Fuller set up junior midfielder Taylor Gapczynski just outside the box, but her attempt went wide and high.  The Raiders got their first corner kick of the game with 19:52 left, and Middleman had to come out to punch the ball away in front of the net.  A minute later, Messmer set up Shayna Elser but Middleman made the save.  Senior midfielder Dawn Murphy sent a through ball in toward the SV goal, but Lydon came out to collect the ball with 17:10 remaining in the half.  Three minutes later, Gapczynski sent a cross through the box that Lydon again came out to grab.  With 9:31 left, Middleman caught a long attempt from 30 yards away by Cerminara.  After NA just missed catching up with a long direct kick by Steeb, the Raiders counterattacked to take the lead.  Elser broke free down the right side and sent a cross in front of the net that Cerminara was able to direct into the goal.  The Raiders took a 1-0 lead with 9:31 left in the half.  Five minutes later, Elser had another chance but missed wide left.  With 3:28 remaining, a direct kick by the Raiders' Karisa Fernandez from just outside the 18 was blocked by the NA defense.  With just 29 seconds left, Gapczynski took away a Raider clearing pass and sent the ball over to Schuliger who drove it high into the net from 30 yards out to tie the game at 1-1.  The teams went to the intermission with the 1-1 tie.

In the second half, the Lady Tigers came out early to try to take the lead.  A long direct kick by Gapczynski was caught on the fly by Lydon just 40 seconds into the half.  Two minutes later, Antimarino drove a hard shot from the right side that was again caught by the Raider keeper.  The Raiders countered at the 2:46 mark when Elser's cross was cleared by Steeb over the goal giving the Raiders a corner kick.  The NA defense was able to clear the ball out of the box, but Seneca continued to pressure the Tiger goal.  The Raiders had three chances over the next three and a half minutes with a shot by Messmer from the left side stopped by Middleman.  At the 6:40 mark, Aleisha Rees sent a hard shot wide to the left from 25 yards out.  A minute later, Fernandez drove a long attempt that Middleman again had to stop.  At the 11:31 mark, Fernandez made a great individual play to beat both the NA defense and Middleman with a left footed shot into the net to give the Raiders a 2-1 advantage.  NA came back two minutes later when Gapczynski sent a ball into the box off a free kick from 27 yards out, but the Lady Tigers could not get off a shot.  At the 15:13 mark, Elser had a shot blocked over the goal line, but the Raiders could not convert the corner kick.  Four minutes later, Gapczynski drove a hard shot from the 18 that was stopped by Raider keeper.  Cerminara had two chances to add to the Raider lead.  With 18:32 left, the Raider forward was set up by Elser in front of the goal, but her attempt was sent over the NA net.  Less than three minutes later, Cerminara shot wide from 22 yards away.  With 14:56 remaining, a Seneca corner kick sent the ball bouncing into the box where Middleman had to dive on the loose ball.  With 14:10 remaining, Fernandez shot wide from 25 yards.  Less than two minutes later, it was Fernandez from 30 yards out but her attempt was caught by Middleman.  Beginning with 12:30 left, the Raiders dropped back in a defensive shell and were content to just clear any NA attempts in the offensive end.  With 3:20 left, Fuller's header just missed the right corner of the net.   A minute later, Steeb drove a high direct kick into the box where Fuller, Murphy, and freshman Carly Brailer all attempting to head the ball.   Steeb's kick went through the keeper's hands to tie the game at 2-2 with 2:23 left in regulation.  The Raiders had one more long attempt by Fernandez from 40 yards away that Middleman caught.  The teams went to overtime with the score tied at 2-2.  The Raiders recorded six corner kicks to just one for the Lady Tigers in regulation time.

In the first overtime period, freshman Katie Hohmann had a chance but her shot was blocked by the Raider defense just 23 seconds into the extra period.  The Raiders came back a minute later but a shot by Fernandez went wide left.  With 6:13 remaining, Murphy sent a long shot in from 30 feet but the shot was caught by the keeper.  With 4:23 remaining, senior midfielder Kelly Gilmour drove a long attempt that was also caught.  Gilmour came back two minutes later but her attempt went over the goal.  The Raider had the last scoring chance with 40 seconds remaining but Middleman stopped Cerminara's shot from 20 yards away.  The game remained tied, 2-2, after one overtime period.

In the second overtime, the Raiders sent a cross into the box with 6:15 left but could not get off a good shot against the NA defense.  Elser shot wide right from 25 yards with 4:48 remaining.  It looked like the Raiders would settle for a tie as time was running out.  NA had other ideas, however, as Murphy drove a long, high shot that hit the right goal post.  Langhans was able to corral the rebound and put it into the open net to give the Lady Tigers the 3-2 victory.

It was a huge win for the Lady Tigers as they ended Seneca Valley's unbeaten run in section play at eleven.  For most of the game, the NA defense of Steeb, freshman Calene Dougherty, and sophomore Christina Boada was able to stymie a strong Raider front line.  For her heroics at the end of the second overtime period, the North Allegheny Sports Network named freshman Leah Langhans as the Player of the Game.  With the win, the NA section record improved to 9-3, the overall mark to 12-3 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Butler tomorrow night for a 7:30 pm section contest.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team lost their first game of the season in a 2-0 decision to Seneca Valley.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SENECA VALLEY - 2

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MARS OUTMUSCLES LADY TIGERS, 3-1

After junior forward Margaret Nikituk scored to give NA a 1-0 lead in the eleventh minute, the Mars Planets tallied the next three goals to down the Lady Tigers, 3-1, at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  NA had a first-half apparent goal taken away on a disputed offside call.

The Lady Tigers attacked early, but the Mars defense was able to clear any scoring attempt.  At the 4:25 mark, junior Taylor Gapczynski sent a corner kick in front of the Mars goal.  After a clearing attempt, junior defender Larissa Steeb sent the ball back in but NA was called for offside.  At 6:13, senior forward Molly Antimarino could not catch up with a long attempt sent down the sideline by the NA midfield.  At 8:20, a strong throw in by Mars was cleared by the NA defense.  A minute later, the Tiger defense had to come up big again as they cleared a corner kick attempt by the Planets.  At the 10:17 mark, junior GK Rachel Middleman had to make a save on a Mars attempt off a bouncing ball in front of the NA net.  At the 10: 56 mark, Antimarino sent a cross in front of the Planet net and Nikituk drove it into the goal as NA took a 1-0 lead.  Two minutes later, senior midfielder Kelly Gilmour tried to send Antimarino in but the pass went too far.  At the 16:00 mark, Steeb drove a long free kick into the box, but the Mars defense cleared the attempt.  Two minutes later at the 18:13 mark, Mars' Alanna Haefner tied the game at 1-1 after a skirmish in front of the net.  The Lady Tigers tried for the lead again two minutes later, but senior midfielder Dawn Murphy shot wide of the net.  With 18:41 left, Middleman was forced to save a rolling Mars attempt.  Junior Chelsea Henderson sent the ball toward the Planet net, but senior forward Alexis Smith's header was cleared by the Mars defense.  With 14:38 remaining, Antimarino crossed the ball to Murphy who headed it wide of the goal.  Two Mars fouls resulted in free kicks by Steeb and Gapczynski but both were cleared by the defense.  With 11:34 left in the half, Nikituk drove a ball across the field to junior Kylie Fuller but her shot rolled to the right of the Mars net.  Murphy had another chance a minute and a half later after freshman Calene Dougherty passed to Antimarino who crossed the ball to Murphy but the attempt went right to the Mars GK.  With 9:01 left, Steeb sent a long free kick in front of the net that was headed in by Murphy, but NA was called for offside on a questionable decision.  With 7:48 left, Middleman had to clear a long Mars throw into the box.  With 3:30 remaining, Steeb got another free kick off a Mars hand ball, but NA could not score.  The teams went to halftime with the score tied at 1-1.

Mars continued to play a physical game in the second half.  At the 4:43 mark, Gapczynski sent a short free kick across in front of the Mars goal, but the ball rolled out of play.  Mars had the next two chances but could not finish with Middleman making a save on one and the other going over the NA net.  At the 8:43 mark, Nikituk tried to cross the ball to Fuller, but the pass was too long.  The Lady Tigers were called for a pair of fouls that resulted in free kicks that were cleared by the NA defense of Steeb, sophomore Christina Boada and Dougherty.  Just past the eleven minute mark, Boada sent a ball to Nikituk, but the Tigers could not finish.  At the 18:09 mark, Mars was able to get a ball past Middleman who came out to clear the ball.  With the goal, the Planets took a 2-1 lead.  Just past the midway point of the half, Fuller stole a Mars' pass and tried to get the ball to a breaking freshman forward Carly Brailer but the pass was just too far.  With 15:07 left, Antimarino set up Murphy but her shot went over the goal.  With 8:53 remaining, Mars came close off a scramble in front of the NA net, but the attempt hit the goalpost.  Another Mars shot a minute and a half later missed the net.  With 5:57 left, the Lady Tigers had a chance at the equalizer but Steeb headed a corner kick by Gapczynski just wide left of the net.  With 3:36 left in the game, Mars got an insurance goal with a header off a corner kick as the Planets took a 3-1 advantage.  In the remaining time, the Lady Tigers had several good shots but the Mars defense held off NA to take home a 3-1 victory.

It was a tough loss by the Lady Tigers to a very physical Mars team.  With the loss, the NA section record fell to 8-3-0, the overall mark to 11-3-0.  The Lady Tigers will host section lead Seneca Valley on Monday 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.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team remained unbeaten with a 1-0 victory over Mars.  A second half goal by Brianna Layman proved to be the game winner.

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

GAME SUMMARY
MARS - 3  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

MURPHY SCORES TWICE TO LEAD LADY TIGERS
TO 3-1 VICTORY OVER KNOCH

Senior midfielder Dawn Murphy scored a pair of goals to lead NA to a 3-1 victory at Knoch on Monday afternoon.  Junior MF Taylor Gapczynski added the third goal late in the game as the Lady Tigers won their eighth in the last nine games.

The first NA shot of the game came three minutes into the contest, but junior forward Kylie Fuller was stopped by Knoch GK Storm Hajek.  Three minutes later, junior defender Larissa Steeb sent a cross from the corner to Murphy who tapped it into the net to give NA an early 1-0 lead.  At the 13:52 mark, Murphy had another chance but her shot was pulled out of the air by Hajek.  Less than a minute later, Knoch came back with a low shot that was picked up by NA junior goalkeeper Rachel Middleman.  At the 17:55 mark, Steeb sent a hard shot just over the Knoch net.  NA had another good scoring chance less than a minute later when junior Chelsea Henderson sent a long pass to Fuller who hit the post.  Murphy sent the rebound back toward the Knoch goal, but the Knight keeper made the save.  Over the next six minutes, the NA midfield controlled play sending the ball forward, but the Lady Tigers could not get any good scoring opportunities.  With 14:30 left, Middleman was forced to make a save on a Knoch free kick.  Thirty seconds later, NA countered, but senior forward Molly Antimarino's cross was stopped by Hajek.  The Knights came back with an attempt that was caught by Middleman.  With 12:06 left, Gapczynski tried to sent a ball to junior forward Savanna Kelly but the pass was too long.  Kelly came back a minute later with a good attempt, but again Hajek made the save.  With 4:14 remaining in the half, Murphy had yet another scoring chance, but Hajek was there for the stop.  With 1:12 left, Gapczynski sent a rolling ball in front of the net, but the Tigers could not convert.  The teams went to the intermission with NA on top, 1-0.

Early in the second half, the Knights had a scoring chance but shot wide of the net just 1:24 into play.  At the 7:45 mark, Antimarino set up senior forward Alexis Smith but her shot went over the net.  At the 10:13 mark, Antimarino sent another ball toward the ball that Hajek bobbled but then covered.  At the 19:08 mark, the Lady Tigers scored again.  Gapczynski drove a corner kick in front of the net where it was deflected by the Knoch keeper, but Murphy was there to head it into the net for her second goal of the game as NA took a 2-0 advantage.  Less than a minute later, the Lady Tigers almost scored again when Gapczynski set up Antimarino but her attempt went just wide to the left of the net.  With 19:36 left, Gapczynski sent a shot directly to the Knoch keeper.  A minute later, Kelly shot just over the Knoch goal.  A good passing play between Steeb and Gapczynski was called back on an offsides call with 17:11 left.  Two minutes later, freshman defender Calene Daugherty tried to send Kelly free down the right side, but the pass just rolled long.  A minute later, Fuller had a good chance after taking a pass from senior MF Kelly Gilmour but Hajek was there to make the save.  With 12:20 left, Dougherty started another scoring opportunity with a pass to Fuller who set up Kelly but her turning shot went just left of the goal.  With 10:45 left, a shot by Fuller went of a Knoch defender giving NA another corner kick.  Gapczynski's cross off the corner went past the NA players and was not converted.  With 9:00 remaining, Dougherty passed to freshman forward Carly Brailer in front of the Knight net, but her attempt went over the net.  With just over five minutes left, the Knights cut the margin to 2-1 when Danielle Sharbaugh got past the NA defense and rolled a shot into the goal.  It took NA less than a minute to answer.  With 4:03 left, Gapczynski drove a hard shot off Hajek that rolled into the Knoch net to restore the two-goal margin at 3-1.  Knoch had one more chance with 1:56 left, but the shot missed the NA net.  With 1:10 left, Brailer had another opportunity after a pass from Antimarino but her attempt went wide to the right of the Knoch goal.  With 26 seconds left, Fuller came close but her shot sailed over the goal.  On a dry afternoon in Saxonburg, the Lady Tigers came home with a 3-1 victory.

With the win, NA improved to 8-2 in section play, 11-2 overall.  The Lady Tigers are in second place in Section 2 and trail only Seneca Valley in the standings.  NA will host a good Mars team tomorrow night at Newman Stadium in a key section matchup.  Game time is scheduled for 7:45 pm.

JV UPDATE:  The JV remained unbeaten with a 4-0 victory over Knoch.  Scoring for the Lady Tiger JVs were Carly Brailer with two goals, Brianna Layman and April Knell.  Leanna Noel was the goalkeeper for winning coach Brian Bacchus who was able to use his entire squad in the victory.

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

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  KNOCH - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

LADY TIGERS TOP PINE-RICHLAND, 1-0

Senior Alexis Smith scored just 1:32 into the contest, and the NA defense held off Pine-Richland for the remainder of the game as the Lady Tigers defeated the Rams, 1-0, at Pine-Richland on Saturday night.  It rained for most of the game making the ball and field slippery throughout the contest. 

Pine-Richland took the opening kickoff, but the Lady Tigers got the ball back quickly.  Just 1:32 into the game, junior forward Kylie Fuller set up Smith who ripped a shot past Pine-Richland GK Christie Kimball to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 lead.  For the next three minutes, the NA defense kept the ball out of the NA end.  At the 5:00 minute mark, junior GK Rachel Middleman made a good save to keep the Rams off the board.  Three minutes later, Lindsey Thill sent a shot across the NA goal but it rolled over the end line.  At the 10:26 mark, senior midfielder Kelly Gilmour sent in a long shot that was pulled out of the air by Kimball.  Two minutes later, senior forward Molly Antimarino passed the ball to Fuller who crossed it again to Smith.  This time, Kimball was able to make the stop.  At the 19:00 minute mark, the Rams had a free kick but the NA defense of junior Larissa Steeb, junior Christina Boada, and freshman Calene Dougherty was able to clear the ball.  Less than a minute later, Steeb drove a hard kick toward the P-R net, but the Lady Tigers were called for offside.  With 18:43 left in the half, Sarah Lusby sent a short free kick wide of the NA net.  The Tigers answered with Fuller driving a ball just wide of the Ram net.  With 12:47 left, the Rams sent in a strong attack with a shot going right to Middleman.  Less than a minute later, Pine-Richland had another chance but the shot rolled right to the NA keeper.  Less than two minutes later, the Rams' Tori Pikur was stopped by Middleman.  The NA midfield of senior Dawn Murphy, Gilmour, junior Chelsea Henderson, and junior Taylor Gapczynski worked the ball in for a good chance that was stopped by the Ram defense.  With 8 minutes remaining in the half, Coach Chet Gapczynski sent in junior Savanna Kelly, sophomore Maria Snyder, freshman Brianna Layman and freshman Leah Langhans.  With four minutes left, Murphy sent a long ball into the P-R end that Langhans took and shot toward the Ram goal but Kimball made the save.  With 1:12 left, Pikur had another chance but Middleman was there to preserve the lead.  The teams went to the intermission with the rain still falling and with the Lady Tigers holding a 1-0 lead.

The Lady Tigers came out strong in the second half in an attempt to increase the lead.  Fuller sent a cross to Murphy at the 3:13 mark, but her shot was high and wide of the net.  At the 5:30 mark, Steeb sent a direct kick in toward the Ram net, but Kimball made the save.  Less than a minute later, Gilmour tried to connect with Antimarino down the right side but the pass went too far.  The wet ground continued to be a factor as Smith lost her footing attempting to make a pass but still got the ball to her teammate from the ground.  At the 9:10 mark, NA put together another good passing attack that resulted in a shot.  Steeb passed to Murphy who sent the ball to Smith who set up Fuller but her shot went right to the Ram keeper.   A minute later, the Rams almost got the equalizer.  Middleman had to punch out a strong shot with the ball being sent back toward the open NA net.  Henderson then made the play of the game as she made a diving tackle to send the ball to the NA defenders who cleared it out of play.  At 12:50, Smith had a chance that went off a P-R player giving NA a corner kick.  Gapczynski's attempt off the corner was cleared by the Ram defense.  Less than a minute later, the Rams had to clear the ball from the front of their net again.  Lusby answered for P-R when she sent in a corner kick that Fuller headed out of danger.  At the 15:30 mark, Gapczynski sent a cross to Smith who drove a shot right at the P-R keeper.  Three minutes later, Antimarino tried to find Smith with a cross but the attempt went long.  Just passed the midway point of the half, Fuller set up Antimarino who drove a hard shot just wide left of the net.  A short free kick by Gapczynski went just wide right of the Ram goal.  With 17:10 remaining, Antimarino broke free in the box but ended up on the ground without getting a shot off.  A minute and a half later, Antimarino and Smith worked down the left side but Kimball was able to stop their attempt.  With 15:20 remaining, a P-R cross rolled just past the net.  The ensuing corner kick was cleared by the NA defense.  At the 28:03 mark, a corner kick by Gapczynski went to Fuller whose shot was deflected over the goal for another NA corner.  The Rams were able to clear the second attempt.  The Lady Tigers continued to keep the pressure on the Ram defense over the next seven minutes but could not score.  With less than five minutes remaining, a pass from Gapczynski to Antimarino just failed to connect.  Gapczysnki and Murphy also put together a good passing play, but the Ram defense was there to stop the attempt.  With 10 seconds left, the Rams had one final chance to tie the game, but Steeb was able to clear the ball away from two Ram players out of bounds as time ran out.  The Lady Tigers were able to defeat the Rams on their home ground for the first time since 2004 when NA won by a 2-1 score.

It was a key win for NA as it solidified their hold on second place with a record of 7-2 in section play and 10-2 overall.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Knoch on Monday afternoon to meet the Knights in a 3:30 pm section game.

JV UPDATE:  The JV team defeated Pine-Richland, 1-0, on a goal by Brianna Layman.  The game was shortened because of lightning and because the varsity game needed to start on time because of the weather.

(Special thanks to a wet Claudia Steeb who endured the weather conditions to send her usual fine report on the game!!!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  PINE-RICHLAND - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

LADY TIGERS STOP SHALER, 1-0, ON SMITH'S GOAL

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

Senior forward Alexis Smith scored just 3:13 into the contest, and the NA defense and junior GK Rachel Middleman held off Shaler for the remainder of the game as the Lady Tigers defeated the Titans, 1-0, at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  The win was the sixth in the last seven games for NA as they continued in second place in Section 2.

The Lady Tigers almost scored in the first minute of the game when a corner kick by junior midfielder Taylor Gapczynski bounced near the goal line and was cleared by the Shaler defense.  Gapczynski came back with a shot from long range at the 3:58 mark, but Shaler GK Amie Dobracki made the save.  NA kept up the offensive pressure and it paid off when Smith lifted a shot from the left side high into the right hand corner of the net to give the Lady Tigers a 1-0 advantage.  At the 5:00 minute mark, junior defender Larissa Steeb sent another long ball into the box from 45 yards out but again Dobracki was there to pull it in.  After Gapczynski was stopped from 35 yards out, Shaler counter attacked with Allison Brasile breaking in from the right side.  Middleman had to make a great save, punching the ball over the net to keep NA on top at the 11:21 mark.  A little over a minute later, Brasile had another chance but drove the ball wide from 20 yards away.  At the 14:46 mark, senior midfielder Kelly Gilmour drove a shot from 30 yards that was stopped by the Shaler keeper.  A little under three minutes later, Shaler's Angie Bagwell drove a hard attempt over the goal on a direct kick from 30 yards.  On a Shaler corner kick at the 19:15 mark, Bagwell headed the ball wide of the NA net.  With 19:43 left, the Lady Tigers put together a good short passing play with junior forward Kylie Fuller, senior midfielder Molly Antimarino, and senior midfielder Dawn Murphy pushing the ball into the box, but they could not get off a good shot.  With 18:51 left, Steeb drove a direct kick into the box from 45 yards out that just went over the head of a breaking Murphy.  With 16 seconds left, Angie Bagwell hit the football crossbar with a drive from 22 yards away.  Shaler junior Bridget Smalstig got loose on a breakaway with 14:10 left but was caught from behind by freshman defender Calene Dougherty who stripped the ball.  With 9:15 left, Fuller got free in the box but a cross came just over her head.  In the last five minutes, NA continued to pressure the Titan defense with Fuller, Antimarino, Smith, and Murphy all have chances but no real scoring opportunities.  With time running out, Antimarino sent a soft header that Dobracki caught as time ran out.  The Lady Tigers took a 1-0 advantage to the intermission.  Shaler posted two corner kicks to one for NA in the opening half.

The Lady Tigers came out strong and dominated play for much of the second half but could not score again.  In the first 3:20, Gapczynski had a shot from 20 yards that went wide, and Fuller had two opportunities but could not convert.  At the 7:13 mark, Smith had a good opportunity from 15 yards, but Dobracki made a diving save to keep the game at 1-0.  Less than a minute later,  Gapczynski sent another long shot in from 35 yard out that was caught by the Shaler keeper.  At the 9:48 mark, Fuller sent a cross into the box that was headed wide by junior midfielder Chelsea Henderson.  A little over a minute later, the Titans countered when Hannah Derbis drove a hard shot from 18 yards away on the right side that Middleman caught on one hop.  At the 15:30 mark, Smith found Murphy open in front of the goal, but she could not get off a good shot.  At the 18:30 mark, Middleman made a diving stop of a Shaler pass to prevent a scoring chance and keep the one-goal lead.  Just past the midway point of the half, Antimarino sent in an attempt from the right side that was caught by Dobracki.  Derbis came back for the Titans with an drive again from the right side, but Middleman made an easy stop with 17:10 left.  Less than a minute later, Steeb had to make a good defensive play to stop a breakaway attempt by Brasile.  With 15:50 left, the Titans sent the ball into the NA penalty area, but the Tiger defense prevented a scoring attempt.  Over the next several minutes, the Lady Tigers controlled play in the Shaler end with junior midfielder Margaret Nikituk coming off the bench to help direct the offense.  With 15:50 left, Fuller took a pass from Smith but sent it over the goal.  With ten minutes remaining, Shaler sent players forward in an attempt to get the equalizer.  Angie Bagwell had a direct kick that was blocked by the NA defense.  The Lady Tigers countered with Fuller sending a hard attempt in from the right side that Dobracki dropped and then covered with 8:16 left.  Less than a minute later, Steeb sent another long ball into the box just over Murphy's head.  With 3:32 left, Gapczynski hit the football goal post from 25 yards away.  Down the stretch, the NA defense of Steeb, sophomore Christina Boada, and Dougherty were able to keep Shaler from any serious scoring attempts as the Lady Tigers captured the 1-0 victory.

It was another good team victory for the Lady Tigers.  Defense was the name of the game as neither team was able to record a corner kick in the second half.  For her efforts in stopping the Titan attack, the North Allegheny Sports Network named junior GK Rachel Middleman as the Player of the Game.  With the win, the NA section record improved to 6-2, the overall mark to 9-2 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will travel to Pine-Richland on Saturday for a key section contest with the Rams.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  SHALER - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NORTH HILLS FALLS TO LADY TIGERS, 2-0

The Lady Tigers traveled to Martorelli Stadium on Monday night and defeated the North Hills Indians, 2-0, in a key section matchup.  Senior Dawn Murphy and junior Taylor Gapczynski scored the NA goalies on assists from senior forward Molly Antimarino.  Junior Rachel Middleman posted the shutout as NA won fifth in the last six games.

North Hills threatened to take an early lead as Middleman had to make a save just 45 seconds into the contest.  Another NH shot at the 1:48 mark went wide left of the NA net.  At the 4:20 mark.  senior Brienne Schuliger tried to set up senior Alexis Smith, but Indian GK Jessica Spiker was able to pull the ball out of the air.  Four minutes later, Middleman had to make another save on a NH free kick.  Another Indian attempt was stopped by Middleman at the 10:02 mark.  Two minutes later, Smith tried to get the ball to a breaking Antimarino but the pass was too long..  At the 13:29 mark, Gapczynski rolled a shot that was stopped by the NH keeper.  Senior Kelly Gilmour also rolled an attempt toward the NH goal after taking a pass from Schuliger.  The Indians came back again with two chances to score the all-important first goal with Middleman forced to make a good save on the second attempt.  NA answered with a good scoring attempt on passes from Antimarino to Murphy and then to Gapczynski who shot directly to the NH keeper.  After a shot by junior Kylie Fuller went just wide to the left of the North Hills net, the Tigers scored to take the lead.  Antimarino sent a cross into the box that Murphy headed into the net to make it a 1-0 NA advantage at the 22:20 mark of the half.  Thirty seconds later, Middleman had to make a save off a NH direct kick as the Indians tried for the equalizer.  With 15:33 left, Murphy had a chance with a hard shot that Spiker bobbled then covered.  A minute and a half later, a free kick by junior defender Larissa Steeb went just wide of the NH goal.  With 11:27 remaining, the Lady Tigers earned their first corner kick of the game but could not convert.  With 10:56 remaining, Steeb set up Fuller but her shot went wide.  With just over five minutes left in the half, Antimarino came close but her shot went wide right.  With 4:19 left, the Lady Tigers scored again.  Gapczynski took a pass from Antimarino and blasted the ball past the NH keeper to give NA a 2-0 lead.  With 25 seconds left, Smith tried to set up Fuller but her pass was just too far.  The Lady Tigers took a 2-0 advantage to the intermission.

The Lady Tigers took control early in the second half keeping possession of the ball for the first three minutes.  At the 3:04 mark, Gapczynski shot just wide right of the NH net.  Two minutes later, Steeb sent a cross to Smith who was stopped by NH goalkeeper Spiker.  At the 6:10 mark, Murphy set up Fuller who drove a shot directly to the Indian keeper.  At the 10:00 mark, freshman Melina Mermigas came into the game on defense.  Less than two minutes later, the Indians had two chances when a corner kick was cleared by the Lady Tigers, but brought back in and shot wide by North Hills.  At the 13:44 mark, freshman Calene Dougherty sent a cross to Murphy that was headed just wide of the NH goal.  Two minutes later, Smith had a chance after a pass from Gapczynski but shot over the goal.  Just before the midway point of the second half, Coach Chet Gapczynski sent in freshman forwards Katie Hohmann, Leah Langhans, and Brianna Layman.  The Lady Tigers earned a corner kick with 19:36 left, but the cross by Gapczynski rolled over the end line.  With 16:18 remaining, Steeb sent a long free kick to Gapcyznski who was stopped by the NH keeper.  The Indians had a breakaway chance with 15:20 left, but the NA defense of Steeb, Mermigas and Dougherty broke up the play.  Sophomore Christina Boada re-entered the game at midfield to help play in the middle.  With 10:17left, Dougherty and Antimarino tried a give-and-go but the NH defense was able to stop the scoring attempt.  With 8:16 left, junior Chelsea Henderson sent a long shot toward the NH goal that was pulled out of the air by Spiker.   Smith had a chance a minute later but her shot rolled right to the keeper.  Fuller then took a pass from Smith and just missed the net.  Smith followed with another scoring chance but was stopped by the NH goalkeeper.  The Indians had one last chance to get on the board, but Middleman punched the ball away off an Indian free kick to preserve the shutout.  The Tigers came home with a key 2-0 victory.

With the win, the NA section record improved to 5-2, the overall mark to 8-2 on the season.  The Lady Tigers will host Shaler tomorrow night as second half play begins.  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 remained unbeaten with a 2-0 victory over North Hills.  Second half goals by Katie Hohmann and Emily Johns secured the win for NA.

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

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  NORTH HILLS - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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2008 WPIAL GIRLS' SOCCER

The Lady Tigers will compete again in the WPIAL Class AAA along with 52 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 following method: Three points for a win, one point for a tie.  Teams that tie for first place will not have the tie broken and each will be declared champions and will receive a section winner's plaque.  Those teams will enter the tournament, and if the teams tied for first place total three or more no other teams will be entered into the tournament.  If only two teams are tied for first place, 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 won/loss record in head-to-head competition among the tied teams only 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 (2) "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 -- the four semifinalists will advance to the PIAA tournament.

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

2008 GIRLS' SOCCER ALIGNMENT - 53 TEAMS

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