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TIGER ALL-STARS

Photos Courtesy of Steph Anderson

FOUR TIGERS NAMED TO 2008 AAA SOUTHWEST CONFERENCE
ALL-STAR TEAM

Four Tigers were selected to play for the 2008 Class AAA Southwest Conference All-Star team.  Earning all-star honors were senior forward Josh Herbert, junior forward Dylan Rohar, senior defenseman Tyson Stupy, and senior goalie Max Richards.

CONGRATULATIONS TO JOSH, DYLAN, TYSON, AND MAX!!!!

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MEADVILLE POWER PLAYS END TIGERS' SEASON, 4-1

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

Meadville scored three power play goals in the second period on their way to a 4-1 victory over the Tigers at Bladerunners in Warrendale in the quarterfinals of the PIHL Class AAA Penguin Cup playoffs on Thursday night.  Senior Josh Herbert finally got the Tigers on the board with a power play goal with 3:30 remaining in the game.

Meadville opened the game aggressively and had several chances early.  Just 49 seconds into the game, senior goalie Max Richards had to make a save on a pass by Nickerson in front of the NA goal.  Junior forward Dylan Rohar came back with a good chance at the 2:20 mark, but his shot went wide of the Meadville net.  Nickerson and Drew Finton both had  good opportunities for the Bulldogs with 10:50 remaining, but Richards made the saves.  A minute later, senior defenseman Tyson Stupy drilled a hard slapshot just wide of the net as the game remained scoreless.  The Tigers had a good opportunity when Herbert set up Rohar with 8:47 remaining, but Meadville goalie Bryan Danczak made a tough save.  After junior Brady Waldschmidt forced Danczak to make another save, Meadville attacked with three attempts in front of the NA goal, but Richards was there to stop Finton and Nick Fedorka.  With 2:20 left, Danczak stopped Waldschmidt from right in front of the Bulldog goal.  The Tigers had a chance for the lead near the end of the period when Meadville took successive penalties.  Waldschmidt again had a chance during the power play but time ran out as the teams went to the first intermission scoreless.

The Meadville penalties carried over into the second period, but NA was unable to convert.  The best chance came on a scramble in front of the Bulldog goal with the puck just sliding wide of the cage.  At the 1:54 mark of the period, Waldschmidt skated in from the left side but was stopped again by Danczak.  Freshman defenseman Andrew Black blasted a hard shot from the right point with 11:15 remaining, but his shot went wide of the net.  Meadville finally broke through when senior captain Jake Williams was sent off for holding with 10:17 left.  Nickerson set up Finton to the right of Richards and the Meadville sophomore one timed it into the net to give Meadville the all-important first goal.  With 8:31 left in the period, Herbert was called for tripping.  Early in the power play, Richards was forced to make several big saves, including one against Finton.  Nickerson then scored a controversial goal to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead.  The all-time leading scorer for Meadville skated in from the right side, but Richards made the initial save.  Nickerson slid into Richards forcing the puck loose and into the net with7:19 left in the period.  Despite an NA protest, the goal was allowed.  The Tigers had a chance on a power play when Doug Torok was whistled off for interference with 5:25 remaining.  The best NA chance came on a backhander from Waldschmidt, but again Danczak was there to make the save.  With 2:39 left, Patrick Moynihan was sent to the box for holding.  Once again, the Bulldogs made NA pay as defenseman Aaron Nye drilled a slapshot past Richards for the third Meadville power play goal of the period.  Fedorka had another chance with 55 seconds left, but Richards made another tough save.  Meadville took a commanding 3-0 lead into the third period.

The Tigers had a chance early in the period when Zach Allegretti was called for slashing.  Meadville did a good job of killing the penalty as NA could not get any good scoring opportunities.  The Bulldogs then began to back off into a more defensive posture, clearing pucks and driving them deep into NA territory.  Late in the period, Meadville was called for two penalties giving the Tigers a two-man advantage for 1:45.  This time, NA converted.  After Rohar was robbed by Danczak, the Tigers junior set up Herbert who drilled home the goal to cut the lead to 3-1 with 3:30 still left and a one-man advantage remaining on the power play.  With 2:44 left, the Tigers did push the puck into the goal after a scramble in front of the net, but the goal was waived off by the officials who said the whistle had stopped play.  Stupy had another good chance but his hard shot was stopped by Danczak.  The Bulldogs successfully killed off the remaining penalty time.  As time was running out, NA Head Coach Jim Black pulled Richards in favor of another attacker.  Unfortunately for the Tigers, the puck came out of the attacking zone where Nickerson picked it up  and scored his second goal of the game into the empty net.  It was not to be the Tigers' night as Meadville skated off with the 4-1 victory.

It was a great effort by the Tigers but they came up short against a very physical Meadville team.  NA had chances, but Meadville senior goalie Bryan Danczak was able to make the key saves.  For his efforts in the NA net that kept the Tigers in the game for most of the evening, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Max Richards as the NA Player of the Game.

With the loss, the Tiger season finished with a final PIHL record of 18-4-0 and the Section 4 championship.  Meadville advanced to the semifinals and will face #1 seed Pine-Richland at Mellon Arena on Monday night at 5:00 pm.

Photo Gallery

CONGRATULATIONS TO COACH BLACK AND THE TIGERS FOR A GREAT SEASON!!!

GAME SUMMARY
MEADVILLE - 4  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

PIHL PENGUIN CUP PLAYOFFS
CLASS AAA SCHEDULE

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TIGERS TROUNCE PENN-TRAFFORD, 8-1, IN
FIRST ROUND OF PIHL PLAYOFFS

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

The Tigers surrendered an early power play goal to Penn-Trafford but answered with eight straight goals to easily defeat the Warriors, 8-1, in the first round of the PIHL Playoffs at Bladerunners in Warrendale on Tuesday night.  Senior forward Josh Herbert scored the three-goal hat trick while junior forward Brady Waldschmidt added a pair of goals and two assists for the winning Tigers.

Penn-Trafford took advantage of an early power play when junior Dylan Rohar was sent off for tripping at the 1:08 mark.  Eric Likar scored on a rebound to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead just 2:32 into the contest.  It took only 26 seconds for the Tigers to answer as freshman Andrew Black scored on a blistering slap shot from just inside the blue line to tie the game at 1-1.  Waldschmidt gave NA the lead for good with 9:59 remaining on an assist from junior Donny Lewis as the Tigers took a 2-1 lead.  An apparent NA goal was waived off a little over a minute later.  Lewis came back with two good opportunities with 7:30 remaining with one shot blocked and the second stopped by P-T goalie Josh Fischer.  Herbert had another good chance from the right side with 6:41 left in the period, but Fischer again made the stop.  Waldschmidt tallied his second goal of the game as he beat Fischer with a high shot into the left corner on a pass from Lewis to make it a 3-1 game with 4:05 left.  Herbert drew a hooking call with 3:57 remaining,, but NA senior goalie Max Richards and the Tiger defense kept the Warriors off the board.  Dan Hrovath had the best chance but could not beat Richards.  NA kept the pressure on for the remaining time in the period with senior defenseman Tyson Stupy and Herbert getting good chances, but P-T was able to get out of the period trailing by just the 3-1 score.

In the second period, the Tigers dominated play, keeping the puck in the Penn-Trafford defensive zone for most of the period.  Michael White was called for interference early in the period, but P-T had the best scoring chance as Richards was able to stop Chase Keibler's shorthanded attempt at the 2:18 mark.  Later in the period, Keibler was sent off for interference with 6:34 remaining.  NA had several good opportunities, but Fischer stopped Rohar's shot from in front of the net and made a diving save to keep Lewis from scoring.  Hrovath came back for the Warriors later in the period but Richards again made the save with 2:17 left.  After spending the entire period keeping P-T in the game, Fischer allowed two Tiger goals in the last minute.  Rohar broke in along the left side and set up Herbert who beat Fischer from the left circle to make it a 4-1 game with 59 seconds remaining.  With just 20 seconds left, senior captain and defenseman Jake Williams lifted a shot over Fischer from the right wing circle to give the Tigers a commanding 5-1 advantage after two periods of play.

The Tigers did not sit back in the third period and continued to pressure the Penn-Trafford goal.  Waldschmidt had two good chances at the 4:30 mark but was denied by Fischer.  A little over two minutes later, Williams sent Herbert in on a breakaway and the Tiger senior again beat Fischer high over the right shoulder as the NA lead went to 6-1 with 9:21 left.  Junior Brett Schindler came close with a pair of attempts around the 8:32 mark but had one shot blocked and sent a second wide of the goal.  With 6:58 remaining, Herbert and Rohar put together a clever two-man play with Herbert converting a final pass from Rohar for his third goal of the game as the Tigers increased the margin to 7-1.  Schindler was able to poke in a rebound of a shot by Waldschmidt with 6:09 left to increase the margin to 8-1 and invoke the mercy rule.  After Waldschmidt drew a tripping call with 5:37 remaining, Rohar came close on a shorthanded attempt but Fischer was able to make the stop.  With the clock running, the final minutes ran out with the Tigers completing the 8-1 victory.

It was a good first-round victory for the Tigers against a team that they had defeated by only a 2-0 margin earlier in the year.  For his efforts in leading the offensive explosion, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Josh Herbert as the Player of the Game for his hat trick.  The victory improved the NA overall PIHL record to 18-3-0 on the season as they continue play in the Penguin Cup playoffs.

With the win, NA advances to the quarterfinals against section rival Meadville.  The game will be played tomorrow night at Bladerunners in Warrendale with game time now set for 8:30 pm.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 8:15 pm.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 8  PENN-TRAFFORD - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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LEWIS' LATE GOAL STOPS SENECA VALLEY, 3-2

Junior Donny Lewis scored with 20 seconds remaining to break a 2-2 tie and give the Tigers a 3-2 victory over Seneca Valley at Bladerunners in Warrendale on Tuesday night.  Junior Dylan Rohar and senior Josh Herbert scored goals for the winning Tigers.

After Seneca Valley opened a 1-0 lead early, Rohar came back to tie the game at 1-1 after one period.  In the second period, the Raiders took a 2-1 lead, but Herbert answered to to tie the game at 2-2 going into the final period.  Lewis' goal as time was running out gave the Tigers their second victory over the Raiders this season.

The win completed the NA regular season with a final record of 17-3-0 and the section championship.  Seneca Valley finished with a 15-4-1 record and second place.  The PIHL playoffs will begin next week.  We will post the playoff information as soon as it is available.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  SENECA VALLEY - 2

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TIGERS PICK PLUM 5-2, ON SENIOR NIGHT

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

The Tigers opened a 4-0 lead after two periods and held off a late Plum rally to defeat the Mustangs, 5-2, on Senior Night on Tuesday night at Bladerunners in Warrendale.  Junior Donny Lewis scored twice to pace NA while senior defenseman Jake Williams added a goal and an assist.  Junior Dylan Rohar and senior Joe Snatchko also scored for NA with senior defenseman Corey Sheran, senior forward Josh Herbert, and freshman forward Andrew Black picking up two assists each.

The Tigers had a chance to take an early lead when Cody Cenci was sent off for interference at the 3:21 mark.  The Tigers had a several scoring opportunities but shot wide.  With 9:00 left, Plum's Vince Somma had a scoring chance but was stopped by Tiger senior goalie Max Richards.  Junior Brady Waldschmidt stole the puck fifteen seconds later but could not beat Plum goalie Shane Leonzio.  The Tigers began to control play with just under eight minutes remaining in the period.  A pair of shots went wide at the 6:45 mark but the game remained scoreless.  After a shot by Benjamin Hanus went wide after a Plum faceoff win, the Tigers came back to score the game's first goal.  Lewis was able to deflect a shot by Sheran from the point into the net with 6:30 remaining to give NA a 1-0 advantage.  With Sheran in the box for interference at the 5:47 mark, Herbert came close to a shorthanded goal but shot over the net.  On the power play, Hanus had the best chance, but Richards was there to make the save.  With just under two minutes remaining, juniors Brett Schindler and Bo Schwab both had scoring chances but were stopped by Leonzio.  The period ended with the Tigers holding a 1-0 advantage.

The second period belonged to the Tigers.  Just 1:36 into the period, the Tigers scored off a scramble in front of  the net with Rohar picking up the goal with Herbert and Sheran assisting.  Eighteen seconds later, Black sent a hard shot from beyond the left circle that Lewis directed into the net for his second goal as NA opened a 3-0 lead.  With 11:40 remaining, Hanus skated coast-to-coast forcing Richards to make a good save, but also drawing a penalty on junior Matt Ogle.  It was the first of eight second-period penalties.  The NA defense and Richards held off the Mustang power play as the Tigers continued to lead 3-0.  With 6:00 minutes left in the period, sophomore Lindsay Holdcroft replaced Richards in the net.  One second later, Williams scored off the faceoff to give the Tigers a commanding 4-0 lead.  After Cenci was called for holding, Rohar had a good scoring chance but Leonzio was there to make the save with 4:40 remaining in the period.  With the teams playing four-on-four late in the period, Lewis had a chance at the hat trick but Leonzio again made the stop.  The teams went to the second intermission with the Tigers holding a 4-0 lead.

Early in the third period, Williams was called for tripping and junior Tyler Hagy for holding 31 seconds later.  With Plum on the two-man advantage, the Tiger defense and Holdcroft held off the long power play until just 20 seconds remained.  Anthony Sciulli was able to score from the right side to put the Mustangs on the board with 9:47 left in the game.  At the 8:19 mark, Somma scored again for Plum from the right circle to cut the NA lead to 4-2.  The Tiger defense then stepped up and controlled play.  Plum had two players called for penalties down the stretch.  Corey Laboon was called for interference with 4:35 remaining and Sciulli for slashing with 3:49 left.  The Mustangs killed off one penalty, but Snatchko was there to put in a rebound to give NA a power play goal and a 5-2 lead with just 2:52 left.  The Mustangs had one final opportunity but Holdcroft made the save against Hanus.  The Tigers came away with the 5-2 Senior Night victory.  NA outshot Plum, 35-15, on the night.  For his efforts, both offensively and defensively, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Jake Williams as the Player of the Game.

It was a key win for the Tigers as they improved the section record to 16-3-0 on the year.  Seneca Valley stands at 15-3-0 with a trip to Mt. Lebanon upcoming tomorrow night.  NA will meet Seneca Valley at Bladerunners in Warrendale next Tuesday night with the section title at stake.  Game time is scheduled for 7:50 pm.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5  PLUM - 2

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS MASTER McDOWELL, 3-1

The Tigers traveled to Tullio Arena in Erie on Thursday night to meet the McDowell Trojans in an important PIHL contest.  NA scored a goal in each period to bring home a 3-1 victory.  Junior Dylan Rohar, senior Josh Herbert, and junior Brady Waldschmidt all tallied for the winning Tigers while Mike Zdunski was able to put the Trojans on the board with a third period goal.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead with 3:27 remaining in the first period when Rohar scored with Herbert and senior defenseman Tyson Stupy picking up the assists.  It remained a one-goal game until the 9:26 mark of the second period when Herbert scored to make it 2-0.  The Tigers held the 2-0 advantage into the third period.

Midway through the final stanza, Waldschmidt scored with Stupy earning his second assist of the game to give the Tigers a 3-0 lead with 7:48 remaining.  Zdunski scored on a breakaway with 3:11 left to stop the shutout bid, but the Tigers went on to the 3-1 victory.  McDowell outshot NA, 21-14, on the game.

With the win, the Tigers improved their PIHL record to 15-3-0.  NA will host Plum at Bladerunners in Warrendale on Tuesday night.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 8:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 8:30 pm.

(Thanks to Barbara Richards for info in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  McDOWELL - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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HERBERT'S HAT TRICK NOT ENOUGH AS
BETHEL PARK BEATS TIGERS, 6-3

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

Senior forward Josh Herbert scored three straight goals on assists from junior forward Dylan Rohar in the second period to tie the game at 3-3.  Bethel Park came back the score the next three, however, to take a 6-3 victory at Bladerunners in Warrendale on Tuesday night.  The loss broke a 13-game NA winning streak.

The Tigers put pressure on early with senior forward Joe Snatchko getting two good opportunities at the 3:30 mark of the first period.  Later in the period, NA got a power play chance when Brian Davin was sent off for two minutes.  NA had three good attempts by Rohar, Snatchko and senior defenseman Jake Williams but could not beat Bethel goalie Ben Garcia.  Bethel Park answered minutes later when Brennan Kerr sent a long pass to Thomas Whetzel who went in on a breakaway to score the games first goal at the 5:18 mark of the period.  With 5:51 remaining, the Blackhawks' Chris Mandia was pulled down from behind on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot.  NA senior goalie Max Richards made an outstanding save to keep the game at 1-0.  Bethel added two more goals before the end of the period.  With 3:49 left, Mike Seifert found Mandia open in front of the net for goal number two.  With 2:18 remaining, Tyler Trocano put in a rebound to make it a 3-0 Blackhawk lead.  Bethel Park took the three-goal lead into the second period.

Early in the second period, junior Donny Lewis had a chance but Garcia made the save.  Less than a minute later, Matt Quigley stole the puck in the NA end, but Richards was there to stop his backhander.  NA's junior defenseman Tyler Hagy was called for holding with 10:34 remaining.  Quigley had the best chance on the power play, but Richards once again made the save.  The Tigers finally broke through with 5:12 left when Rohar and Herbert broke in on a two-on-one.  Herbert finished with his first goal to cut the Bethel lead to 3-1.  Seven seconds later, Williams was called for holding.  NA took advantage of the Bethel power play to score two shorthanded goals.  It was Rohar and Herbert again breaking in on Garcia.  After Rohar went wide on the left side, his pass was sent into the net for Herbert's second goal of the game to cut the lead to 3-2 with 4:09 remaining in the period.  Thirty-five seconds later, the NA duo again broke free with the same results as Rohar set up Herbert for his third goal and natural hat trick to tie the game at 3-3 with 3:34 on the clock.  Bethel Park answered quickly, however, when Zach Blake's shot was deflected into the NA goal by a Tiger in front of the net.  The Blackhawks took a 4-3 lead with 2:12 left.  Junior Bo Schwab took a roughing penalty with 40 seconds left, but Bethel did not score in the remaining time.  The Blackhawks went to the third period with a 4-3 advantage.

Bethel Park started the third period on the remainder of Schwab's penalty but did not score on the power play.  Just after the power play was over, however, Quigley skated in from the left side and beat Richards to give Bethel a 5-3 lead just 1:25 into the stanza.  The Blackhawks dropped back into a defensive shell after the goal and did not give the Tigers many scoring opportunities.  Stupy had a chance from the right point with 12:26 remaining but his hard shot went over the goal.  Midway through the period, Whetsel and Tyler Shipley broke in on a 2-on-1.  Shipley sent a pass from the right circle to Whetsel who tallied his second goal of the game to extend the Bethel Park lead to 6-3.  With 4:13 remaining, Quigley was sent off.  The Tigers had several chances but could not beat Garcia.  With 2:05 left, Schwab was given a charging penalty.  The Blackhawks were content to let the remaining time run out as they went on to the 6-3 victory.

It was a tough loss for the Tigers who had not lost since November 9, a 4-3 loss to Mt. Lebanon.  The second period comeback by the Tigers featured three goals in 1:38 to tie the game.  It was not to be NA's night, however, as Bethel Park was able to get the key goal to take the 4-3 lead into the final period.  For his efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Josh Herbert as the Player of the Game.

With the loss, the NA section record dropped to 14-3 on the season as the lead over second place Seneca Valley is now just two points.  The Tigers will travel to Erie next Thursday to meet McDowell in an 8:15 pm section contest.

GAME SUMMARY
BETHEL PARK - 6  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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ROHAR SCORES FOUR TO LEAD TIGERS OVER GATEWAY, 10-1

Photo Gallery

Junior Dylan Rohar scored four goals and junior Brady Waldschmidt added two more as the Tigers crushed Gateway, 10-1, at the Center Ice arena in Delmont on Friday night.  Senior Joe Snatchko recorded a goal and two assists, while junior Brett Schindler, freshman Ryan Worsena and junior Donny Lewis all scored as NA won their thirteenth straight game.

After Gateway scored a fluke goal just one minute into the game, the Tigers went on to score ten unanswered goals to win easily.  Snatchko tied the game at 1-1 at the 3:55 mark on assists from Rohar and senior Josh Herbert.  Schindler scored on an assist from Lewis to give NA a 2-1 advantage with 3:24 remaining in the period.  It was all NA after that.  Rohar's first goal with 2:29 remaining made it 3-1.  With just 1:23 left in the period, Waldschmidt scored his first goal to give the Tigers a 4-1 lead after one period.

The Tigers picked up where they left off early in the second period.  Waldschmidt's second goal, a power play tally, increased the lead to 5-1 at the 1:25 mark.  Rohar's second goal, also a power play marker, made it 6-1 just 20 seconds later.  Rohar completed the hat trick to make it 7-1 with 10:45 remaining.  With 4:04 left, Worsena scored on assists from senior Jake Williams and junior Patrick Moynihan as the score went to 8-1.  Lewis and Rohar added final goals in the period as the Tigers took a 10-1 lead into the final period.

There was no scoring in the third period as the Tigers coasted to the easy victory.  Senior goalie Max Richards had to face only eight shots making seven saves to earn the victory.  NA outshot the Gators, 40-8, on the night.

With the win, the Tigers improved their PIHL record to 14-2-0 on the year as they maintained the lead over second place Seneca Valley.  NA will host Bethel Park in a rematch of last year's championship game on Tuesday night at Bladerunners in Warrendale.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 8:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 8:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 10  GATEWAY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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HERBERT, RICHARDS LEAD TIGERS OVER MEADVILLE, 2-0

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

Senior Josh Herbert scored midway through the third period to break a 0-0 tie and added an empty net goal with 32 seconds remaining to lead the Tigers to a 2-0 victory over Meadville at Bladerunners in Warrendale on Tuesday night.  Senior goalie Max Richards was superb in net as he stopped all Bulldog scoring attempts to earn his fifth shutout of the season.

The Tigers came out strong and threatened to take control of the game early.  Junior Brady Waldschmidt skated through the Bulldog defense but hit the crossbar at the 3:15 mark.  Thirty seconds later, Herbert had a good chance from the right circle, but Bulldog All-Star goalie Bryan Danczak made the save.  Herbert had another great opportunity with 10:31 remaining but hit the right post.  Freshman Andrew Black was stopped by Danczak with 7:40 remaining.  The Bulldogs gained some momentum later in the period.  A slapshot by defenseman Aaron Nye was stopped by Richards with 5:32 left.  Junior forward Dylan Rohar came back and forced Danczak to make another good save at the 3:00 minute mark.  With 2:37 left, Richards had to make a big save on Nye's attempt from fifteen feet away.  In the final minute, the Bulldogs top line of Morgan Nickerson, Nick Fedorka and Drew Finton put pressure on the NA goal but again Richards was unbeatable.  The teams went to the first intermission in a scoreless tie.

The Bulldogs picked up where they left off early in the period, and Richards had to make another good stop of a slap shot by defenseman Brandon Magee just 31 seconds into the period.  At the 1:39 mark, NA's Bo Schwab was called for holding in what would be the only penalty of the game.  Richards stopped Nickerson from right in front of the net early in the power play.  With 30 seconds left on the man advantage, Nickerson broke in all alone but Richards made the save of the game to keep the scoreless tie.  The Tigers regrouped and Herbert had another chance but Danczak was there to stop the attempt with 7:48 remaining in the period.  Schwab's shot from the left circle was stopped by Danczak with 6:50 left.  Two minutes later, Rohar set up senior Joe Snatchko in front of the Bulldog net, but his attempt slid just wide of the goal.  In the last minute of play, Fedorka came back for the Bulldogs, but his shot from the left side was blocked aside by Richards.  The second period ended with the game still scoreless.

Both teams played more defensive hockey in the third period hoping to take advantage of a turnover to earn the all-important first goal.  Rohar had several chances to give the Tigers the lead.  Just 2:13 into the period, Rohar tried to come out from behind the net but Danczak kept the shot out of the corner of the net.  At the 9:23 mark, Danczak had to make another good save on Rohar.  The Tigers finally broke through at the 7:05 mark when Rohar again tried to tuck the puck home in the right corner.  After Danczak pushed the puck behind the goal, Herbert pulled it around to the opposite side and beat Danczak cleanly from right along the goal line.  The Tigers had taken the 1-0 lead with Rohar earning the assist.  With 5:25 left, Herbert had yet another great chance from right in front of the Bulldog goal, but Danczak made a spectacular save to keep Meadville in the game.  Less than a minute later, Richards was forced to make a diving stop in front of the NA goal to keep it a 1-0 game.  Down the stretch, Meadville kept the puck in the NA zone for much of the time, but the Tiger defense and Richards did not allow any good scoring chances.  With a minute left, Meadville coach Jamie Plunkett pulled Danczak for the extra attacker.  The Tigers cleared the zone with Herbert gaining the puck just inside the red line.  The Tiger senior made no mistake as he hit the open net to finish off any chance Meadville had.  The empty netter with 32 seconds remaining gave the Tigers a 2-0 victory.

It was a hard-fought close checking contest between two of the top teams in the PIHL.  As mentioned, only one penalty was called as both teams played hard but clean hockey throughout the game.  For his efforts on the scoreboard, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Josh Herbert as the Player of the Game.

With their twelfth consecutive win, the Tigers improved their PIHL record to 13-2 on the season.  NA will be back in action again on Friday, February 1, when they travel to Gateway for an 8:15 pm contest.

ALL-STAR UPDATE:

This weekend, two Tigers will play in the Annual PIHL All-Star game.  Junior forward Dylan Rohar and senior defenseman Tyson Stupy will be part of the Southwest Conference AAA All-Stars in the game that will be played at the Airport Ice Arena on Saturday at 5:00 pm.  Seniors Max Richards and Josh Herbert were also selected but have other hockey obligations over the weekend.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  MEADVILLE - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS SPLIT FINAL TWO GAMES AT
MEADVILLE TOURNAMENT

The Tigers started the day well in the Meadville Bulldog Invitational Tournament on Saturday at the Meadville Area Recreation Center as they defeated section rival McDowell, 4-3.  The Tigers scored a pair of goals in eight seconds to break a 2-2 tie and go on to the win.  Scoring for the Tigers were senior Joe Snatchko, junior Donny Lewis, junior Dylan Rohar, and junior Bo Schwab.  In the second game, the Tigers were edged by Ohio power St. Edwards, 2-1.  Freshman Ryan Worsena scored the NA goal and sophomore goalie Lindsay Holdcroft was tough in the net, but St. Edwards held on for the victory.

On Friday, the Tigers were crushed by the #1 ranked team in eastern Pennsylvania, 11-0.  Ryan Tyson had a hat trick for the Explorers while Ross Denczi and Kyle Zoldy added a pair of goals each.

The Tigers will return home to face Meadville in a key section contest on Tuesday night at Bladerunners in Warrendale.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 6:30 pm.

12TH ANNUAL MEADVILLE BULLDOG INVITATIONAL
Meadville Area Recreation Center
January 18-20, 2008

SCHEDULE

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THIRD PERIOD RALLY SPARKS TIGERS TO 6-3
VICTORY OVER HEMPFIELD

Trailing 3-2 after two periods, the Tigers scored four times in the final period as they defeated Hempfield, 6-3, at the Kirk Nevin Arena in Greensburg on Monday night.  Junior Donny Lewis, junior Dylan Rohar, senior Josh Herbert, and junior Brady Waldschmidt all tallied third period goals as NA won their eleventh straight game.  Herbert recorded three assists, Rohar two, and Black two for the winning Tigers.

After Hempfield took a 1-0 lead after one period on a power play goal with just 19 seconds remaining, the Spartans made it 2-0 early in the second period on another power play goal.  Freshman Andrew Black got the Tigers on the board on assists from Herbert and Rohar as NA cut the lead to 2-1 with 12:55 still left in the period.  With 1:55 remaining, sophomore defenseman Tyler Wright tied the score at 2-2 on an NA power play.  Hempfield answered with their third extra strength goal of the night with 23 seconds remaining as the Spartans took a 3-2 lead into the final period.

The Tigers tied the game on another power play goal with Lewis scoring on assists from junior defenseman Tyler Hagy and Waldschmidt with 8:40 left in the game.  Rohar put the Tigers ahead for good with a goal at the 4:10 mark with Herbert and Black picking up the helpers. Herbert scored a shorthanded goal with 2:50 left to push the margin to 5-3.  Waldschmidt added an empty net goal at the 1:03 mark as the Tigers capped off the comeback with the 6-3 victory.  Sophomore Lindsay Holdcroft stopped 11 of 14 shots to earn the victory as NA outshot the Spartans, 28-14.

It was a good win for the Tigers who were playing without four players missing from injury or sickness.  With the victory, the Tigers improved their PIHL section record to 12-2-0 on the season as they maintained first place in Section 4.  NA will host section rival Meadville next Tuesday night at Bladerunners in Warrendale.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 6:30 pm.

(Thanks again to Barbara Richards for information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 6  HEMPFIELD - 3

INDIVIDUAL SCORING (NA only)

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RICHARDS BLANKS PENN-TRAFFORD, 2-0, AS
TIGERS WIN TENTH STRAIGHT

Senior goalie Max Richards stopped all 23 Penn-Trafford shots as the Tigers downed the Warriors, 2-0, at the Center Ice Arena in Delmont on Thursday night.  Senior Josh Herbert and freshman Andrew Black scored second period goals to pace NA to their tenth straight victory.

After a scoreless first period, Herbert got the Tigers on the board with 4:35 remaining in the second with junior Dylan Rohar earning the assist.  With the Tigers up 1-0, Black scored a power play goal on assists from Herbert and Rohar with 2:36 remaining.  NA took a 2-0 lead into the final period. 

In the third period, Richards and the NA defense took over and held the Warriors off the board for the remaining time.  Penn-Trafford had a slim 23-22 edge in shots on goal.  NA had to kill off eight minutes in penalties in the third period.

With the win, the Tigers improved their PIHL section record to 11-2 as they maintained first place in Section 4.  The Tigers will travel to Kirk Nevin Arena in Greensburg on Monday night to meet the Hempfield Spartans in a PIHL contest with game time set for 7:30 pm.

(Thanks again to Barbara Richards for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  PENN-TRAFFORD - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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ROHAR'S GOAL IN OVERTIME BEATS UPPER ST. CLAIR, 3-2

Photo Gallery

The Tigers rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Upper St. Clair, 3-2, in overtime at Bladerunners in Warrendale on Tuesday night.  Junior Dylan Rohar got the game winner with 2:34 remaining in OT with freshman Andrew Black and senior Josh Herbert assisting.   Rohar and Brady Waldschmidt scored third period goals to send the game into the extra period.

The Panthers took a 1-0 lead after one period on a goal by Barrett Kaib just 1:48 into the game.  In the second period, USC extended the margin to 2-0 as James Kline scored with 9:04 remaining.  The Panthers held the 2-0 lead going into the final period.

The Tigers rallied as Rohar cut the lead to 2-1 with a goal midway through the period with Black assisting.  With just 2:19 remaining in regulation time, Waldschmidt tied the game with junior defenseman Tyler Hagy earning the assist.  Neither team scored again as the game went into overtime.  Rohar's goal ended the Panthers' hopes as the Tigers captured the 3-2 comeback victory.  The Tigers were outshot, 24-23, but senior goalie Max Richards made 22 saves to record the victory.

The win was the ninth straight for the Tigers in PIHL play and improved their league mark to 10-2 as they remained a game ahead of Seneca Valley in the Section 4 standings.  NA will travel to Penn-Trafford tomorrow night for a 6:30 pm contest.

(Thanks again to Barbara Richards for information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  UPPER ST. CLAIR - 2

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS BLANK BALDWIN, 3-0, FOR
EIGHTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

Senior Max Richards stopped all 17 Baldwin shots, and the Tigers got goals from juniors Dylan Rohar and Donny Lewis and senior Tyson Stupy as they defeated the Highlanders, 3-0, at the Ice Castle in Castle Shannon on Thursday night.  Sophomore defenseman Tyler Wright assisted on two NA goals.  All the scoring came in the second period as the Tigers outshot Baldwin, 34-17, in the game.

After a scoreless first period, Lewis got the Tigers on the board early in the second period on assists from Rohar and Wright.  The goal came just 1:26 into the period as NA took a 1-0 lead.  Roar followed a minute and a half later on assists from Wright and Stupy to increase the lead to 2-0.  Late in the period, Stupy scored with junior Brett Schindler and sophomore Matt Ogle assisting.  The Tigers took a 3-0 advantage into the final period.

It was a physical contest with 19 penalties being called, ten against Baldwin.  The game was marred when Rohar was injured by a stick to the back of the head with just 27 seconds left.  Rohar was taken to the hospital, but we have not received any final word on his injuries.  He was awake and moving his arms and legs when he left.

With the win, the Tigers improved their PIHL record to 9-2-0, as them maintained their lead in Section 4.  NA will host Upper St. Clair on Tuesday night at Bladerunners in Warrendale with game time scheduled for 6:30 pm.

NOTE:  Update on Dylan Rohar:  No breaks or tears!! He will return!

(Thanks again to Barbara Richards for information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  BALDWIN - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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PIHL ALIGNMENT - 2007-08
CLASS AAA - 22 TEAMS

The Tigers will compete again in the PIHL in Class AAA along with 21 other teams.  NA has been place in Section 4-AAA for the upcoming season.

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