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GAME SUMMARIES

TIGERS END REGULAR SEASON WITH VICTORY

by Jordan Dee

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

Patrick Cuomo scored early in the second half, as North Allegheny closed out the regular season with a 1-0 home victory over Norwin Tuesday at Newman Stadium.

The Tigers started to attack early with a run by Tommy Richter in the game’s opening minute. Richter’s cross was blocked in the box. Phil Fives retrieved the ball for a shot, which was also blocked.

Norwin answered with two opportunities separated by about a minute. Jay Jarrett took a shot from about 35 yards out that was fielded by Peter Howard just wide of the net. Ben Gallina then followed with a cross that struck the football goalpost.

In the 4^th minute, Fives sent a cross into the box that was deflected by Knights keeper Jon Best. Cuomo’s shot off the deflection from inside 10 yards went over the net. In the 10^th minute, Fives set up Jamie Luchini for a shot that was saved by Best from about 15 yards out. Five minutes later, Luchini sent a corner kick into the box. Best out-jumped North Allegheny’s Diego Febres-Cordero to make the save.

Norwin’s best chance of the half came in the 19^th minute. Sam Chapman had back-to-back corner kicks. The best the Knights could muster as a result was a soft header by Zachary Lakenan that was collected by Howard. Three minutes later, Adam Shaffer chipped a ball to the Tiger net from 55 yards that was easily saved by Howard. The Knights final chance of the half came in the 23^rd minute. Chapman sent a shot over the net from 25 yards out.

Fives sent a corner kick into the box in the 29^th minute. Kyle Weidman eventually sent a shot over the net from 35 yards out. Two minutes later, Luchini had his cross attempt headed away by Norwin. In the 32^nd minute, Brandon Merry attempted a cross along the goal line that was stolen by Best.

The Tigers got three more chances in the half’s final five minutes. Cuomo took a cross from Richter, but his shot along the goal line missed wide of the net. Fives than had a left-footed effort from 30 yards go wide. Cuomo got one final look after dodging two Norwin defenders in the final minute of the half. His shot went wide, and the officials ruled the ball was not touched by Norwin’s keeper Best.

Norwin was late in coming out for the second half. Unlike the Tigers, the Knights didn’t have a chance to warm up in the cold weather. North Allegheny took quick advantage of it. Merry got a rolling shot off a pass from Cuomo just 40 seconds in.

Just 24 seconds later, Cuomo sent what looked like a cross attempt past Best to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers had four corner kicks in a 4-minute stretch following the goal. Fives sent his directly into Best in the 43^rd minute. Luchini had back-to-back corners beginning in the 45^th minute. His first attempt was punched away by Best. Cuomo got a shot from 30 yards out off the second corner, but Best made a diving save. Fives took the final corner of the stretch. Cuomo took control of the ball and sent an easy attempt into the goal from a long distance.

Ten minutes into the half, Norwin started to establish an offensive attack. Lakenan lost a battle to the ball with the new North Allegheny keeper - it was either Ryan Thornton or Carl Johnson.

Richter responded three minutes later with a shot off the top corner of the net. Luchini followed with a shot over the net from 20 yards out in the 54^th minute.

In the 56^th minute, Matthew Henry tried to take advantage of an out-of-position Tiger keeper by shooting from about 10 yards away. Thornton or Johnson scampered back just in time to make the save. The keeper then saved a point-blank shot from Jarrett in the 58^th minute. A little more than a minute later, Tyler Livingston missed on a shot from long distance.

In the 63^rd minute, Jarrett sent a shot wide off a Norwin corner. Another corner in the 76^th minute found its way onto Jarrett’s foot. He was unable to release a shot. The final chance for either team was just a little more than a minute later. Jarrett was unable to convert on a cross.

Patrick Cuomo was chosen as the Wright Automotive North Allegheny Player of the Game.

The Tigers improve to 10-7-1 overall. Norwin drops to 12-3-3. The Tigers will carry a 4-game winning streak into the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs that could start as early as Saturday. Tune into the MSA Sports Network’s WPIAL Soccer Playoff Pairings Show tonight at 7 p.m. to see who, when, and where the Tigers will play.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1   Norwin 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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SENIORS SHINE FOR BOYS SOCCER

On a crisp, clear Senior Night, goals by seniors Matt Baird, Ian Clipa, and Patrick Cuomo helped North Allegheny appropriately extend its win streak to three.  The Tigers dominated Penn-Trafford, winning 3-0, in a non-section game at Newman Stadium.

North Allegheny had several spectacular chances early on.  In the second minute of the game, the Tigers had a couple of cracks at a goal off a cross from Baird.  However, Penn-Trafford goalie Carl Phelps made two key saves on the doorstep.  One minute later, Baird led a rush into the Warriors zone.  His initial shot on goal was saved brilliantly by Phelps.  Klipa gathered the rebound, but shot it wide of the net.  Another rush by Baird and Klipa appeared promising.  However, the ball was also shot wide of the far post. 

Despite these early chances, North Allegheny maintained relentless pressure on Penn-Trafford.  On occasion, the Warriors managed to clear the ball, but before they could catch their breath, the Tigers would rush the zone again.  With 19:31 remaining in the first half, their offensive effort finally paid off.  Baird managed to squirt past two Warrior defenders into the box.  Phelps came out to contest the shot, and made a reflex save on Baird.  The rebound popped high in the air, where it was corralled by Andy Issac.  Issac slipped a pass back to Baird, who buried it past the out of position goalie for a 1-0 lead.  Penn-Trafford survived the first half with minimal offense, but trailed by only one goal.

Early in the second half, Matt Baird went down inside the Penn-Trafford box.  After staying down for several moments, he limped off the field with assistance from the coaches, with an apparent left leg injury.  He did not return to the game.  Seconds later, Phil Fives sent a cross along the goal line to Klipa, who tapped it into the net, giving North Allegheny an insurmountable 2-0 lead.

Penn-Trafford’s best offensive chance of the game occurred when Matt Loughnane found himself in alone against North Allegheny senior goalie Peter Howard.  However, Loughnane shot it wide of the net.  The final tally of the game came halfway through the second half.  Steve Veres crossed to Patrick Cuomo on a play similar to the Kilpa goal.  Cuomo steered it into the net from the doorstep, giving the Tigers a 3-0 lead, ending the scoring for the night.

With the win, North Allegheny boosted its overall record to (8-7-1).  The Tigers will conclude their regular season Tuesday against non-section opponent Norwin.  Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3   Penn-Trafford 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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DEFENSE LEADS NA TO 5-1 WIN OVER NORTH HILLS

by Lee Mohn

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 5    North Hills 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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NORTH ALLEGHENY SHUTOUT BY UPPER ST. CLAIR, 3-0

Upper St. Clair held North Allegheny without a goal, winning the non-section match, 3-0.  The loss was the third in a row for the Tigers.  Nevertheless, they are still clinging to third place in the section standings.  The Tigers will try to right the ship Tuesday at Butler, currently locked in fourth place in the section.

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NA FALLS TO SHALER, 3-1
by Jordan Dee

Brian Hanna scored two second-half goals to lead Shaler over North Allegheny Thursday night at Newman Stadium.

Matt Baird netted his 11^th goal of the season for the only Tiger score.

The Tigers owned the first 15 minutes of the game. In the 3^rd minute, Jamie Luchini missed the net with a shot. In the 4^th minute, Baird had a cross from Patrick Cuomo go off his foot and across the goal line. Two minutes later, Luchini’s corner kick came in low and was knocked away by Shaler. In the 8^th minute, Tommy Richter attempted a cross that was kicked away by Titans keeper Craig Feehan. A little more than a minute later, Baird got a running shot at Feehan, but shot it into his gut for the save. In the 10^th minute, Cuomo tried to tuck a shot just under the crossbar, but Feehan used his height and jumping ability to make the save. Just over 10 minutes into the half, Alex Greenblatt headed a Luchini free kick over the Titans’ net.

Shaler got its first opportunity in the game’s 15^th minute. Hanna charged toward the North Allegheny goal, but Tigers keeper Peter Howard won a race to the ball and kicked it away. A little more than two minutes later, Hanna whiffed on a shot, but Shaler’s Chad Palucka was there to take a chance. His shot missed the net.

In the 19^th minute, Luchini took a shot that went over the net. Phil Fives had a corner kick in the 20^th minute, but it was headed out of the box by Nick Sladic.

With just over 18 minutes remaining in the first half, players from both sides were issued yellow cards. The officials awarded a close-range free kick to Shaler. The initial shot struck the crossbar, but wound up on the foot of the Titans’ Connor Kazmierczah. Kazmierczah kicked it past Howard with 17:14 remaining in the first half to give Shaler a 1-0 lead.

The Tigers continued to pressure Feehan for the remainder of the half. In the 24^th minute, Cuomo had a free kick into the box go off his body and was sent out of danger by the Shaler defense. Two minutes later, Ian Klipa sent a shot wide of the net. Klipa then set up Cuomo with a pass, but his shot missed wide. In the 27^th minute, Diego Febres-Cordero sent a shot on one bounce from 55 yards away that was easily collected by Feehan.

After six minutes without a scoring chance on either side, Brij Dhanda tried a cross that avoided all of his Tiger teammates. With just over four minutes remaining in the half, Tavis Taylor set up Alex McIlvried, but his shot was stopped by Feehan. Feehan then pulled a Dhanda corner kick out of the air in the 39^th minute to keep Shaler in front, 1-0, at the half.

The second half started much the same as the first: with Tiger pressure in the Shaler end. In the 1^st minute of the half, Cuomo had his shot off a quick inbound from a corner kick blocked by the Titans.

In the game’s 44^th minute, North Allegheny was finally able to get the ball past Feehan. Howard sent a punt about 70 yards in the air. It was sent off a Tiger head directly to Baird. Baird beat a stunned Feehan to tie the game, 1-1.

Four minutes later, Fives had a free kick from 15 yards away headed out. In the 49^th minute, Richter had a shot from 10 yards – but at a sharp angle – saved by Feehan. Jake Spence had a shot deflected off a Shaler defender and saved by Feehan a little more than three minutes later.

With 27:16 remaining in the game, a breakdown on defense allowed Hanna to make another run at Howard. This time he was able to beat Howard to give the Titans a 2-1 lead.

The Tigers got two chances in less than three minutes, but were unable to score. Baird had a weak turnaround shot roll in on Feehan. Luchini was unable to score on another Tigers free kick.

Hanna got another chance for Shaler in the 57^th minute. Howard scrambled to make the save on his shot to the far goalpost.

In the 61^st minute, Luchini had his low free kicked blocked by the Shaler wall. Fives had two corners – separated by two minutes - headed away.

Hanna added his second goal with some slick footwork to get around Howard with 14:29 remaining in the game. The Titans led, 3-1.

In the 73^rd minute, Klipa was beaten by Feehan in a race to a ball that had been chipped toward the Shaler net. A minute later, Baird’s corner kick rolled into the Shaler keeper. Feehan beat Baird to a through ball from Luchini in the 76^th minute. The Tigers nearly trimmed the lead when Steve Veres sent a header toward the Shaler net. Feehan knocked the ball into the air and collected it without incident. Richter had two shots in the final two minutes, but was unable to score.

The win was Shaler’s first in Section 2-AAA. They improved to 1-6-1 in section and 4-7-2 overall. North Allegheny dropped to 3-4-1 in section and 6-6-1 overall. The Tigers are now two points ahead of Butler and in 3^rd place in the section.

Matt Baird was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.

GAME SUMMARY
Shaler - 3    NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

BOYS SOCCER MOUNTS FURIOUS COMEBACK AGAINST PINE-RICHLAND, FALLS SHORT, 5-4

The Boys Soccer team were faced with a 5-2 second half deficit against Pine-Richland.  The Tigers desperately fought back, but ran out of time, losing 5-4.

Despite the rain Tuesday afternoon, the Tigers started out the gate quickly.  Jamie Luchini received a nice feed from Diego Febres-Cordero two minutes in, but the shot went wide right.  A minute later, senior Tommy Reichter slipped one past the Pine goalie on a cross from senior Matt Baird, putting North Allegheny up early, 1-0.  Unfortunately, the Rams answered quickly with Drew Klingenberg scoring on a slick move at 34:05 to tie the score.  Baird continued his strong play minutes later, as he fed mid-fielder Phil Fives from 20 yards out.  However, the shot sailed just wide.  Baird’s play again paid off at 19:10 as he scored off a pin-point pass from senior Ian Klipa.  Pine-Richland fought back at 16:37, as a forward got loose down the middle and scored to tie the game at 2-2.  In the closing minutes of the first half, a Rams forward was stopped by goalie Peter Howard, but the rebound was not cleared.  Pine-Richland seized the opportunity and tapped it in for a 3-2 Ram lead at half.  Substitutes in the first half giving quality minutes included Steve Veres, Ian Klipa, JP Candiotti, and  Brij Dhanda.

The second half started with two Tigers receiving yellow cards, giving Pine-Richland some space on the field.  Unlike the frantic pace of the first half, no goals were scored until the 23:44 mark, when Ram forward Eric Coling made it 4-2.  They added an insurance goal by Tyler Allen a few minutes later, extending their lead to 5-2.  At this point, the lead appeared insurmountable.  Nevertheless, the Tigers were resilient.  A Baird pass thru the middle set up Luchini for a goal from 20 yards out.  Less than a minute later, Luchini had another opportunity from 30 yards out.  However, the shot went off the crossbar.  As the game wound down, Febres-Cordero crossed a perfect ball to Baird who headed it into the Pine goal with 1;29 to go, making it an interesting 5-4 game.  The game intensified for all in attendance, but the Tigers ran out of time and lost the match by a goal.  Substitutes in the second half included Alex Mcilvried, Alex Perry, Brij Dhanda, Ian Klipa, JP Candiotti, Andy Isaac, Logan Burdwood, Steve Veres and Brandon Merry.

The Tigers return to the field Thursday looking to bounce back against Shaler, in an important section matchup.  The match begins at 7:30 and will be broadcast on the North Allegheny Sports Network. 

GAME SUMMARY
Pine-Richland - 5    NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4
 

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS UPEND #1 SENECA VALLEY, 2-0

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

by Jordan Dee

Junior midfielder Phil Fives scored a pair of first half goals and the NA defense held off top-ranked Seneca Valley, 2-0, in a key section game at Newman Stadium on Thursday night.  The defense, largely behind the effort of seniors Alex Greenblatt, Kyle Weidman, and Jack Arnold, held the Raiders scoreless for just the second time this season. Senior goalkeeper Peter Howard faced just a handful of shots in the shutout.

Fives had the first scoring chance for either team in the 8th minute. His free kick sailed over the net to keep the game scoreless. Less than two minutes later, senior Matt Baird’s shot went off the side of the net.
Seneca Valley had its first opportunity in the 15th minute. Dylan Bilka tried unsuccessfully to get around Arnold. The stop allowed Howard to collect the ball inside the box. In the 17th minute, George DeAugustino’s free kick from almost 50 yards away eluded everyone.
The Tigers then answered with a flurry in the 19th minute. Senior forward Diego Febres-Cordero was unable to get a shot off a header into the goal box. A few seconds later, junior Jamie Luchini had his shot saved by Seneca Valley keeper Jordan Case.

With 19:47 remaining in the half, Baird was pulled down by DeAugustino inside the Seneca Valley box. Fives scored on the penalty kick to put the Tigers in front, 1-0.  In the 27th minute, the Raiders’ Andreas Fatschel headed a ball over the net. That would be the last chance of the half for Seneca Valley.  Junior Brandon Merry was ruled offside trying to break deep into Raiders’ territory off a pass from senior Patrick Cuomo in the 28th minute. Three minutes later, a cross from Merry to Baird was poked away by Case. Baird got another shot from 20 yards away in the 35th minute. Febres-Cordero forced a turnover and got a shot in the 37th minute.  With 2:26 remaining in the half, Fives beat Case for his second goal with an innocent-looking shot from about 30 yards away. The shot was tucked between the crossbar and the goalpost to the right of Case. The Tigers took a 2-0 lead to the half.

The second half didn’t see nearly the amount of scoring chances for either team.  About two minutes in, Seneca’s Andrew Danylo forced a scramble in front of the Tigers net with a throw into the box.
In the 44th minute, Luchini had his free kick blocked by the Raiders' wall.  Seneca Valley’s best chance of the night came in the 50th minute. Ryan Mershimer’s header off a free kick forced Howard to scramble to his right to make the save.  The Tigers got four shots off from 20 yards or more beginning in the 55th minute. Fives had his shot headed away by Bilka. Luchini got one from 30 yards away off a deflection of a Cuomo shot. Baird forced Case to make a save in the 69th minute.  In the 73rd minute, senior Tommy Richter missed on a close shot made possible by pinpoint passes from Fives to Baird to Richter.

North Allegheny increased its record to 3-2-1 in the section and 6-4-1 overall. Seneca Valley dropped to 5-1-0 in the section and 9-2-0 overall. North Allegheny maintains its third-place position in the standings. Seneca Valley still owns the tiebreaker over Pine-Richland for first in the section.  The North Allegheny Sports Network selected Phil Fives as the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  SENECA VALLEY - 0
 

INDIVIDUAL SCORING
 

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#4 KISKI AREA OUTSCORES TIGERS, 4-1

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

The Tigers hosted the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's #4 ranked team on Tuesday night at Newman Stadium, and the Kiski Area Cavaliers prevailed by a 4-1 score.  The NA goal came late in the second half on a penalty kick by senior Diego Febres-Cordero.  Kiski led by a 2-0 score at the intermission.

The Cavaliers wasted little time in taking control of the game.  NA Coach Bobby Vosmaer played his second team for the entire first half.  The Tigers gave a good effort particularly after the first ten minutes of the game.  Kyle Terrill had the first chance on a direct kick from long range but it was cleared by the NA defense.  KA earned a corner kick at the 5:27 mark, but Swedish exchange student Christopher Svecke shot wide of the goal.  A minute later, Michael Geiselhart drove another hard shot wide to the right of the NA net.  At the 7:33 mark, Austin Lange took advantage of a scramble at the 18 to guide the ball around NA junior goalkeeper Carl Johnson and into the net.  Kiski Area took a 1-0 lead.   Brent Kennedy drove a low ball from the left side through the box but it could not be played.   At the 9:39 mark, Svecke made a nice move down the right side and blasted a shot past Johnson into the left corner of the goal to make it a 2-0 Cavalier lead.  The NA defense settled down after the goal and kept Kiski off the board for the remainder of the half.  At the 13:55 mark, Kiski earned another corner but Johnson was able to collect the ball in the box.  The Tigers had their first chance at the 16:00 mark when junior Anis Adnani shot wide from the 18.  Kiski's James Winiesky came back with along attempt from 25 yards away that was caught on one hop by Johnson at the midway point of the half.  Johnson had to make a diving stop in the box with 14:08 left to keep the deficit at two.  A minute later, junior defender Brice Merry made a tough defensive play to stop a Kiski scoring chance.  The Cavaliers then forced a pair of corner kicks.  On the first with 12:45 left, the NA defense cleared the defensive zone.  On the second a minute later, Terrill drove a hard shot along the ground that Johnson came out and collected.  With 9:50 remaining, Johnson had to made another save on a long attempt by the Cavaliers.  With 7:40 left in the half, senior Steve Veres sent a cross along the 18 toward junior forward Alex McIlvried but he could not get off a shot.  Less than a minute later, Svecke drove a hard shot ove the NA goal from the left side from 10 yards away.  Junior Brij Dhanda had a direct kick for NA with 5:05 left but his attempt from 40 yards was stopped by the Kiski defense.  With 4:39 left, Geiselhart sent a shot over the NA goal.  A minute later, Brandon Jenkins had a good chance from in close but also sent the ball over the NA net.  With 1:50 left, the Cavaliers got another corner when Johnson came out to stop a breakaway attempt.  Kiski could not convert on the corner.  The half ended with the Cavaliers holding the 2-0 advantage.  In the first half, Kiski Area had five corner kicks to none for the Tigers.

To start the second half, Coach Vosmaer sent in most of the NA first team players.  The move paid off as the Tigers moved the ball into Kiski territory and controlled play early.  Junior midfielder Phil Fives had a chance at the 3:03 mark but his attempt went wide right from 25 yards.  The physical play picked up at this point and Kiski was give three yellow cards over the next five minutes, including one on Coach Bob Wright.  In spite of the cards and the better play of the NA squad, Kiski forced a corner at the 7:10 mark.  On the play, Svecke was able to redirect a low corner into the net for his second goal to give Kiski a 3-0 advantage.  The Tigers answered with a scoring chance with senior forward Matt Baird having his shot attempt cleared by the defense.  At the 11:42 mark, Lange had a good chance from 25 yards but shot wide.  Dhanda sent a long shot in toward the Kiski goal at the 14:28 mark but the attempt was cleared.  A minute later, a rare call gave NA a chance from just six yards away.  The Kiski team lined up along the goal line and was able to stop the NA shot.  At the 15:19 mark, senior GK Peter Howard came out to collect a long shot on one bounce.  Two minutes later, Geiselhart drove a hard attempt over the NA goal.  At the halfway mark, Howard made another save off a long direct kick by the Cavaliers.  Baird came back with a good scoring chance but sent a shot over the goal on a cross from senior forward Tommy Richter.  With 18:09 left, it was Baird again sending a header over the Kiski net.  A minute later, Lange drove a direct kick over the goal from 25 yards away.  With 14:35 left, junior Jamie Luchini drove a hard attempt just wide of the goal.  The Tigers forced their first corner of the game with 14:35 left but could not convert.  With 11:38 on the clock, the Cavaliers were called for a foul in the box giving NA a penalty kick.  Febres-Cordero calmly drilled the ball into the left corner to put the Tiger on the board, trailing by a 3-1 score. With 10:14 left, Dhanda drove a long attempt from 30 yards but it ws caught by KA goalkeeper Derrik Whiten.  With 8:40 remaining, the Cavaliers were issued yet another yellow card. On the play, Lange was sent off with a red card for actions after the call.  With 4:50 left, the Kiski keeper was able to beat a breaking McIlvried to a loose ball in the box.  Richter had a chance from 18 yards with 1:50 remaining but Whiten made the save.  NA had one last scoring opportunity on a direct kick from Fives from 35 yards away but his attempt went wide.  With time running out, Svecke made a move across the middle and drilled a shot into the left corner to give Kiski a final goal.  The Cavaliers completed the 4-1 victory.

It was an interesting night for the Tigers with the non-section game in the middle of a pair of key section contests.  A number of players saw playing time for NA with two different squads playing a half each.  For his efforts in controlling and directing the NA offense in the second half, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Phil Fives as the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.

With the loss, the overall NA record fell to 5-4-1 on the season.  The Tiger will host Seneca Valley in a key section contest tomorrow night at Newman Stadium.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 6:45 pm.   Game time is scheduled for 7:00 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
KISKI AREA - 4  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1
 

INDIVIDUAL SCORING
 

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PINE-RICHLAND HOLDS OFF TIGERS, 2-1

by Jim Lucchini

The Pine-Richland Rams built a 2-0 lead and held off a late rally NA rally to defeat the Tigers, 2-1, at Newman Stadium on Monday night.  Senior forward Matt Baird scored the NA goal midway through the second half, but the Tigers were unable to get the equalizer.

The fans, and there were plenty at the game, were treated to a hard fought and competitive game from bothteams as second place in the section was up for grabs.  The action started early as Drew Klingenberg from Pine -Richland almost sneaked one in the first minute of play, but senior goalkeeper Peter Howard made a nice save to start the game and set the early tone.  Senior Diego Febres-Cordero at 34 minutes shot from the right side surprised the Pine keeper, but the save was made.  Baird set up Diego at 27 minutes, but again the save was made. All throughout the back line of seniors Kyle Weidman, Alex Greenblatt, Jack Arnold and Jake Spence kept the ball out of
the attacking zone.

At 21 minutes in, junior Jamie Luchini on a nice setup from Baird hit the crossbar on a screamer from 20 yards out that just missed. The midfield play of junior Phil Fives, Luchini, senior Tommy Richter and Febres-Cordero kept the possession of play most of the half along with senior forwards Baird and Patrick Cuomo. junior Brandon Merry, senior Steve Veres, Junior Alex Mcilvried and senior Ian Klipa added some valuable minutes for the Tigers in the first half as the teams went to the intermission scoreless due to a few stellar saves by Howard.

With about 10 minutes into the second half Pine-Richland junior Drew
Klingenberg off a nice feed scored to make it 1-0 . North Allegheny came right back with some scoring opportunities, but Luchini's corner was headed wide right at 27 minutes and Fives shot from 15 yards went wide as well a few minutes later. At the 24 minute mark Luchini fed Fives up the middle, but unfortunately the ball sailed wide right and Richter at 22 minutes made a nice run ,but again the shot went wide.

Shortly thereafter, Klingenberg again got loose down the left side and
after a few nice moves put the ball in the back of the net for a 2-0 lead.
North Allegheny was not thwarted and at 20:09 Matt Baird on a perfect
feed from Veres, powered the ball past the Pine Richland goalie to make it a 2-1 game.  North Allegheny did not give up and kept the pressure up , but just could not get the shots on net. Pine Richland had 9 shots on goal and North Allegheny 8 and corners were distributed 2 pine and 1 North Allegheny.

The last 5 minutes of the game Luchini and Fives missed wide from 15 yards out from nice passes from Baird and Richter. The defense and Howard kept Pine off the board the rest of the way , but just came up empty at the end.  Second half substitutes, junior Logan Burdwood, senior Steve Veres, AlexMcIlvried, andKlipa gave the tigers a much needed lift, but the team just came up empty in the end.

With the loss, the NA section record fell to 2-2-1, the overall mark to 5-3-1 on the season.  The Tigers will host Kiski Area tonight in a non-section game 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 7:30 pm.  Game time is scheduled for 7:45 pm.

GAME SUMMARY
PINE-RICHLAND - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1
 

INDIVIDUAL SCORING
 

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TIGERS, NORTH HILLS FINISH IN 1-1 TIE

by John Fulton

The Tigers and rival North Hills battled through regulation time and two overtime periods but in the end neither team could claim a victory.  The game ended in a 1-1 tie at Martorelli Stadium in a game started on Saturday morning.  Senior midfielder Tommy Richter had given NA a 1-0 lead late in the first half, but the Indians tied the game midway through the second stanza.

The starting lineup for North Allegheny included Peter Howard, Matt Baird, Jack Arnold, Diego Febres-Cordero, Pat Cuomo, Jake Spence, Alex Greenblatt, Tommy Richter, Kyle Weidman, Jamie Luchini, and Ian Klipa. Although there were periods where the Tigers maintained possession and established good ball movement, much of the game was characterized by inconsistent through balls and solid goalkeeping by the Indians Wayne Carney.

The Indians nearly scored at 36:11, but Howard came up huge with a diving save to his right. Typically a defensive stalwart, Greenblatt nearly put the Tigers in front with a fantastic shot on goal, but an equally dominant save by the Indians keeper kept the score level. It was not until 4:09 when Alex Perry sent a well-played through ball to Cuomo, who found Richter along the left wing and who slid the ball past Carney near post for a 1 – 0 lead. With :50 the Tigers nearly scored again when Baird connected with Cuomo, who made a nifty move to left but the shot wide right.

Both sides traded opportunities to begin the second half, but it was the Indians who capitalized first at 22:57 when they slipped the ball near post to knot the contest at 1 – 1.  Chances by Richter, Cuomo, and Baird were frequent; however, at the end of regulation, the game was tied 1 – 1.

NA pressured often during the two OT periods, but was not able to break through the Indian defense and the solid play of their keeper. The contest ended 1 – 1. The Tigers return to section play on Monday when they face Pine Richland at home.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1  NORTH HILLS - 1
 

INDIVIDUAL SCORING
 

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TIGERS TOP BUTLER, 3-1, FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WIN

by John Fulton

The Tigers continued their torrid schedule by traveling north on Thursday to face rival the Butler Tornado; at stake was a top place in the section. The Tornado have traditionally have posed problems for North Allegheny, and this meeting was no different.

As has been the theme this season the midfield play of Phil Fives and Jamie Luchini has been dominate and unselfish distributing the ball to the forwards and outside wings, and this evenings contest was no different.  The defense consisting of Kyle Weidman, Jake Spence, Alex Greenblatt, and Jack Arnold were solid on defense and limited the shots on goal by the Butler forwards. As a result, the Tigers enjoyed an 18 – 8 shots on goal and 4 – 2 advantage in corner kicks over the Tornado.

The Tigers struck first when junior midfielder Luchini drove a shot from 30 yards out over the keeper at 34:50 (1 – 0).  Ten minutes later Diego Febres-Cordero tipped in a ball that was mishandled by the keeper off of a cross and put the Tigers up 2 – 0. Butler’s Will Robinson raced through the midfield after receiving a nicely-placed through ball and finished to cut the lead to 2 – 1 to end of the first half. At 35:05 of the second half, the Tigers added to their lead (3 – 1) when Tommy Richter distributed the ball to Matt Baird, who placed a well-finished ball past the Butler keeper. With the win, North Allegheny secured a tie for second place in the section.

For his play in midfield, junior Jamie Luchini was named Man of the Match. The Tigers again hit the road on Saturday to take on the North Hills Indians at Martorelli Stadium.

(Thanks to Jim Luchini for information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY – 3  BUTLER – 1
 

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS SHUT OUT SHALER, 2-0, FOR
FIRST SECTION WIN

by John Fulton

The Tigers returned to section play when they traveled to square-off against cross-town rival Shaler on Tuesday. The Titans entered the contest with a 2-1-1 record and 0-0-1 section rank.

As they did in the first-half against Hollidaysburg, the North Allegheny Tigers pressured early and often; however, it was clear that Shaler was up to the test. Their defense led by their keeper kept the Tigers off the board until 20:12, when a series of combination passes led to the first goal. Jake Spence delivered a clearing pass to Patrick Fives who served a fantastic through ball that split two Shaler defenders to Diego Febres-Cordero, who pushed it by the keeper (1 – 0). The defensive corps of Jack Arnold, Alex Greenblatt, Spence, and Kyle Weidman provided a shut-down defense throughout the half. At 19:40 the Titans threatened, but Peter Howard was up to the task making a fantastic save to maintain the shut-out. The Tigers once again began to pressure when Fives used a cheeky move to serve a through ball to Tommy Richter down the right side.  Fives and Jamie Luchini continued to control the midfield play by setting up multiple scoring threats. The half ended with a flurry when Cordero found a streaking Ian Klipa who pushed the ball wide left of the Titans stand-out keeper.

The Tigers continued their attack to begin the second half. At 35:17 Luchini placed a direct kick on target from 30 yards out on the left.  A tackle by Patrick Cuomo against the run of play at 34:20 thwarted a scoring chance by the Shaler offense. At 26:10 Chris Brasile of Shaler used a strong run to break into the Tiger defense, but was met by Howard as he dove to block the shot. Although the game began to turn physical, North Allegheny continued to create opportunities through the solid play of Matt Baird, Luchini, Richter, and Cuomo.  The Tigers broke through at 16:25 when Richter moved the ball along the left wing to Baird, who laid the ball off to Alex McIlvried who drove the ball to the right panel for the second tally of the evening (2 – 0). During the remainder of the half, JP Candiotti and Brandon Merry provided solid ball movement through the middle and left wing.  The contest ended with an excellent opportunity from McIlvried and Richter, but the Shaler keeper was up to the task.

The Tigers improved to 4-2-0 (1-1-0) and will venture to Butler on Thursday.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 2  SHALER AREA - 0
 

INDIVIDUAL SCORING
 

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TIGERS OUTSCORE HOLLIDAYSBURG, 4-3

 by John Fulton

The Tigers faced their second mid-state opponent of the season when they traveled to Hollidaysburg Area High School on Saturday to square off against the Golden Tigers, who touted a 6-1-1 record.

North Allegheny used the momentum that carried the boys to a solid finish against in-section foe Seneca Valley to take a 3 – 0 lead in the first half. The defense consisting of Kyle Weidman, Jake Spence, Connor Gwaltney, and Jack Arnold provided solid support for keeper Peter Howard, who made several key stops to maintain the first-half shut out.  The Tiger offense was lead by Matt Baird, who tallied two goals and Steve Veres, who put in the third goal. Diego Febres-Cordero provided both assists and rocketed one of the cross bar before the half concluded.

In the beginning of the second half, Weidman, Cordero, and Tommy Richter combined several times to create opportunities along the Golden Tigers right wing. At 34:27 Richter carried the ball from right to left and put a well-placed ball off the cross bar. Four minutes later, Arnold made a strong tackle to clear an attack by Hollidaysburg and placed a nice through ball to Baird, who found Patrick Cuomo streaking along the left wing. Cuomo carried the ball along the touchline and placed a shot off the side netting. Logan Burdwood and Brandon Merry connected several times to pressure the Golden Tigers by placing several crosses into the box. JP Candiotti and Alex Perry played solid in the midfield and generated several opportunities by pushing several through balls to Merry along the left side and Tavis Taylor along the right. Andy Isaac, Gwaltney, and Burdwood continued to play solid defense by shutting down the Golden Tigers. It wasn’t until 12:51 that Hollidaysburg finally broke through when Jordan Franks finished a nice run that cut into the NA lead 3 – 1. Four minutes later, Franks broke loose again to bring the Golden Tigers to within one (3 – 2) of North Allegheny. The Tigers began to regroup at 6:56 when Merry was able to get a cross off to Veres, who pushed the ball just wide left. NA regained some of their earlier momentum when Jamie Lucchini placed a left-footed volley into the back of the net from 10 yards out to put the Tigers in front 4 – 2. With :07 remaining, Franks completed a hat-trick with his third goal of the outing to cut the lead to 4 – 3, but his efforts were not enough.

The NA Tigers escaped with a 4 – 3 victory bringing their record to 3 – 2. The boys return to section play on Monday, when they travel to face Shaler in a 7:30 pm contest..

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 4  HOLLIDAYSBURG - 3
 

 INDIVIDUAL SCORING
 

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SENECA VALLEY HOLDS OFF TIGERS, 2-1,
IN SECTION OPENER

by John Fulton

The North Allegheny Boys Soccer team faced a tough opponent on Tuesday night when they traveled to Seneca Valley to play the top ranked team in Section 2. Although the boys dominated the second half, they fell to SV in a disappointing 2-1 loss; however, the manner of their play in the latter part of the contest suggests good things are yet to come.

SV pressured early on and often. At 39:09 Alex Greenblatt made a clearing tackle on a through ball to disrupt the SV attack. During the first five minutes of play, SV continued to press the Tigers in their half by playing possession ball. It wasn’t until 34:00 that NA threatened. A build up by Patrick Cuomo, Ian Klipa, and Phil Fives created the first shot on goal. NA continued to pressure along the left side when Jake Spence combined with Baird to press the SV defense. The first cross from NA began with a nice tackle from Kyle Weidman in the back. Fives and Jamie Lucchini combined to maintain possession in the midfield and found Cumo streaking along the left side. SV countered quickly forcing Peter Howard to aggressively charge from the goal to clear the threat to Matt Baird.

The constant pressure applied by SV finally created dividends when the Raiders took a 1 – 0 lead at 18:31 on a goal by Danylo. Thirty seconds later, Ryan Vilella put a well-placed a chip over the NA defense to add to the SV lead 2 – 0. The Tigers offense regrouped at 17:25 when Tommy Richter placed a nice shot on goal.  Klipa made an aggressive run along the touch line and crossed the ball to Steve Veres. NA’s persistent attack created a break away for the Raiders, but Howard made a big save to prevent the Raiders from adding to their lead. Diego Febres-Cordero’s hard work in the corner created a corner kick opportunity, which Fives was able to control but pushed the ball just over the cross bar at 7:08. Fives then placed a direct kick on goal that was knocked away by the SV keeper. The Tigers had another great opportunity at 2:09 when Fives’ direct kick from the 18 rang the post.

The second half was clearly dominated by the Tigers. At 37:29 Baird placed a fantastic cross to Cuomo, who placed the ball in the net to cut the lead to 2 – 1. As he did in the first half, Weidman shut down the right side of the SV attack. Fives continued to dominate the midfield as he laid off a nice ball to Baird, who found Cuomo streaking down the left side. NA continued to maintain possession and had the better of the play. SV countered at 25:17 but Spence made a well time tackle and pushed to ball to Alex Greenblatt , who transitioned the ball to right side to Richter, who placed a cross to Cordero from the touchline. At 10:46 Klipa placed a ball over the cross bar from approximately 30 yards out.

Although the Tigers enjoyed 8 to 3 shots on goal and a 5 to 3 advantage in corner kicks, NA was unable to break the SV defense. For his possessive play in midfield, Philip Fives was awarded Man of the Match.

 GAME SUMMARY
SENECA VALLEY - 2  NORTH ALLEGHENY - 1
 

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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BAIRD'S HAT TRICK LEADS TIGERS OVER ALTOONA, 6-0

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

Senior forward Matt Baird scored three goals to pace NA to a dominating 6-0 non-section victory over Altoona at Newman Stadium on Saturday afternoon.  Baird scored twice in the first half as NA took a 2-0 lead at the intermission.  In the second half, Baird scored again as the Tigers also got goals from senior forward Patrick Cuomo, senior forward Tommy Richter, and senior MF Steve Veres. 

The Tigers started quickly controlling play and putting pressure on the Altoona goal.  Just 1:10 into the game, a cross to Cuomo resulted in a good attempt that was blocked by the Mountain Lion defense with the rebound being sent over the goal.   A minute later, senior forward Diego Febres-Cordero had a chance from the right side but Altoona GK Jared Green made the save.  At the 3:05 mark, Febres-Cordero came down the right side again and sent a cross to Baird who drove it into the net.  The Tigers took a 1-0 lead early.  Altoona came back with a chance a minute later but P.R. Caracciolo's attempt from 15 yards was stopped by NA senior keeper Peter Howard.  Senior forward Ian Klipa had a chance at the 6:37 mark but his shot from 20 yards went wide left.  Four minutes later, a header by senior defender Alex Greenblatt was blocked.  At the 11:50 mark, Klipa sent a cross into the box that Cuomo sent wide.  Altoona's Mark Stratton drove a direct kick to Howard from 35 yards at the 14:00 minute mark.  The Tigers came back with a good chance a little over a minute later, but junior MF Phil Fives had hit attempt go over the goal.  The Tigers earned their first corner kick at the 17:06 mark but did not convert.  NA continued to pressure the Altoona goal ve the next several minutes.  A shot by Cuomo from the right side was stopped by the Altoona keeper with Fives hitting the post on a rebound with 18:10 remaining in the half.  Richter came off the bench and had a chance from 15 yards but shot wide right.  With 8:50 remaining, Baird came down the right side but was stopped by Green.  Baird almost scored again but his header hit the cross bar with 7:41 left in the half.  On an ensuing corner kick, Febres-Cordero was wide on an attempt for inside the 18.  A minute later Klipa had a chance from 20 yards and was stopped.  The NA pressure forced another corner with 6:30 left.  The Tigers did not convert, but Baird had two additional chances in the next minute but was stopped by the Mountain Lion goalkeeper.  With 3:48 left, Baird was able to put in a rebound from right in front of the goal to give NA a 2-0 lead.  Klipa forced Green to make a diving save with 2:38 left.  Altoona did have a chance on one of their infrequent penetrations of NA territory but Joe Settimio's header went wide with 1:39 left.  Frustration caught up with the Altoona bench as a yellow card was given with 0:54 left.  The half ended with the Tigers holding a 2-0 advantage.  NA recorded three corner kicks in the first half to none for the visitors. 

The second half was more of the same as the Tigers resumed the pressure on the Altoona defense.  Febres-Cordero had the first chance but shot wide right at the 3:02 mark.  Just 41 seconds left, Cuomo made a nice run down the left side, beat the defender, and drove a shot past Green to extend the NA lead to 3-0.  Three minutes later, Baird sent a header over the goal.   At the 9:48 mark, NA earner another corner kick but junior forward Jamie Lucchini's attempt on the rebound went over the goal.  Two minutes later, Baird made a long run down the left side, beat the defense, and cleanly beat the Altoona keeper for his third of the game to give NA a commanding 4-0 lead.  At this point, NA Coach Bobby Vosmaer replaced his starting goalkeeper.  The physical play picked up at this point with players from both teams awarded yellow cards.  After Cuomo had a chance from thirty yards and shot wide at the 18:39 mark, Coach Vosmaer begin to substitute liberally eventually replacing all of his starters at the midway point of the half.  Junior Brice Merry had a shot from in close at the 19:19 mark but was stopped by Green.  After Altoona was given another yellow card, Richter sent a chance over the goal from 20 yards away.  The Tiger reserves continued to pressure the Altoona goal and forced four consecutive corner kicks starting at the 22:00 mark.  Persistence paid off as Richter converted on the third of the corners as he sent a header in off a perfect service from Veres.  The NA lead went to 5-0 with 14:56 remaining in the game.  The Tigers were not finished.  Junior MF Brandon Merry had a pair of chances shooting wide with 6:00 left and sending an attempt over the goal with 4:51 on the clock.  With 3:06 left, NA forced another corner but did not convert.  With 1:45 remaining, Veres made a clever move around a defender on the right side and finished off the Tiger scoring with a hard shot into the left corner.  Junior Anis Adnani had one last chance but his header was stopped.  The Tigers did force a final corner with 15 seconds remaining but were stopped.  NA finished with nine corner kicks for the game to none for Altoona.

It was a good performance by the Tigers with the offense able to score six goals.  The defense also had a good afternoon led by starters senior Jack Arnold, senior Kyle Weidman, senior Jake Spence,and senior Alex Greenblatt.  For his offensive efforts, the North Allegheny Sports Network named Matt Baird as the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.

On Friday afternoon, the Tigers defeated Plum, 3-2.  With the win on Saturday, NA improved their overall record to 2-1 on the season.  The Tigers will begin section play on Tuesday night when they travel to Seneca Valley to meet the Raiders in a 7:30 pm contest.

Photo Gallery

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 6  ALTOONA - 0

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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TIGERS REBOUND TO DOWN PLUM, 3-2

Photo Gallery

The Tigers came back from the tough loss to Erie Cathedral Prep to defeat Plum, the top-ranked team in Section 3, on Friday night at Plum.

Plum started quickly when Sean Smail scored less than three minutes into the game on a breakaway.  NA came back to pressure the Plum defense.  At the three minute mark, junior  Phil Fives sent a corner kick into the box, but senior Diego Febres-Cordero's header was stopped by the Plum goalkeeper.  With 19:49 left, Smail scored again to give the Mustangs a 2-0 advantage.  The Tigers came back to cut the margin to 2-1 when senior forward Ian Klipa converted a corner kick with 12:03 left in the half.  Assists when to Fives and senior Patrick Cuomo.  With less than six minutes remaining, senior forward Matt Baird took a cross from junior midfielder Jamie Luchini and headed the ball into the net to tie the game at 2-2.  Although NA had the advantage in shots on goal by a 10-2 margin, the teams went to the intermission tied at 2-2.

In the second half, the Tigers continued to dominate.  NA finally broke through to take the lead on a great service from senior Steve Veres to junior midfielder Alex McIlvried who headed the ball into the net to give NA a 3-2 lead.  The Tiger defense and junior GK Carl Johnson kept the Mustangs off the board for the remainder of the game.  Johnson made a key save with less than two minutes left to preserve the victory

(Thanks to John Gwaltney for the information in this report!)

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY - 3  PLUM - 2

INDIVIDUAL SCORING

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CATHEDRAL PREP EDGES TIGERS, 2-1,
IN SEASON OPENER

Photo Gallery

The Tigers opened the 2010 season on Saturday afternoon with a non-section contest against Erie Cathedral Prep at Newman Stadium.  The Ramblers were able to rally from a 1-0 deficit to defeat the Tigers, 2-1.  Prep is coming off a successful season winning their section and going deep into the state playoffs.

The Tigers got off to a good start when junior midfielder Jamie Luchini dodged his way through the Prep defense to give NA a 1-0 lead midway through the first half.  The Tigers controlled play throughout much of the half and had several attempts off the goal post.  The Ramblers rallied, however, to tie the game.  In the second half, Prep got the game winner.

It was a good effort on the part of the Tigers against a qualify opponent.  Senior goalkeeper Peter Howard was strong in goal making several critical saves for the Tigers.  NA will travel to Plum on Friday afternoon to meet the Mustangs in another non-section contest.  The varsity game time is scheduled for 3:30 pm.

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