North Allegheny picks up section win over Seneca Valley on Senior Night
by: Bob Orkwis
If North Allegheny had any hopes of qualifying for the 3A WPIAL Girls Lacrosse playoffs, the Tigers needed a win over visiting Seneca Valley in a Section 3A-2 match up. North Allegheny (4-6, 1-4) notched a much needed 16-9 win over the Raiders (3-6, 0-5) on Senior Night at Newman Stadium.
Senior Lily Eppinger put Seneca Valley up 1-0 just over a minute into the game, but North Allegheny would register the next six goals.
Gracie Lynch tied the game at 1-1 on a free position goal, before getting her second goal of the night and 16th of the season to give the Tigers a lead they would never relinquish.
Nora Walkauskas scored her seventh goal of the season off an assist from Sarah Harlan. Reagan Riordan and Bella Wittenberg (second) would also add first quarter goals. After Harlan netted her first of the night on a free position early in the 2nd quarter, North Allegheny had built a 6-1 lead.
Seneca Valley would mount a comeback with the next three goals. Alaina Wencil, freshman Lillian Zock on a Wencil assist, and Wencil again scored in just over a three minute stretch to make the score 6-4. But Harlan netted a big goal late in the second quarter off a Lynch assist to put North Allegheny up by three goals at halftime.
The senior Wencil scored her third goal of the night, which Riordan answered after the ensuing face-off for an 8-5 Tigers lead.
Wencil scored again for Seneca Valley, before Riordan and Harlan completed their hat tricks to put North Allegheny in front 10-6. Harlan scored her fourth goal of the game in the final minute of the third quarter for a five-goal North Allegheny lead headed into the final period.
The senior Riordan added two more goals in the first minute of the fourth quarter for a 13-6 lead. Wencil added her fifth goal of the game and Sophia Molea scored for the Raiders to bring Seneca Valley within five goals.
Harlan converted an assist from Lynch for her fifth goal of the game and 26th of the year, and when Walkauskas converted a free position, it was a 15-8 lead for the Tigers.
Riordan scored her sixth goal of the game from Walkauskas before Zock rounded out the scoring to make the final score 16-9.
Senior Fiola Ragan was the winning goalie for North Allegheny, while the third senior was Sara Donaldson.
With her six-goal performance, Grove City bound senior Reagan Riordan was chosen as The Wright Automotive Player of the Game.
Riordan now has a team leading 37 goals on the season and 132 for her career at North Allegheny.
It’s more section action on Wednesday night for North Allegheny, as first-place Pine-Richland hits Newman Stadium to face the Tigers at 7PM. That game will be carried on the North Allegheny Sports Network.
GIRLS LACROSSE SUMMARY VS. Seneca Valley, 4-20-26
| SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seneca Valley | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| North Allegheny | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 16 |
