Late Comeback Propels Tigers To WPIAL Championship
by Jared Barton
The North Allegheny boys’ lacrosse team scored six unanswered goals in the fourth quarter to beat Shady Side Academy 9-6 in the WPIAL 3A semifinal from Hampton Monday night.
NA took the early advantage in the contest off of back-to-back markers from senior Evan Lyon and sophomore Jonathan Castillo. Shady Side responded with goals from Emmerich Braham and Seamus Riordan. Lyon tallied his second of the night with just 11 seconds left in the quarter on a push into the offensive zone and crease surrounded by three Bulldog defenders.
Both teams went back and forth in the second quarter, but the only goal came with 1:20 left before halftime. North Allegheny was unable to cash in on a one-minute, un-releasable man-up opportunity, and Braham tied the game 3-3.
The Tiger offense was working hard into the third quarter, but the scoring seemed to have dried up. The Bulldogs tallied the next three markers in the frame, two from Landon Mauser and one from John Poggi. NA’s back was against the wall heading into the final stanza.
Trailing by three with a quarter remaining, Lyon and the NA offense found new life, with a quick start in the offensive zone. Lyon scored his hat trick goal with 11:26 left. Eight seconds later, sophomore Luke Rohan won a faceoff and scored immediately to bring the game within one. The Tigers kept the offensive pressure going, as sophomore Nick Sichak received a pass on the doorstep and notched his lone goal of the night to tie the game with 7:43 remaining. Twelve seconds later, junior Jack Ferraro picked up a loose ball in the NA offensive zone as Shady Side attempted to clear and rifled a shot into the back of the net to regain the lead. Two minutes later, Lyon found junior Travis Lamark on a cross-field pass that set Lamark in perfect position for a spinning, rising shot catching the top left corner of the net. Lyon added his fourth of the night with 4:45 remaining. The RIT commit took home Wright Automotive Player of the Game honors for his performance.
Rohan had a dominating night at the “X” with 10 faceoff wins and four ground balls. Junior Colman Craft had three groundballs and three caused turnovers. Junior Logan Lyle made 10 saves in a stellar performance that kept NA in the game.
With the win, the Tigers improve to 14-6 overall and advance to the WPIAL Championship for the first time since 2021. North Allegheny will play second-seeded Mt. Lebanon for the title at Joe Walton Stadium later this week. The North Allegheny Sports Network will have live audio coverage of the contest.
BOYS LACROSSE SUMMARY VS. SHADY SIDE ACADEMY, 5-20-24
| SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Allegheny | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| Shady Side Academy | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 6 |