NA participates in Calvin Behm Memorial Classic
The North Allegheny water polo teams traveled to the Hagerty Family Events Center in Erie, PA, to take part in the Calvin Behm Tournament over the weekend. The defending state champion boys team got off to a hot start, going 3-0 over the weekend, while the girls went 0-2.
The boys started Friday night with an OT thriller against Greenwich. Captain Callan Bunger scored the game-winning goal in overtime (his second of the night) to give the Tigers a 10-9 victory. Tabari Morgan led the NA offense with four goals while Logan Purnell made three steals. Mason Shantz, Filip Malezanov and Purnell all tallied goals. Michael Stefanko made nine saves in net.
On Saturday, NA started the day with an 11-2 win over Wilson. Bunger led the way with five goals. Malezanov tallied a goal and dished out five assists. Morgan had a hat trick while Purnell contributed a goal. Stefanko made 12 saves.
In Game 2 on Saturday, North Allegheny defeated North Penn, 15-8. Morgan and Bunger each had five goals. Defensively, the Tigers were all over the place as Shantz led the defense with four steals, Malezanov had three steals, while Purnell had two. Nathan Hilbert and Bryce Miller each picked up their first goal of the season. Stefanko made 13 saves in net while Gannon Brooks had four saves in his varsity debut.
On the girls’ side, NA drew a tough opener, taking on the defending state champions, Wilson, where they fell 12-1. Karuna Ghuman had the lone goal.
In their second match, the Tigers dropped a 15-6 contest to North Penn. North Allegheny battled well in the field. Bella Spino led the NA offense with five goals. Mikaela Dassanaike had the other goal, while Lila Torchia had three steals defensively. Katherine Vales made five saves in net.
The boys’ team begins their season 3-0 overall. The girls’ team starts with an 0-2 record. The Tigers will be back in action at home next weekend when they host the NA Tiger Classic on Friday and Saturday. Both teams will battle Governor Mifflin on Friday, with the boys playing at 7:30 p.m. and the girls going at 8:30 p.m.
