Tigers End Losing Streak with Shutout Win Over Butler
by: Bob Orkwis
After losing a pair of matches and being shutout in those contests, North Allegheny needed a strong performance to regain its footing. The Tigers got that in a Section 3-4A match against Butler at Newman Stadium, coming out strong and finishing even better in the second half to post a 4-0 win over the Golden Tornado.
The Tigers had a corner kick, a free kick, and several strong chances in the game’s first five minutes but could not find the net.
That happened in the 13th minute, when senior Kevin Bandes took a pass from Josh Tufts and slotted the ball into the net for his third goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
North Allegheny spent the rest of the first half and a good part of the second half looking for some insurance markers, and those finally came courtesy of Caiden Sowa.
The senior narrowly missed connecting in the 60th minute when his shot missed the far post, but he did not miss in a three-minute span shortly thereafter.
Sowa dragged the ball between two Butler defenders on the near side of the box, drawing a foul and a penalty kick, which he buried in the 69th minute.
Alex Dylewski then found Sowa again on the right side, and his shot found the net for his fourth goal of the year and a 3-0 Tigers lead.
More insurance came in the final minute of play when Cooper Sanner sent a right footed chip into the net from distance to make the final score 4-0. The goal was the first varsity tally for the freshman.
Jaxon Cowger earned the clean sheet in net for North Allegheny (8-3-2, 5-2-1). The shutout was the eighth of the year for the Tigers. Butler remained winless in section play with the loss.
Caiden Sowa, with his second brace of the season was named the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.
It is a huge road section match next up on the docket for North Allegheny, as the Tigers travel to take on North Hills next Tuesday. The Indians at (4-2-1) are right behind North Allegheny in the Section 3-4A standings.
Boys Soccer Summary vs. Butler, 10-8-26
| SCORE BY HALVES | 1st | 2nd | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Allegheny | 1 | 3 | 4 |
