Welcome to the
NORTH ALLEGHENY SPORTS NETWORK

The Official Source of North Allegheny Sports

 Photo Courtesy of NA Tigers LAX Website

LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT AS MANHEIM TOWNSHIP EDGES TIGERS, 9-8

Photo Gallery

by Ron Zrebiec

The Tigers rallied in the fourth quarter but could not catch Manheim Township in a 9-8 loss in the PIAA First Round at Shippensburg University on Tuesday night.  NA got two goals each from senior attack players Grady Wirth and Scott Relic, along with two more from sophomore Ryan Worsena to pace the offense.  Wirth recorded three assists in his final game for NA.

Shippensburg University was chosen as the site of the first round match up between Manheim Township Blue Streak and the North Allegheny Tigers. The trip over the mountains was foggy but uneventful as the boys departed at 11 AM and made the trip in the ever present rain. It looked like the game would be played in the same soaking environment but the showers turned top a fine mist about a half hour before the start of the contest and it stayed that way till the final wrap up.

The Tigers took a few minutes to collect their thought before they
decided to start the game. However, the Blue Streak came to play from the tweet of the whistle. Dan Wertz rang the bell first on a solo tally just 38 seconds into the contest. 30 seconds later, Quint Miller notched another when he took a feeder from Ryan Ridinger and found pay dirt, putting Manheim up by a pair. Grady Wirth slowed their progress when he took a feeder from Scotty Relic and slammed it into the back of the cage for the first man-up goal of the contest, narrowing the separation to one. However, Manheim continued their onslaught when they notched three unanswered goals in a three minute time span to stretch the Blue Streak lead to 4. Rob Wertz started it off on a feeder from Connor Dubois and was followed by solo tallies from Dan Wertz and Jake Weber. The Tigers finally stiffened their defense and started to play serious lacrosse. They ripped off 5 unanswered goals and stunned the slightly moist crowd
as they took the lead for the first time in the contest. Andrew Siess
got the rally cooking when he picked up a loose ball in traffic and
zipped it over his shoulder where it found its way to the back of the
cage for the NA tally. With just 27 seconds remaining in the stanza,
Ryan Worsena captured a Grady Wirth feeder and zipped it into the upper corner to close things out with the Tigers down by a pair.

However, the rally continued when Wirth fed an eye of the needle pass through heavy traffic and found Worsena who snapped a one timer into the cage. A few minutes later Vince Stypula and Zach Uhler teamed up for the come even tally when Stypula took the Uhler set up pass and notched a marker to knot thing up at 5 each. Relic capped off the rally with a solo addition and the tigers led for the first time in the contest. The teams both played decent defense for the next few minutes before Manheim's Jake Weber took a pass from Conner Dubois with just 15 ticks left in the half and lobbed it into he net, drawing the teams even at 6 as they went onto the locker rooms to plot strategy for the second
half.

The third period saw both teams settle down and play methodical defense for most of the stanza. The only noise in the period came near the end of the stanza when Mark Stratton took a helper form Dan Wertz and made it count, putting the Blue Streak ahead by one. The final quarter saw the teams exchange salvos with Manheim going first when Rob Wertz took a Quint Miller pass on a nifty play and ratcheted the Streak ahead by a pair. Worsena and Wirth teamed up again when Ryan took a fast moving low pass from Wirth just a few inches above the deck and banged it home to narrow the lead to one. Rob Wertz extended it back to two with just 1:08 remaining and things looked bleak for the Tigers before Wirthadded a goal with an assist from Uhler to give the Tigers a fighting chance. However, they were unable to capitalize in the final 51 seconds and the Tigers fell short by a goal of advancing in the play-offs.

Defenseman Lee Carrozza led the NA heavy hitters with 8 forced errors while John Maus and Randy Potter each contributed three. Net minder Chris Rullan managed to register 8 saves for the contest while seeing 30 shots at the cage. The Tigers struggled in the face off circle as the very large Blue Streak face off specialist Nick Sizemore dominated that segment of the game, allowing the Tigers to win only 5 of 19 attempts. The Tigers managed to score once in on three man up opportunities but yielded two goals when they were down a man on 4 occasions.

The team had a great ride this season. They won most contests, losing only 4 and 3 of the losses were by a single goal. The managed to avenge one of the losses to the top rated team in the WPIAL when they defeated Seneca Valley in the Bronze medal Game. They defeated WPIAL champion Mount Lebanon during the regular season and, for the first time in school history, managed to get into the state playoffs, just missing the opportunity to advance by a single goal. Congratulations Tigers on a fine season!

With that, we bid adieu to the names Bairhalter, Bernard, Cho, Conwell, Dean, Grese, Hood, Jeke, Kubacki, Moynihan, Potter, Relic, Rullan, Stypula, Uhler, Waldschmidt, Wirth and Zrebiec. We wish you all the best in your pursuit of life's opportunities. Fare well gentlemen

GAME SUMMARY
MANHEIM TOWNSHIP - 9  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 8

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

PIAA BOYS LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP

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

TIGERS GRAB PLAYOFF SPOT WITH 10-8 VICTORY OVER RIVAL SENECA VALLEY

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

by Ron Zrebiec

The Tigers built a 9-3 lead early in the fourth quarter and held off a late Seneca Valley rally to post a 10-8 victory in the WPIAL Division I third place game at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium on Friday afternoon.  Sophomore attack Ryan Worsena scored seven goals to pace NA with senior goalie Chris Rullan stopping 13 Raider shots in the victory.

Blue skies, warm and sunny seem to be the stage set for the final rounds of the play-offs. The Tigers needed to shake off the disappointment of the overtime loss on Wednesday and re-find their A game to take advantage of an opportunity to go to the state championship playoffs for the first time in school history. Seneca Valley managed to nip the Tigers by one in their previous meeting, handing them the only WPIAL loss of the regular season. Revenge for that defeat and the opportunity to continue the season provided the motivation for the Tigers to hold back nothing for tomorrow and leave it all on the field.

The Raiders struck first when Colin Donoghue found the back of the net for a solo tally just 4 minutes into the contest. A few minutes later, Worsena added a pair to nudge the Tigers ahead by one. The first was a solo effort and the second was notched on a nice feeder from behind the cage from Wirth. Seneca's Jake McAndrew took a pass from Jason Handerhan and hit pay dirt to close out the period and tie things up for the second time in the contest.

O'Donoghue rang the bell again to start the second when the Raiders won the face off and moved the ball up the field on a practiced play and took a perfect pass from Handerhan and put them up by one. Vince Stypula took a clearing pass and wiggled his way toward the net on the right side before pulling the trigger and zipping one past the Raider gate keeper knotting things up at 3 apiece. Worsena then went on mini scoring spree to close out the stanza, chipping in two solo tallies a few minutes apart to allow the Tigers to go into the intermission break up by a two.

Worsena continued his point notching streak when he hit fellow attack man Scotty Relic with a nifty feeder and Relic knew where to put it to add to the cause. Worsena then took things in hand when he notched three unanswered solo tallies, two in the third and the final to start off the fourth, to put some distance between the Tigers and the Raiders. The final Worsena tally was pure effort as he forced a take away from the Raider net minder bringing the ball up field, picked up a ground ball and took the shot for his seventh goal of the game on his eighth shot. The Tigers were roaring and up by 6 with only 8 1/2 minutes to go in the contest and it looked like they would cruise to victory. Either the Raiders woke up or the Tigers took a nap or a little of both when the Raiders ripped off three unanswered tallies. Handerhan added the first, followed by another from Tyler Bond and the final from Sean O'Rourke closing the Tiger lead to three. Grady Wirth maneuvered through all kinds of traffic before dipping his left shoulder and ripping one past the Raider net minder to stretch the Tiger lead to four with 2:49 left to play, essentially closing things out for the Raiders. However, no one told them and Handerhan added a pair of solo tallies to make things interesting, but the mountain was too big to climb and the teams went to the hand shake line with the Raiders done for the season and the Tigers thinking about the PIAA playoffs.

The Tigers put forth a great effort on D as well as on O. Net minder
Rullan managed to snag 13 of the 37 Raider shots while the gang managed to bang home 31 forced errors 0over the span of the contest. Lee Carrozza led the long sticks with 10 forced errors with fellow D-men Randy Potter and Clay Bunting added 3 each while middie David Lancia added three of his own. Alex Messoras notched a decent effort in the face off circle winning 8 of the 17 he attempted. Fellow middie Dean Jarret went to the circle four times and managed to win three giving the duo 11 out of 21 for the day. Penalties were few and far between and neither team was able to do any damage when they were in the driver's seat. The lads did improve one item, and rather dramatically, from the previous game as they cleared 20 of 25 attempts for the contest, shifting from a 51% success ratio all the way up to 80%. They also picked up 17 more ground balls than the Raiders, improving that stat from the three ball deficit the logged against the Indians on Wednesday. When all was said and done, they won because they did all the little things well and the score reflected they effort they extended. Congratulations Tigers on winning the Bronze Medal Game and your first trip to the State Playoffs. Enjoy the ride!

With the win, the Tigers advance to the PIAA tournament with the first round game scheduled for next Tuesday.  NA will travel to Shippensburg University to face District 3 Champion Manheim Township with game time scheduled for 6:00 pm.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 10  SENECA VALLEY - 8

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

SHADY SIDE EDGES TIGERS, 10-9, IN
OVERTIME IN WPIAL SEMIFINALS

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

by Ron Zrebiec

Shady Side Academy's Peter Deiseroth scored with 32 seconds left in overtime to give the Indians a 10-9 victory over the Tigers at Chartiers Valley High School Stadium on Wednesday.  Senior attack Grady Wirth, junior attack Ryan Worsena, senior midfield Zack Uhler, and senior attack Scott Relic scored two goals each to pace NA.

Blue skies are not too common in Western PA and there was not a cloud in the sky as the Tigers took the field hosting the Shadyside Indians at Chartiers Valley High School Stadium. The temperature hovered around 80 and there was just a hint of a breeze as the teams squared up for the face off at center field.

John Maus started things off right for the Tigers when he picked up a ball near the mid-field stripe and bobbed and weaved his way downfield before planting one behind the Indian tender for the first tally of the afternoon. Shadyside answered with two notches of their own just 25 seconds apart to put them up by one. Wirth managed to even the score when he took the pill and danced gingerly around the net and whistled one in to knot things up. However, the Indians found the twine with just 2 minutes to go in the quarter and closed out the stanza leading by one.

The Tigers roared into the second notching 4 quick tallies in less than
90 seconds, taking command of the contest. Worsena notched the first one when he fired once and picked up the rebound of the tenders crosse and fired a second salvo which did the damage. Uhler provided another solo addition when he bounced one in from 15 yards out.  Keeping the solo tally streak alive, Relic notched one of his own and then added another when Vince Stypula threaded a pass through traffic and placed it squarely in Relic's crosse and he one-timed it to put the Tigers up by three. However, with less then two minutes left in the half, the Indians added two solo scores of their own to close the gap and the Tigers retired to the locker room leading by only one.

The third period started off well...for Shadyside when they opened
things up with two goals and squeaked ahead by one. Wirth notched his second of the contest when he took a feeder from Worsena and tied things up for the firth time in the contest and the stanza closed out with the score balanced at 7 each. The Tigers played catch up the rest of the way but were not able to climb on top. Shadyside started it off just a minute in and held the lead for 5 minutes before Worsena evened things up for the sixth time on a solo effort with about 6 minutes left in the game. Shadyside banged home one of their own before Uhler bobbed and weaved his way in and found pay dirt, making things nine all with 4:29 left to go. The teams exchanged a few runs up the field and the
fans on both sides held their collective breath more than once but the clocked ticked down to zero and the scoreboard said 9-9 at the end of regulation.

After a brief meeting at midfield, the boys faced off and got the OT
stanza rolling. The Tigers managed only one shot when Chris Rullan ran the ball the entire length of the field and pulled the trigger, sending the ball over the cross bar. The Indians pulled the trigger three times and the bell rang loudly on the third effort, closing out the Tiger's chances for a shot at the title this season.

Long sticks Tucker Zrebiec, Clay Bunting and Lee Carrozza each notched 3 forced errors to lead the Tiger effort. Fellow defenseman Randy Potter and goal tender Rullan each added a pair of their own to join in the fray. Rullan managed 16 saves for the contest, easily his greatest total for the season. Alex Messoras managed to win 9 of 20 face offs, allowing the Tigers reasonable possession numbers. However the team struggled to clear the ball over the mid-field stripe picking up only 16 of 31 attempts, clearly their least successful percentage of the season. Penalties were few and the Tigers did manage one man-up goal on 4 attempts for a minor bright spot.

The loss dropped the overall NA record to 17-3 on the season.  The Tigers still have a chance to go the state play-offs when they play
in the Bronze medal game against rival on Friday at North Hill High School at 3:00 pm. The two WPIAL finalists and the winner of the Bronze medal game are all invited to this season's final tournament beginning next Tuesday.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the consolation game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 2:45 pm.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
SHADY SIDE ACADEMY - 10  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

WPIAL DIVISION I PLAYOFFS

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

TIGERS CONTROL BETHEL PARK, 11-6, IN
WPIAL QUARTERFINALS

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

by Ron Zrebiec

The Tigers took the lead early on their way to an 11-6 victory over Bethel Park in the quarterfinals of the WPIAL Division I playoffs at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  With the NA defense holding down the Black Hawks, sophomore Ryan Worsena scored five goals and added two assist to pace NA.  Senior attack Grady Wirth and sophomore attack Dan Wiese scored three goals each for the winning Tigers.

The Pens playoff game 7 against the Washington Capitals was a bit of
competition for the Bethel Park - North Allegheny first round playoff
game, but the crowd on 350 was drawn to Newman stadium for the quarterfinal contest. The wind was brisk but the temperature hovered in the pleasant low 60s as the rains threatened but held off for the duration of the event.

Bethel Park drew first blood as Brian Meenan notched the first tally
about half way through the first. Just two minutes later, Wirth
picked up a ground ball behind the net and circled to the front and
drove a one-hopper past the Black Hawk net minder to break the ice for the Tigers. Wirth added another just 13 seconds later as Alex Mesoras won the face off and John Maus picked up the loose ball and passed it to Worsena who placed it in a perfect spot for Wirth to one-time it for his second of the contest. Worsena added a solo tally of his own when he picked up the ball on the left side and walked in uncontested, ripping the ball high in the corner, moving the counter up another notch. Bethel added another as Mike McCormick chipped one in and the Tigers closed out the stanza leading by one.

Worsena added his second on a solo effort when he had his first shot
rejected by the net minder but he picked up the rebound and zipped it into the twine to increase the Tiger lead to 2.  Wiese added another when he took a precision feed from Zack Uhler stationed behind the cage and one timed it into the cage, further stretching the lead. Worsena collected another when he took a feeder from outside the box and danced his way to the net, patiently finding the upper corner to complete the hat trick in the first half. The Black Hawks closed out the scoring when Mike McCormick added his second of the game and the boys retired to the locker room leading by a  6 - 3 score.

Dan Wiese opened the scoring in the second half when he took a clearing pass from Chris Rullan near mid-field and charged up the middle and launched a rocket from 8 yards out to add another to the board. Two minutes later, Worsena one timed a feeder from Wirth who was camped behind the cage, stretching the lead to 5. Bethel closed out the period when a misplay by NA caught our net minder behind the cage and Zach Nichols picked up an uncontested ground ball just a few yards in front of the cage and put one in the empty net, closing the gap to 4.

Wirth became the second Tiger to notch the hat trick when the Tigers ran the ball around the perimeter while man up and Worsena found Wirth positioned next to the left post and Grady buried it to stretch the lead back to 5. Worsena added his fifth of the contest when Uhler danced back and forth behind the cake and brought it forward and unselfishly found Ryan in the slot and he one timed it past the Hawk gate keeper, putting the Tigers up 10-4. Wiese became the third Tiger of the evening to grab a hat trick when Wirth fed one up from behind the cage and Wiese tapped it in for the tally with just two minutes left in the contest. Bethel added a pair to close things out but the Tigers advance to the semi-finals, defeating the Hawks 11-6.

Goaltender Chris Rullan saw the ball very well, snagging 14 saves for the contest. Team defense was outstanding as the long sticks kept the Hawks outside of the shooting crescent most of the time. Lee Carrozza returned to action and led all defensemen notching 7 forced errors. Fellow long stick Randy Potter added 4 while long stick middie Tucker Zrebiec joined mid-fielder Vince Stypula and net minder Chris Rullan with 3 forced errors each. Alex Mesoras managed 7 face off wins on 11 attempts in the first half and finished 9 of 17 for the contest.

With the win, the Tigers advance to the WPIAL semifinals against Shady Side Academy next Wednesday at Chartiers Valley High School.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 4:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 5:00 pm.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 11  BETHEL PARK - 6

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

 * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS RALLY TO DOWN BETHEL PARK, 11-9

Trailing 9-8 late in the fourth quarter, the Tigers rallied to score three goals to defeat Bethel Park, 11-9, at Newman Stadium on Senior Night on Friday.  Senior midfield Zack Uhler led NA with four goals while sophomore attack Ryan Worsena recorded a pair of goals and three assists.  Senior attack men Grady Wirth and Scott Relic also scored two goals each for the winning Tigers.

The rains early in the day gave way to "just cloudy" as fans gathered to honor the graduating seniors just prior to the Bethel Park contest at Newman Stadium. While it threatened to sprinkle on the gathering early on, the weather gods felt they had done enough damage on Wednesday and decided to give the attendees a break this evening. The environment was cool with just a hint of a breeze as the graduating seniors were presented just prior to the game. They are:

44 Blaine Bairhalter Midfielder
37 Doug Bernard Midfielder
24 Felix Cho Midfielder
12 Kevin Conwell Midfielder
18 Tony Grese Midfielder
29 Zach Hood Midfielder
3 Bill Jeke Midfielder
27 Drew Kubacki Midfielder
33 Patrick Moynihan Midfielder
42 Randy Potter Defenseman
46 Scott Relic Attack
7 Chris Rullan Goaltender
23 Vince Stypula Midfielder
32 Zach Uhler Midfielder
25 Brady Waldschmidt Midfielder
8 Grady Wirth Attack
45 Tucker Zrebiec Defenseman/Long Stick Middie

The contest started off in the Blackhawks favor as they took a 2 - 0 lead on a pair of man-up goals by Greg Caplan.  Wirth put a dent in the lead when he chipped one in on a feed from Scott Relic stationed behind the net. However, Caplan notched a solo tally for the natural hat trick to close out the stanza with the Hawks up 3 - 1.

NA started to shake off the cob webs in the second when Andrew Siess took a pass from Worsena stationed behind the cage and whipped it over the goalies shoulder to narrow the gap. A few minutes later, Relic took a feeder from Worsena and launched a rocket from 10 yards out to tie things up at 3. Bethel came back to tally another pair as Ryan Cox added one and Bruhlic added another to put the Hawks back in the drivers seat. With just under 30 seconds left in the half, Alex Messoras won the face off and fast broke the ball up the field, hitting Worsena who one timed it to Wirth who one timed it to Relic who one timed it into the twine for a tic-tic-tic-tic goal to close the gap to one at the half. Wirth got the assist as only one is ever awarded on a goal but both Messoras and Worsena each deserved one as their crisp and well positioned passing looked like a play out of the Syracuse playbook.

Uhler was on fire as the second half opened and he rifled one into the twine just 17 seconds into the quarter, tying things up for the second time in the contest. Bethel answered with a pair of solo tallies when Cox added his second and Bethel's #8 recovered a ball that careened off the pipes and whistled past the NA net minder to put the Hawks up by a pair. Uhler took it personally and notched the next two. The first was added on a precision pass from Worsena stationed behind the net. A few minutes later, Randy Potter collected a loose ground ball at mid field and hit Uhler in stride and Zach ran it down the right side and zipped it past the Bethel gate keeper to tie it up for the third time in the contest as the boys closed out the third chapter with the score knotted at 7.

The Hawks were first to hit pay dirt when Bruhlic took a pass from Cox and found the back of the net to put Bethel up by one. Worsena added a solo tally to tie things up for the fourth time when he took the ball and completely circled around the net before he dribbled a slow grounder past the Blackhawk goalie, completely taking him by surprise with the off speed attack. Bethel added a solo addition with just 4:18 left in the game when Bruhlic bounced one in but Uhler picked up a loose ball at the 35 and ran it down the right side before bouncing one of his own into the back of the net to knot things up for the fifth time in the contest. When Bethel sent a man to the box for a push with possession foul, Wirth made them pay for their evil ways when he took a pass for Vince Stypula stationed 10 yards in front of the net and pushed it past the net minder and the post on the right side for the NA tally, putting the Tigers up for the first time in the contest. Ryan Worsena and his attack brethren managed to avoid the Hawk defenders for 25 seconds while being forced to stay in the box before the Tigers took a time out with 0:16 left to take the pressure off and let the boys catch their breath. When Worsena took the ball in, he bobbed and weaved out side the box, drawing the goaltender out of the cage. When he saw the empty cage, Worsena dropped his shoulder and dipped under the defenders stick and opened a lane between him and the net. After about six steps, he pulled the trigger and landed the insurance goal they needed with just three ticks left on the clock to close out the contest with the Tigers up 11 - 9, giving the large crowd an exciting finish to a well played game by both teams.

Senior Chris Rullan notched 7 saves in the contest and the forced errors were well spread around with Casey Cisko picking up 4 and Rullan, Stypula, Clay Bunting and Drew Kubacki each adding 3. Messoras managed to win 12 of 20 attempts in the face-off circle, giving the Tigers a nice edge in the possession department.

The Tigers closed out the regular season with a 5 -1 record in the North Conference and a 16 - 2 overall performance. Their success earned them a first round home field advantage when they open up on Wednesday the 13th at Newman Stadium, taking on these same Bethel Park Blackhawks in the opening round.  Make it a point of being there as the Tigers pursue the very first WPIAL Boys Lacrosse Championship.   The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.
 

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 11 BETHEL PARK - 9

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

PINE-RICHLAND FALLS TO TIGERS, 12-6

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

by Ron Zrebiec

The Tigers wrapped up second place in Section 2 of Division 1with a 12-6 victory over Pine-Richland in the rain and fog at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  Sophomore attack Ryan Worsena led the way with four goals and two assists while three NA players --- senior midfield Zack Uhler, senior midfield Vince Stypula, and sophomore attack Dan Wiese --- recorded two goals each.

The great weather we hav had for most of the season went south tonight as the rains continued to fall throughout the evening soaking everything in sight. When that did not seem to be enough, the fog came in and made seeing the opposite side of the field a bit difficult and reading the yellow numbers in white jerseys almost impossible. The fans were there with their umbrellas and their spirits were not dampened by the weather.

The JV team managed to roll in the undercard, waxing the Rams 9-2 in the opener. The scoring was balanced as 9 players had either a goal or an assist in the contest and the defense held the Rams to 14 shots for the entire game.

The varsity started off a little slow allowing Pine Richland to take a 2-0 lead deep into the first stanza on a pair of goals by Stephen Juchno.  Stypula forced his way up the gut and whistled the ball toward the twine with a right handed overhand shot to narrow the gap to one. With just 7 seconds left in the quarter, Wirth nailed a touch and go pass from Worsena and the Tigers closed out a sluggish period knotted at two.

Worsena owned the second as he managed to collect a natural hat trick. The first goal almost seemed an impossible one as he managed to squeeze the ball between the goaltender and the pipes on the stick side in a hole that appeared to be smaller than the ball. The next one was almost as difficult as John Maus fired up a pass from the defensive zone that caught Worsena in full stride. He struggled to gain control of the ball while running at full speed and finally did just yards in front of the net where he buried it in the upper corner. His final tally of theperiod came on a nifty feeder from Wirth, allowing him to one time it past the Ram netminder.  Uhler closed out the half when he forced his way up the right side and zipped one over the tender's crosser to allow the Tigers to go to the dry locker room up by 4.

Pine Richland came out hot, adding a tally just 9 seconds in when the face off man, Connor Mincer, picked up the ball, ran it down the right side and found the twine. However, that was all they would get as the Tigers buckled down and controlled things for the rest of the stanza.  Uhler ripped one to the back of the net from 15 yards out and right in front. He then assisted Stypula with a nice feed, allowing Vince to collect his second of the contest. Worsena added a fourth as he fired a worm burner after collecting a fine feed from Maus who earned the assist on the play, closing out the stanza with the Tigers up 9 - 3.

The 6 goal advantage allowed coach Rullan to rest the starters and get many of the players some field time. Tony Grese took advantage of the opportunity as he fired a right hander past the Ram netminder with a helper from Wirth. Dan Wiese added another when Grese put the ballon his stick an Wiese but it behind the net minder from an almostimpossible angle on the left side of the net. Pine Richland added a pair to even out the stanza but Wiese added another on a touch and go feeder from Worsena and the Tigers were up by one for the quarter.  However, Pine Richland added another with just 25 seconds remaining to bring the Rams within 6 but the clock ticked down and the boys went to the handshake line with the Tigers in charge 12 -6.

Defenseman Clay Bunting had a monster night notching 11 forced errors for the contest while fellow long stick Tucker Zrebiec added another 6 forced errors of his own. Together, the two men accounted for half the Tigers forced errors for the contest. Net minder Chris Rullan saw the ball well snagging 12 saves for his 3 quarters of work while Dan Williamson managed to add a pair of saves in the final stanza.

The Tigers clinched a home game for the first round of the playoffs with the victory and improved their division record to 5 -1 and their overall record to 15-2. The Tigers close out the regular season on Friday with a Senior Night contest against Bethel Park. The JV game starts at 6:30 with the Seniors being honored at halftime of the JV game. The varsity game is scheduled for an 8 PM start.
 

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 12  PINE-RICHLAND - 6

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

TIGERS STOMP SHALER, 14-2, BEHIND
WIESE'S FOUR GOALS

by Ron Zrebiec

Attack Dan Wiese tallied four goals while senior attack Grady Wirth and sophomore attack Ryan Worsena added two goals and an assist as the Tigers cruised over Shaler, 14-2, at Shaler on Monday night.  Drew Kubacki also scored twice for the winning Tigers.

The lacrosse field at Shaler was situated in an idyllic setting in a
valley surrounded by blooming trees. The air was pleasant and the rains of the day had let up in time for the first face off to occur in sunshine.  Worsena got the Tigers roaring just 41 seconds into the contest when he took a feeder from Vince Stypula and zipped it past the Titan net minder to start the counter moving.  Kubacki notched the next pair of tallies, the first with a little help from Scotty Relic and the second on a solo effort. Shaler notched the next goal but the Tigers regrouped and saw Worsena add another with John Maus chipping in with an assist.  Wirth closed out the chapter on a man up solo tally and the Tigers led 5 - 1 after one.

Things quieted down a little in the second with Wiese and Wirth each adding an unassisted goal for the only tallies of the stanza. Dan Williamson came in at the start of the quarter, relieving starting senior net minder Chris Rullan after Chris notched a pair of saves in the first. The Tigers took a comfortable lead into the locker room, up by a half dozen.

The Tiger barrage resumed in the third with some new numbers doing some of the damage.  Maus got lit the lamp first on a solo effort. Senior midfielder Zack Uhler saw limited action in the contest but made his presence known when he took a pass from Wirth and buried it for the man up tally. Wiese added the hat trick for this period scoring 2 solo tallies and notching a third on a feeder from Dmitri Chiocchi. Chiocchi also notched a tally of his one with defenseman Patrick Spencer contributing an assist in the effort. The Tigers closed out the stanza up by an even dozen.

Things slowed a bit in the last quarter. Shaler added a score when Williamson made a nice save but slipped when doing so and the Titan attack man picked up a ground ball and lobbed it in for the score. Senior Felix Cho got the NA fans' attention when he took a pass and seemed to have a clear avenue to the net but the shot sailed a little and went over the crossbar, depriving him of a goal by just a few inched to the disappointment of the fans in the stands. As the clock ticked down, Bill Kelleher gathered in a pass from Chiocchi and zipped it past the Shaler tender for the final goal of the game. 

Senior tender Chris Rullan and Dan Williamson shared the duties in new with Williamson doing most of the chores and picking up 8 saves for the effort. Defenseman Clay Bunting led the team with 5 forced errors while senior longsticks Randy Potter and Tucker Zrebiec notched 4 and 3 respectively. Alex Messoras led all players picking up 7 ground balls and winning 8 of the 14 face offs he attempted. The Tigers were two for four on the man up advantage and killed off all three of the man down situations the faced.

The Tigers return to Newman Stadium tomorrow night to host Pine-Richland in the final section game.  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 - 14  SHALER - 2

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

TIGERS SPLIT PAIR OF GAMES IN BUFFALO

by Ron Zrebiec

The Tigers traveled to Buffalo, New York, on Saturday for a pair of non-section games against western New York opponents.  In the first game, sophomore attack Ryan Worsena scored four goals to lead NA to a 9-1 victory over St. Joseph's.  In game two on Saturday night, Bishop Timons proved to be a tougher opponent and downed the Tigers, 11-6, despite three goals and two assists by senior attack Grady Wirth.

With the exception on an unrelenting wind, he setting for the game was perfect. The sky was blue and the temperature was about 60 degrees.  The St Joes Marauders of Buffalo New York wore their white jerseys with maroon shorts while the Tigers were all in black.

Assists and Man-Up goals were the order of the day and Zack Uhler got the ball rolling less than a minute into the contest when he took a feeder from Vince Stypula and whistled past eh Marauder net minder for the first man up goal of the game. Ryan Worsena added the second on a helper from Grady Wirth at even strength. The second man up tally came when Scott Relic fired one in, assisted by Zack Uhler. St Joes added one of their own to narrow the difference but Ryan Worsena added his second of the contest with help from Uhler to close out the stanza with the Tigers up 4-1.

Things settled down in the second as the lone score of the period was rung up by Worsena, aided by a precision pass from Grady Wirth early after the opening bell. Things went back and forth but no further damage was done and the Tigers retired to the locker room up by 4.

The third chapter was marked by penalties, and lots of them. NA and St Joes each notched 4 trips to the box however, NA also managed to add to the damage on the scoreboard. Uhler found paydirt first on a helper from Stypula. A few minutes later, the same players switched roles and Stypula did the damage with the third man up goal of the contest aided by Uhler's nifty passing. The lone solo tally of the game closed out the period as Worsena notched his fourth of the game on another man up opportunity.

The final stanza saw the penalties drop slightly but the pace and physicality remained as intense as in the third. The lone score of the period came then Alex Mesoras notched his first helper of the season hitting Dan Wiese in front of the net and Dan put it in the upper corner to close out the scoring. The Tigers went to the hand shake line with a comfortable 9-1 victory under their belt.

The NA net minders were not challenged a great deal as the Marauders only managed 8 shots for the contest and Chris Rullan and Dan Williamson each notched a pair of saves. Defenseman Randy Potter led the longsticks with 4 forced errors while fellow longsticks Tucker Zrebiec and Patrick Spencer each chipped in 3 of their own. The Tigers collected 7 wins in 12 attempts at the face-off line to aid the effort.  The boys chilled for a while after the contest as they had another one to play against Bishop Timons just 3 hours after the end of the St Joe's game.

After taking a breather following the St Joe's contest, the Tigers ventured to southern Buffalo to take on Bishop Timons. The cool afternoon became a cold evening as the temperature dropped with the setting of the sun. The grass field, dim lighting, the late start of the game and short three hour rest left the Tigers at a slight disadvantage
but the team looked forward to the contest
 Grady Wirth started things off registering two solo tallies and it looked like the Tigers were picking up where they left off earlier in the day. However, Bishop Timons registered a goal of their own as the stanza came to a close and the Tigers led by one.

The second stanza belonged to Bishop Timons as they managed 4 tallies including a man-up goal and a short handed goal to add insult to injury.  Grady Wirth earned the hat trick as he added his third of the contest on a feeder from Ryan Worsena and the Tigers trailed by a pair at the half.

The teams alternated goals in the third with Bishop Timons striking first followed by a tally from Scott Relic aided by a Helper from Grady Wirth. After Bishop Timons notched another, Vince Stypula registered a solo tally but the Shamrocks added another to close out the stanza and the Tigers trailed by 3,

The Shamrocks started the last chapter notching another before Dan Wiese scored on a short handed goal aided by a nice pass from Grady Wirth.  However, Bishop Timons added two more, including one man-up tally, to hand the Tigers their second loss of the year 11-6.

The Shamrocks were not uncomfortable pulling the trigger as they peppered Chris Rullan with 47 shots. Chris managed 16 saves for the outing but Bishop Timmons did the damage with quick fast breaks and accurate passing and shooting. Clay Bunting led the Tigers with 8 forced errors while middie Zack Uhler added 4 to help the cause. Alex Mesoras did a yeoman's job at the face-off dot registering 12 wins in 21 attempts.  However, Bishop Timons proved to be the better team this evening and left the field with a win for their efforts.

The Tigers travel to Shaler tonight to meet the Titans in a 7:00 pm non-section contest.  NA will return home on Wednesday to close out section play against neighboring rival Pine-Richland.  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 SUMMARIES
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  ST. JOSEPH'S (NY) - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

BISHOP TIMONS (NY) - 11 NORTH ALLEGHENY - 6

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

TIGERS TOPPLE FOX CHAPEL, 13-5

by Ron Zrebiec

The Tigers built an 8-2 halftime lead at Fox Chapel on Wednesday night and coasted to a 13-5 victory.  Three was the magic number as a trio of Tigers scored three goals with senior attack Grady Wirth, senior midfield Vince Stypula, and senior attack Scott Relic accounting for nine of the Tiger thirteen tallies.  Wirth and Relic added two assists each.

The JV seemed to get the short end of the stick as they managed to play their entire game in the rain, That did not stop Bill Kelleher and Dan Wiese from each notching the hat trick as they lead the JV squad to an 11 - 1 pounding of the JV Foxes. As soon as the JV game was history, the skies magically cleared up and the sun popped out while the varsity warmed up for their contest.

The first period was owned by the Tigers as they managed to rack up 5 unanswered tallies. Relic got things hopping as he snagged a pass from Zack Uhler in traffic and sizzled one past the goalie putting the Tigers on the board just 2 minutes into the game.  Wirth assisted both Ryan Worsena and Blain Bairhalter as they nudged the tally recorder in the right direction.  Stypula and Worsena closed out the stanza with solo tallies of their own as the Tigers watched the clock tick down with the scoreboard listing the Tigers up by 5.

Grady Wirth owned the second period as he managed all three Tiger goals  for the natural hat trick. Each of those efforts had a helper with Relic aiding on two and Worsena helping on the third. Fox Chapel managed two tallies of their own, with one of the tallies coming in a man-up situation, but the Tigers went to the locker room up by 6.

Relic added the first goal of the second half with an assist from Worsena, giving Relic a hat trick of his own. Worsena added his second of the game when John Maus took a pass on the defensive side and artfully cleared it over the midfield stripe before finding Ryan for the score. Stypula added two solo tallies and managed to earn the third hat trick by an NA player in this game. Fox Chapel added one on their side of the ledger to negate a little of the Tiger advantage but the boys closed out the stanza
up 12 - 3.

The excellent play of the team in the early quarters allowed Coach Rullan the wiggle room in the final period, allowing some of the younger players to get some varsity experience. Many of the starters got a breather in the process.  Maus added his first goal of the season on a strong solo effort to start off the quarter. However, Fox Chapel managed a pair of their own tallies (one on a man up situation) to give them a one goal edge in the final stanza. However, a one goal edge would not do it on this day as the Tigers went to the hand shake line with a 13 - 5 victory in the bag.

Clay Bunting led the defensive effort, notching 5 forced errors while midfielder David Lancia added 4 with long stick Randy Potter and middie Alex Mesoras each chipping in 3. Senior net minder Chris Rullan notched 14 saves for the outing and led all players picking up 6 ground balls over the course of the contest. The Tigers had a half-dozen man- up situations but were unable to capitalize on any or them. Fox Chapel was more effective, scoring on 2 of their 8 attempts.

The section victory improved the NA section record to 4-1, the overall mark to 12-1 on the season.   The team shuffles off to Buffalo NY this Saturday to take on a pair ofWestern New York adversaries before trekking over to Shaler for the final regular season away game on Monday the 4th.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 13  FOX CHAPEL - 5

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

WORSENA LEADS TIGERS OVER
FRANKLIN REGIONAL, 12-5

by Ron Zrebiec

Sophomore attack Ryan Worsena scored four goals and added an assist to lead the Tigers to a 12-5 non-section victory over Franklin Regional at Newman Stadium on Monday night.  Senior attack Scott Relic added two goals and an assist while senior midfield Zack Uhler also scored a pair of goals and added two assists for the winning Tigers.

The night got off to a great start with the JV team handing Franklin Regional a 9 - 6 defeat. The Tigers were lead by by Pat Bianconi and Bill Kelleher who tallied three goals each while net minders Alex Jewell and Anthony Ferraro notched 6 saves between them. Jared Yon chipped in 4 forced errors to lead the long sticks on the defensive side.

After the introduction of the younger players in the program, the varsity took the field aiming to erase the sting of their loss in the previous contest. The night was most pleasant with summer attire adorning most of the large, partisan crowd out to support their team. The Tigers went right to work and Worsena got things started with a solo effort 5 minutes into the contest. Worsena added his second, perfectly set up on a feeder from fellow attack man Scott Relic. Uhler whistled in another and in a little over a 60 second span, the Tigers were riding high 3 - 0. Not to rest on their laurels, Blain Bairhalter punched in a solo tally to stretch things out a little further before Worsena closed out the stanza with Uhler chipping in a helper on the play and the scoreboard showed the Tigers up 5 - 0 after one..

The Panthers finally came to life in the second as they added a pair of tallies early in the quarter, narrowing the Tiger lead to three. Relic managed to notch the lone Tiger goal of the stanza aided by the excellent passing of Uhler who chipped in his second assist of the half. The Tigers retired to the locker room up by 4.

Uhler started the second half off by launching a rocket high in the corner stick side to notch another solo tally and ratcheted the Tiger lead up to 5. Grady Wirth found the twine just 8 seconds later and the big cats were roaring. Relic added another, this time on a helper from Worsena and the margin stretched to 7. The Panthers added another just before the end of the period but the Tigers were still on top 9 - 3.

The Panthers managed a minor rally on a pair of solo tallies by FR's #20 before Dan Wiese closed out the scoring  with a solo effort of his own and the Tigers got back on the winning side of the ledger with a well played 12-5 thumping of the Panthers.

Net minder Chris Rullan was seeing the ball very well as he notched an impressive 13 saves while facing 26 shots for the contest. Defensemen Clay Bunting and Tucker Zrebiec led the defensive effort chipping in 5 and 4 forced errors respectively, with goaltender Rullan adding 3 more, mostly on snagging passes that strayed to close to the crease. Relic was the ground ball leader, coming up with 6 while Randy Potter added 4 while Alex Mesoras,  Bunting and Rullan added 3 each. 

With the win, NA improved their overall record to 11-1 on the season.  The Tigers travel to Fox Chapel on Wednesday for an early evening divisional contest and will hit the road again on Saturday as they travel to Buffalo this weekend for a pair of games against Western New York foes. The final three regular season games will follow the first week of May with Senior Night scheduled for the final game of the season on Friday, May 8th against Bethel Park

 GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 12  FRANKLIN REGINAL - 5

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

SENECA VALLEY HOLDS OFF TIGERS, 8-7

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

by Ron Zrebiec

After falling behind, 8-5, in the fourth quarter, the Tigers rallied behind goals from attack players Grady Wirth and Dan Wiese but fell short as Seneca Valley took an 8-7 victory at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  Senior attack Scott Relic led NA with three goals while Wiese added a pair of tallies.

The field was wet but the weather gods held up the heavy stuff for most of the game as Seneca Valley took the field at Newman Stadium in a Conference North contest. In the under card, the JV team thumped the boys in powder blue with a 10-4 victory. Wiese led the Tigers with 5 goals and 2 assists in the contest.

The varsity game started a little earlier than the scheduled 8 PM face off and more than a few fans missed the early action. Seneca opened the scoring as #14 found the net on a solo effort less than 3 minutes into the battle. NA answered on a tally by Wiese on a feeder from Zack Uhler. Relic chipped in another less than 2 minutes later putting the Tigers up by one. Seneca evened things up again when #14 added another goal on a solo effort.  Ryan Worsena tilted the table in the Tigers favor when he hit pay dirt on a feeder from Wirth to close out the stanza with the Tigers up by one.

The Tigers were on a roll scoring just 27 seconds into the second as Relic earned the hat trick on his third straight Tiger tally, managing this one all by himself. The boys moved the ball quickly up the field on a fast break when Lee Carrozza snagged a difficult clearing pass and placed the pill  perfectly on Worsena's stick, earning his first assist of the season when Worsena buried it behind the net minder. Seneca managed another solo score to close out the period, sending the boys into the locker room with the Tigers up by a deuce.

The Tigers have traditionally done well in the third but that was not to be the case this evening as the Raiders notched three unanswered goals while keeping the black and gold out of the net to take a one goal advantage into the final stanza. The Tigers seemed to be out of sync as they were slower to the loose ball that normal and were out shot 3-1 for the period. Things continued to go the Raider's way as the game entered the final quarter with the Raiders chipping in 2 more for a total of 6 unanswered tallies before the Tigers settled down and got back to business. This time, however, the hole they dug was deeper than they could get out of. Wirth added one on a Vince Stypula helper and the combination of Uhler feeding Wiese for the final tally of the stanza came up just short. Seneca possessed the ball for most of the final 2:38 and the tigers came up short by one for the first loss of the season.

Carrozza had one of his best efforts of the season, managing an impressive 10 forced errors along with the rare defenseman assist. Fellow long sticks Clay Bunting and Tucker Zrebiec also chipped in some bangers, adding 5 and 3 forced errors respectively. Chris Rullan did a fine job in net managing 12 saves against the 31 shots taken by the Raiders. The Tigers struggled in the face off circle as they managed a collective 6 wins on 17 attempts, allowing the Raiders an advantage in possession time and scoring chances. Each team tallied two man-up goals on seven attempts spread out over the contest. The game was well played by both teams but the Raiders managed the one goal, hard earned victory when it was all over.

With the loss, the NA section record fell to 3-1, the overall mark to 10-1.  The Tigers have the rest of the week off but will host Franklin Regional on Monday in the make up game for the cancelled one earlier this month. They will also travel to Fox Chapel on Wednesday for another Conference North contest.  Game time on Monday is scheduled for 7:30 pm at Newman Stadium.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
SENECA VALLEY - 8  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 7

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

TIGERS RALLY TO BEAT MICHIGAN TEAM, 11-10

by Ron Zrebiec

The Tigers remained unbeaten as their won their tenth straight game without a loss with an 11-10 victory over Troy Athens (MI) at Newman Stadium on Saturday afternoon.  NA trailed, 10-7, going into the fourth quarter but rallied  to win.  Senior midfield Zach Uhler led the Tigers with three goals and two assists while sophomore attack Ryan Worsena tallied three goals for the winning Tigers.

The setting was perfect: sunny, 70 degrees, light winds. The Troy Athens Red Hawks visiting from Michigan and a nice crowd in the stands.

  Troy got things rolling just 2 minutes in as their #4 found the netfirst but the lead was short lived as Unler fired a rocket from 15 feet out to knot things up before he fed a perfect pass to Grady Wirth who put the Tigers up by one.  Worsena added another as he walked in from the left side on beat the net minder low in the right corner.However, Troy's #4 dumped in two solo additions to tie things up and the Red Hawks added another to manage a one goal advantage at the end of he stanza.

Worsena got things rolling with a helper from Wirth who positioned a pass perfectly allowing Worsena to one-time it past the Red Hawk tender. Worsena added another a few minutes later, this time on a feeder from Uhler and the Tigers were up by one. Troy Athens added another and evened the contest for the fourth time before Vince Stypula received a pass at mid field and danced through the defenders before planting one in the cage to put the Tigers up by one.  The Red Hawks added the final tally of the quarter to tie things up for the fifth time as the teams retired to the locker room knotted up at 6.

The Red Hawks dominated play in the third stanza with #4 adding his fourth of the game along with other tallies to give the Hawks a substantial lead. NA's solo addition to the scoreboard came on a Uhler effort as he took the ball behind the net and juked and spun to the front before firing one over the net minders shoulder. Things looked dim for the Tigers as they closed out the quarter in unfamiliar territory down 10-7.

The outlook improved just ten seconds into the final stanza Worsena took a feeder from Stypula and found paydirt to close the gap to 2. Uhler then added one that was 80% determination as he was not to be denied as he bobbed and weaved his way through heavy traffic before finding the twine to close the gap to one. NA could feel the momentum swinging their way when Wirth added another with some assistance from  Worsena's nifty pass from behind the cage to tie things up for the sixth time in the contest. Scott Relic closed out the scoring putting the Tigers up by one on a solo tally with almost half the period left to go. The Tigers buckled down and played smart lacrosse as they allowed the Red Hawks a minimal amount of possession time as the clock ticked down. The final two minutes were real nail biters as the attack men, forced to stay in the box, managed to kill the clock without relinquishing possession by skillful passing and defender avoidance tactics. The Tigers celebrated a hard won, come from behind victory as the scoreboard displayed the 11-10 final.

Chris Rullan was superb in net, managing 8 saves for the contest. Clay Bunting led the long sticks registering 5 forced errors with Lee Carrozza contributing 4 and Randy Potter and Tucker Zrebiec chipping in 3 apiece.

The Tigers are looking forward to the Wednesday evening meeting with Seneca Valley at Newman Stadium.  Seneca Valley and NA are both highly ranked and this contest will have playoff implications so your support in the stands will be greatly appreciated.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:45 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 8:00 pm.

Photo Gallery

 GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 11  TROY ATHENS - 10

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

PETERS TOWNSHIP NO MATCH FOR
TIGERS IN 14-3 BLOWOUT

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

by Ron Zrebiec

It was a perfect night to take in a sporting event and the sizable crowd that decided to take in a Tiger lacrosse game over the the Penguins and the Pirates really enjoyed the show. The JV team warmed things up by thumping the Indians 12-1 in the undercard. Dan Wiese led the Tigers with 4 goals and an assist while Bill Kelleher chipped in 3 goals and a helper.

The night belonged to the Tigers from the onset as Vince Stypula started it off by zipping one past the Peters net minder on a feeder from Zack Uhler just 39 seconds into the contest. Ryan Worsena added a pair of his own with one on a solo effort and the other on another assist by Uhler to close out the stanza. Things continued going the Tigers way in the second as Stypula fired a rocket from 15 yards out to set the Tigers ahead by 4.  Just 2 minutes later, Grady Wirth found paydirt on a side- winder shot low and to the right of the goalie, assisted by Worsena. The Tigers were flagged for a tripping penalty and a brief lapse in defensive play allowed Peters to add one to their side of the ledger and the Tigers took a 5-1 lead into the locker room at half-time.

The boys continued playing the same song as they entered the third. Scott Relic started things off on a solo performance before Wirth and Worsens shared the next two tallies, each contributing an assist on the other man's goal. The Wirth goal was a thing of beauty as he took something off the shot and fooled the Peters net minder by dust dribbling it across the line. Peters Township added one of their own before Wirth added another for the hat trick on a feeder from Drew Kubacki to close out the stanza with the Tigers leading by 7.

Peters opened the final chapter but the Tigers shut them down after that lone tally in the period. Relic scored first, aided by Uhler's third assist of the contest. The Indians pressed up the field following the next face-off but Lee Carrozza forced a take away and started a fast break that went D to D to Tucker Zrebiec, then to Relic to Worsena and finally to be back of the net on an underhanded shot by Wirth, all in a period of 5 seconds. Coach Rullan had a great opportunity to rest the starters as some of the up and commers got a chance for varsity game experience. Dan Wiese took advantage of the opportunity blasting one past their tender on a perfect feed from defenseman Clay Bunting who scored an assist on the play. Tony Grese also made the most of the opportunity and enjoyed a score of his own before Wiese closed things out, aided in the effors with a feeder from John  Maus to put the Tigers up 14-3 before they ran out the clock to end the contest.

Randy Potter led the longsticks with an impressive 7 forced errors. Defensemen Clay Bunting and Lee Carrozza each added 4 of their own and Alex Mesoras had 3 as the Tigers managed a total of 27 forced errors for the contest. Netminder Chris Rullan was sharp in the cage as he tallied 8 saves before turning over the goaltending responsibilities to Dan Williamson early in the final period. The team played a fine defensive effort, holding the Indians to a meager 16 shots for the entire game.  For his efforts offensively, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Ryan Worsena as the Player of the Game.

The Tigers square off with a team from Troy Michigan at noon on Saturday before they prepare for what should prove to be a great match with Seneca Valley on Wednesday the 22nd at Neuman Stadium. Seneca and North Allegheny are both highly ranked in western Pennsylvania and the presence of a vocal "11th man" in the stands may give the Tigers an assist in their effort. So be there! And be there with some volume!!

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 14  PETERS TOWNSHIP - 3

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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

WPIAL BOYS' LACROSSE - 2009

The boys' lacrosse team will be competing in the WPIAL for the first time in 2009.  The top four teams in each section will enter the WPIAL tournament.  All teams, both playoff qualifiers and non-qualifiers, may play games through Sunday, May 17, 2009 provided that they do not exceed the maximum limit of eighteen established by the PIAA.  This extended play provision will expire after the 2010 season.  All playoff entries will be determined by section record only and will be determined by the best section won/lost record.  Teams that tie for first place will not have the tie broken and will be declared section champions, will receive section winner's plaques, and will be entered into the WPIAL tournament.  The top two teams from each section will play at home in the first round of the playoffs.

In the event of a multiple team (two or more teams) tie for a playoff position, head-to-head competition will be the first determinant.  If head-to-head does not break the tie, the following tie-breaking system will be used.  If three or more teams are tied for third place and the tie breaking system identifies one team as the third place team, the remaining teams will then be tied for fourth place and the process begins over with head-to-head competition being the first determinant for establishing the fourth place team.  If a tie cannot be broken all tied teams will enter the playoffs.

TIE-BREAKING SYSTEM

a.  Section records of the tied teams will be compiled.
b.  The team(s) with the best numerical head-to-head section record among the tied teams will be the qualifier.
c.  If the tie cannot clearly be broken, all tied teams will enter post-season play.

Teams that qualify for the tournament should be aware tht they may be placed in a preliminary round and may be assigned to play beginning on Tuesday, May 12, 2009.  Section winners and second place finishers will be awarded home games in the first round with the third and fourth place teams playing away.  In the event of a tie for first and/or second place, the WPIAL will determine the home site assignment based on availability and suitability.  The WPIAL semi-finals and finals will be contested at a neutral site.

Teams should be aware that PIAA tournament entry is reserved for Division I teams.  The WPIAL will, however, crown a Division I and Division II Champion.

PIAA bracket placement will be determined on a "Follow the Winer" basis.

2009 BOYS' LACROSSE ALIGNMENT - 28 TEAMS

DIVISION I

DIVISION II

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