Tigers and Panthers battle to a draw
by: Bob Orkwis
A Saturday morning match was on the docket as Upper St. Clair paid a visit to Newman Stadium to take on North Allegheny in a 4A non-section tilt. A well-played and hard fought match between the two squads ended in 2-2 tie.
The Panthers had two leads in the game, and the Tigers twice equalized but could never take the lead.
Upper St. Clair took a 1-0 lead in the fourth minute on a corner kick goal. Senior Abby Mascaro scored an olimpico goal, as her cross found the net straight from the far flag for the early lead.
North Allegheny tied the match in the 16th minute. Mia Barsotti gathered the ball near the right corner, and her cross found the foot of Ella Brinkley who found the net for her first goal of the season and a 1-1 tie.
It was the Delaware recruit Mascaro again in the 26th minute giving the Panthers the lead. After a great diagonal run, freshman Bella Blohm laid a perfect ball to Mascaro, who chipped it past an onrushing Jordan Beemer for a 2-1 lead.
The score would remain 2-1 until the 44th minute, when Kieran Shannon tied the game for North Allegheny. The senior took a through ball on the right wing from Addison Vrabel and after a series of stop and go moves, angled inside, and booted a right footed shot inside of the far post to tie the match. Shannon now has a team high four goals in the first four matches for the Tigers.
The Tigers would have the two best opportunities to break the tie the rest of the way.
In the 66th minute, Barsotti got open down low, but her shot was smothered by the Panthers sophomore keeper Sam Baldasare. In the 78th minute, Shannon, who had chances the entire match, drove a shot from distance that hit the crossbar.
With the opening goal of the match, which was also the first varsity marker for the sophomore, Ella Brinkley was selected as the Wright Automotive Player of the Game.
North Allegheny is now (2-1-1) on the season, with Upper St. Clair standing at (0-2-2).
It’s a week off for the Tigers, who return to the pitch next Saturday when they host the Norwin Knights. That match is set for an 11:30am kickoff can be heard on the North Allegheny Sports Network as the first game of a girls-boys soccer doubleheader on September 12th.
Girls Soccer Summary vs. Upper St. Clair, 9-5-26
| SCORE BY HALVES | 1st | 2nd | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Upper St. Clair | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| North Allegheny | 1 | 1 | 2 |
