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GAME SUMMARIES

TIGERS CRUSH CENTRAL CATHOLIC, 17-4

by Ron Zrebiec

Senior attack Grady Wirth scored five goals and added five assists to lead the Tigers to an easy 17-4 section victory at Central Catholic on Wednesday night.  Senior attack Scott Relic added three goals as the Tigers won their eighth straight without a loss.  Midfield Zach Uhler and Bill Kelleher added a pair of goals each.

The NA busses managed to arrive at the Central Catholic field in Oakland after fighting rush hour, Penguin and Pirate traffic to take on the Vikings on a field dampened by a steady drizzle. The JV team managed to nip the JV Vikings by a goal in the preliminary round and the stage was set for perhaps another close one.I

 It took only two minutes for the Tigers to rack one up as  Relic rang the bell first on a feeder by Wirth. Wirth was generous again just 30 seconds later as he chipped in another helper setting up Ryan Worsena for the Tigers' second. Worsena returned the favor as the roles were reversed with Worsena feeding Wirth for the third unanswered goal of the game. The middies finally got a chance to help out as Zack Uhler scored from 20 yards out on a feeder from Vince Stypula. Wirth added another  with Worsena getting another assist and the Tigers were up by 5. The boys then were slapped with a pair of slashing penalties but the team rose to the occasion and managed to keep the Vikings off the scoreboard while playing down two men for a minute. Once they killed the penalties, they must have had a brief let down as central finally managed to sneak one past the Tiger net minder for their first of the game. Dan Wiese closed out the period with a one timer aided by a perfect pass from Wirth and the Tigers took a breather up by 5 and the end of the quarter.

As well as they played in the first, they played better in the second by matching their first period scoring and keeping the Vikings off the board. Wirth started it off with a pair of solo tallies and added another solo effort later in the stanza. Uhler also provided a solo addition of his own before  Relic added two more, both on helpers from Wirth. Wirth and Uhler each chipped in their scores while the team was short handed, providing the rarely seen man down tally. Wirth closed out the half registering 5 goals (on 8 shots) and 5 assists for a ten point total. The Tigers went to the locker room up 12 to 1.

The third period saw some new numbers as Coach Rullan went to the bench to exercise his up and coming players. Stypula started things off as he bobbed and weaved up the middle before burrying one in the twine. The Tigers got  themselves in some hot water taking penalties and the Vikings added two  man up goals making the Tigers pay for their evil ways. Bill Kelleher chipped in his first of the season on a tic-tac goal fed into him by John Maus. Blane Bairhalter added his first of the season with the help of a perfect pass from Worsena, his third assist of the event. The Vikings and Kelleher each added another goal to close out the stanza with the tigers riding a comfortable 16-4 lead.

The final period turned out to be a rather messy one and sometimes looked more like a rugby match that a lacrosse contest. Play went back and forth with a running clock for much of the stanza. NA managed the only score for the period on a solo tally by John Maus, his first of the season and the Tigers closed out the evening with a
17 - 4 thumping of the Vikings.

Goal tending chores were shared for the contest with Chris Rullan snagging a solo save in the first half and Dan Williams grabbing 5 saves for the bottom half of the game. Lee Carrozza led the long sticks with 6 forced errors while Clay Bunting kept busy chipping in  5 of his own. Zack Uhler had a great night winning 6 of 8 face off attempts and led the team by picking up a team high 5 ground balls.

With the win, the Tigers improved to 3-0 in section, 8-0 overall on the year.  NA will host Peters Township tomorrow night at Newman Stadium in a non-section contest.  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 - 17  CENTRAL CATHOLIC - 4

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS HAMMER HAMPTON, 12-9, FOR
SEVENTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

The Tigers earned a 12-9 victory at Hampton in a non-section game on Wednesday night.   With the win, the overall NA record improved to 7-0 on the season.

Next up for the Tigers will be a section tilt at Central Catholic tomorrow night.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

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UHLER'S GOAL IN OT BEATS
MANHEIM TOWNSHIP, 9-8

by Ron Zrebiec

Senior midfield Zach Uhler scored with 1:25 remaining in overtime to give the Tigers and exciting come from behind 9-8 victory over a tough Manheim Township team at Newman Stadium on Saturday night.  Uhler had tied the game with just four seconds remaining in regulation.

The day was blustery but the track was clear and fast as mighty Manheim trawled west to take on the NA Tigers at Newman Stadium. NA came out of the gate on fire as the Tigers pumped in 4 quick goals in a 200 second span to set Manheim's heads collectively spinning. They never knew what hit them as Vince Stypula slammed in two solo tallies while Michael Eck also chipped in two with assists from Ryan Worsena on one and Uhler on the other.  Manheim closed the gap by adding one of their own and the stanza closed out with the Tigers comfortably up by three.

The second opened like the first with Worsena adding one of his own with a helper from Grady Wirth. The celebration was short lived as Manheim's leading scorer added three more notches to his cross to close the gap and send the boys into the locker up by only a single tally and the momentum clearly leaning in Manheim's direction.

 The Tigers came out of the locker room looking to spread out their lead and they did exactly that as Scott Relic nailed down two solo tallies to increase NA's advantage to three before Manheim whittled it back to two as the stanza closed out. However, Manheim came out firing and started the final chapter off with three unanswered goals to take the lead for the first time in the game with 2:42 left in the period. Things looked bleak for the Tigers as Manheim pressed hard on defense and did a great job of smothering the Tiger's opportunities. With just 12 seconds left in the period, NA cleared the ball up the center of the field and Uhler bobbed and weaved his way toward the goal and launched a net seeking missile that found its home with 5 seconds left in regulation to tie thing up at 8 and take the air out of the Manheim rally.

The overtime period started with Manheim winning the face off and managed to get two shots off with one going wide and the other being saved by Chris Rullan in net. The play was a little sloppy as both teams turned it over on mental errors. However, Uhler nailed an encore performance and whistled one past the Manheim net minder to give the Tigers a thrilling come from behind overtime victory against an excellent Manheim team. The team rushed the field to join Uhler in celebrating the game winner along with the game tying goal. The stands burst into a load roar when Uhler's shot found the net and continued their applause for over two minutes.

Anyone who relishedin the way NA was able to secure victory from the jaws of defeat.  Rullan was outstanding in net as he faced a tremendous assault as Manheim fired 43 times. Chris registered 16 saves while only allowing 8 to get past him. Uhler led all shooters with 11 and Wirth was right behind him with 10. Lee Carrozza led the long poles with 10 forced errors and Clay Bunting and Relic each chipped in 5 of their own. Team defense was the difference as all positions chipped in an outstanding effort in allowing the Manheim team a total of 8 goals on their 43 attempts.

With the win, the Tigers improved their overall record to 6-0 on the season.  NA will host Franklin Regional tonight in a non-section contest at Newman Stadium.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 7:15 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  MANHEIM TOWNSHIP - 8

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS EDGE UPPER ST. CLAIR, 9-8, FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

by Ron Zrebiec

The Tigers were on the road on Friday night and picked up a 9-8 victory at Upper St. Clair for their fifth straight win without a loss.  Attack Grady Wirth scored four goals and midfield Zach Uhler added three more for the winning Tigers.  Sophomore attack Michael Eck got the game winner on an assist from sophomore midfield Ryan Worsena with just 1:54 remaining in the game.  Worsena finished with four assists on the night.

The weather gods were less than kind as the dampness permeated everything and the wind blew steadily as NA traveled south to take on the Panthers of Upper St. Clair. Wirth started things off by burning one past eh Panther net minder on a feeder from  Worsena and followed that one with a solo performance just one minute later to give the Tigers a two goal advantage half way through the first. Upper St. Clair found the cage a few ticks before the stanza closed out and the period ended with the Tigers up by one.

USC came out swinging as they posted the first two tallies of the second and wrestled the lead from the Tigers. However, the pairing of Wirth doing the scoring and Worsena doing the helping added a pair of mirror image tallies of their own and wrestled the lead back for the Tigers. That narrow lead was short lived as the Panther added another and the teams took a half time breather knotted up at 4 goals each.

 The third period charm looked like it was working for NA as Uhler lit up the scoreboard by netting two solo additions and the Tigers looked to be on a roll. However the Panthers added two of their own separated by just 30 seconds and things were knotted again at 6 each.  The play in this period became a little more physical than normal as the teams shares a total of 8 penalties between them.  However, with 4:28 left in the third, Eck added one for the Tigers but this back and forth period kept right on at the same pace as the Panthers added one of their own just 15 seconds later and we were all tied up again as the curtain fell on the third.

The roughness continued as the teams shared another 7 penalties in the final stanza. Uhler added his third of the game to open things up for the Tigers but the Panthers answered and we were knotted again with only three minutes left in the contest. The Tigers cleared the ball and marched into Panther territory where Worsena chipped in his fourth helper of the contest as he sent one over to Eck who buried it in the net over the tender's shoulder for the final score of the game.

 Netminder Chris Rullan netted 10 saves for the Tigers and defenseman Lee Carrozza ramed the Panthers for 9 forced errors while David Lancia and Clay Bunting chipped in four each to lead NA on the defensive side. The Tigers came up the field very well all contest as they safely cleared the ball 18 times on 20 attempts.

With the win, the overall NA record improved to 5-0.  The Tigers will host Manheim Township on Saturday night at Newman Stadium with game time set for 7:00 pm.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  UPPER ST. CLAIR - 8

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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STRONG SECOND HALF LEADS TIGERS OVER SEWICKLEY ACADEMY, 12-8

by Ron Zrebiec

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

Trailing 7-4 at halftime, the Tigers rallied in the second half to outscore the Panthers, 8-1, on their way to a 12-8 victory over Sewickley Academy at Newman Stadium on Wednesday night.  Sophomore attack Michael Eck exploded for six goals to pace the Tigers to their second section win against no losses.

The weather was about perfect as the Tigers took the field in a contest with Sewickley Academy. The game started in sunlight as a cancellation of the JV game allowed a 7 PM start for the Varsity. It appeared things were leaning in the Tiger's favor as they took an early one goal lead as Eck took a feeder from Grady Wirth to start the scoring. However, Sewickley answered with two solo tallies of their own had had the Tigers down and looking a little sluggish.   Eck evened it up as he added a solo tally of his own but it was short lived as the Indians chipped in two more, the final with only 25 seconds remaining in the period to close out the stanza with a two goal advantage.

 The second period went back and forth as the teams alternated tallies. Sewickley struck first increasing their lead to three before Scott Relic closed the gap by adding an unassisted goal for his first of the game. Sewickley banged home a man up goal on a feeder from the perimeter to stretch the lead back to three. Wirth found the net as he pushed on past the net minder on the right side but the Indians added their final tally of the period as they added another with a mere 12 second remaining to go into the locker room up by 3.

The third period has been the property of the Tigers so far this season and things did not change for this one as the black and gold pumped in 6 unanswered goals to retake the lead. Michael Eck had four of his own, increasing his game total to 6,  on on unassisted goal and three helpers, two from Ryan Worsena and  the final from Zack Uhler.  Wirth added a solo score and Relic added his second of the game on a nifty feeder from Wirth. The team played excellent defense this period as they kept the Indians off the board completely.  The long sticks played a much tighter game in the third and did not allow the attack to get any type of a clear shot at the net.

Sewickley opened the final stanza with a man up goal but that was all they would register for the half as the Tigers shut them down completely allowing them a meager 9 shots for the entire second half of the game. Worsena closed out the scoring as he pumped in two unassisted tallies to put the Indians away. Worsena's final goal was unusual in that he did it while the team was short handed because of a penalty.

Eck led all scorers with 6 goals on 9 shots while Wirth and Worsena each added two goals and two assists to lead all scorers. Net minder Chris Rullan managed five saves for the contest and collected 6 ground balls to keep the Tigers in the contest until they found their groove. Longstick Casey Sisko led the team with 4 forced errors while Lee Carrozza, Eck and Randy Potter had three each

With the win, the NA section record improved to 2-0, the overall mark to 4-0 on the season.  The Tigers will travel to Upper St. Clair tomorrow night for an 8:00 pm non-section contest against the the Panthers before returning home on Saturday to host Manheim Township in a 7:00 pm non-league game.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 12  SEWICKLEY ACADEMY - 8

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS OUTLAST BUTLER, 9-7, FOR
THIRD STRAIGHT VICTORY

by Ron Zrebiec

The Tigers completed a busy but successful week with a come from behind 9-7 victory at Butler on Friday night.  Senior attack Scott Relic scored three goals and senior midfield Zach Uhler added two more as the Tigers overcame a 3-0 first quarter deficit for the win.  Sophomore attack Ryan Worsena posted a goal and four assists for the winning Tigers.  Senior goalie Chris Rullan made ten saves to secure the victory.

The team was still weary after the overtime victory at Shady Side Academy barely 24 hours ago as they ventured up to Butler for their third game  of the week. It was obvious the boys were out of sync as the Golden Tornado scored 3 unanswered first period goals. Cody Conklin was responsible for two and Jarrod Oesterling added the third while the Tigers were unable to find the net . They worked out the bugs when the second stanza started as Relic scored on a feeder from Worsena to put NA on the board. A few minutes later, Uhler added another tally and NA trailed by only one. Vince Stypula then took a clearing pass at midfield and wound his way to the front of the net and buried one over the tender's right shoulder to even things up ay 3. Butler's Tyler Koch took a pass from Conklin just before the half ended to let Butler go into the locker room with a one goal advantage at the half.

 The Tigers came out swinging in the third as Relic started the fireworks on a well placed feeder from sophomore Michael Eck  and Eck added one of his own on a helper from Worsena. Stypula added his second of the game on a solo shot and the Tigers were up by two. Butler's Conklin added another for the hat trick and narrowed the lead and the period ended with Butler down only one. The Tigers seem to be more effective late in the game and Relic added to the trend as he opened the final period as Worsena chipped in another helper. Grady Wirth added to the party as he scored his first of the season with Worsena contributing his fourth assist of the game. Butler battled back with two additional tallies by Kotch and Oesterling to bring the Golden Tornado within one with only seven minutes remaining in the game. Worsena finally got one of his own with Uhler chipping in a helper and the Tigers defended their 2 goal advantage with great defensive play to close out the period.

 Rullan contributed 10 saves to the effort and longsticks Tucker Zrebiec and Clay Bunting each chipped in 5 forced errors to lead theTigers defensively.

With the non-section win, the Tigers improved their overall record to 3-0 in the early season.  Next up for NA will be a section contest against Sewickley Academy on Wednesday night.  Game time at Newman Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  BUTLER - 7

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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RELIC'S GOAL IN OT GIVES TIGERS
FIRST SECTION WIN

by Ron Zrebiec

Senior attack Scott Relic scored the game winner with 25 seconds remaining in the first overtime period to give the Tigers a 9-8 victory at Shady Side Academy on Thursday in the section opener.  Senior attack Michael Eck scored four goals to pace NA.  Senior goalie Chris Rullan made nine saves for the winning Tigers.

Mother Nature was less than kind as she favored the Pittsburgh area withrain as the NA Tigers trekked over to the new Shadyside Academy stadium for the first meeting with a section rival this season. The new artificial surface was a welcome venue as the traditional grass field was soggy and slippery.

NA started things off with a first period score by Eck on a feeder from Zack Uhler. Shadyside answered with a nifty jump goal by (#9). Eck took offense to their goal and promptly added another to put NA back in the drivers' seat. The scoring went back and forth in this high scoring quarter with Vince Stypula finding the net on a solo effort but the quarter closed out with the Tigers down by a single score.  Things slowed down a bit as the teams each managed only one additional tally in the second period. Uhler launched a screamer form the top of the key and it hit pay dirt to keep things close as the teams retired to the locker rooms to plot second half strategy.

NA came out hot in the third and added two to tallies with Eck adding his third and Relic scoring on a feeder from Ryan Worsena. The one goal lead was short lived as the Indians added another to even things up as the third period wound  to a close. The final stanza was a back and forth event as the teams went back and forth. Shadyside started it off and went up by one but Eck added his fourth of the game on a helper from Grady Wirth to put the contest back to even. When Shadyside added another with a little more than 4 minutes to go, the pressure started to build as the clock started ticking down the remaining seconds. With only 62 seconds left, Worsena fired a worm burner and it found a home at the back of the nest to knot it all up at 8 apiece. The tensions were high as each team manages a pair of possessions but neither was able to capitalize on the opportunities and the clock ticked down to 0:00 and sent the game into overtime.

With four minutes posted on the ticker, Uhler faced it off but was not able to come up with the ball and Shadyside had the first opportunity to end it in their favor but came up short to a great defensive team effort. The ball went back and forth as the teams exchanged one shot each before Relic added the game winner on a perfect pass from Wirth, ending the contest with the Tigers  netting a total of 9 goal while yielding only 8 to the Indians.

Chris Rullan was outstanding in and around the net as he recorded 9 saves and chipped in a few take aways and ground balls to contribute to the cause. Lee Carrozza led all players with 7 forced errors while fellow long poles Clay Bunting and Tucker Zrebiec did some damage of there own with 6 and 5 forced errors respectively.

The well played game allowed the tigers to notch their second win of he young season and they can add another notch to their crosse as the venture up to Butler tonight for their third game of the week,  Game time is scheduled for 8:00 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  SHADY SIDE ACADEMY - 8

 INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS RALLY IN SECOND HALF TO
 DOWN LEBO, 9-6, IN OPENER

by Ron Zrebiec

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

After trailing 5-3 at halftime, the Tigers rallied for five third quarter goals on their way to a 9-6 victory over Mt. Lebanon in the season opener at Newman Stadium on Monday night.  Three Tigers tallied two goals each -- senior attack Scott Relic, sophomore attack Michael Eck, and sophomore attack Ryan Worsena -- to pace NA. 

NA and Mt Lebanon always seems to bring out the best in both teams when they meet on the lacrosse field and last night was no different. The atmosphere was tense as the teams faced off for what proved to be a back and forth contest. Mt Lebanon struck first but they held the lead for less than five minutes as David Lancia drove the net and tallied the season's first goal with just a minute remaining in the first.

With the game tied after one, the teams each added a tally to start the second with Scott Relic finding the twine for NA. Mt Lebanon picked up a man up goal and added two more even strength goals by Dan Roman to head into the locker room up 5-3 at the end of the half.

The coaching staff must have pushed the right buttons as NA pumped in five goals in the third while the team did a great defensive job and kept the Blue Devils off the board for the period. Ryan Worsena chipped in a pair while Michael Eck added a goal and an assist. Zack Uhler found the net with one of his game high 15 shots and Vince Stypula took a pass and made a bee line for the net, burying one at the back of the cage to close out the period with NA holding a 8-5 advantage.

 NA had the Blue Devil's heads spinning as they shifted the game's momentum with their  five unanswered tallies. The teams exchanged goals in the fourth quarter, and Eck scored again on a helper from Grady Wirth to finish the contest. The Mount Lebanon goaltender, Will Round, saw 42 shots by NA in the game while NA allowed a meager 15. The  long sticks managed to keep the ball from coming anywhere near the cage  as they allowed Mt Lebanon a stingy 6 shots for the entire second half.

The team played excellent team defense in the second half with the defensemen leading setting the tone. The team even managed to keep the Blue Devils off the board while they played for 60 seconds down two men. The great effort by all the long sticks was rewarded with recognition by the coaches at the end of the game for a job well done.

Goaltender Chris Rullan notched only  4 saves but his aggressive stick work and heads up play managed to change possessions in NA's favor on at least a half dozen occasions. Chris led all players with 6 ground balls while Stypula, Uhler and Worsena notched 4 each. Tucker Zrebiec led the team with 6 forced errors while Lee Carrozza chipped in 5 more. NA exited the field with a well earned victory in their first offial PIAA contest.

NA travels to Shadyside Academy on Thursday and is on the road again on Friday as they treck up to Butler to  finish out the week.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 9  MT. LEBANON - 6

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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