Tigers season ends in semifinal loss to Mt. Lebanon
by: Bob Orkwis
It was the fourth matchup of the season between North Allegheny and Mt. Lebanon and obviously the most important, as the winner of the 3A semifinal would advance to the title game next Saturday.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, this game ended the same as the first three, with Mt. Lebanon grabbing the win, this time a 1-0 Blue Devils victory.
Mt. Lebanon senior Ava Pesacreta scored the game’s only goal at 4:04 of the second quarter.
The Tigers best offensive chance came later in the quarter, when North Allegheny tried to find Addison Burns in front, which led to the Tigers only penalty corner of the contest. The Blue Devils defended and held on to their lead.
The North Allegheny defense and goalie Kayla Joyce were forced to be at their best due to the relentless pressure from Mt. Lebanon. Despite the territorial disadvantage and possession disparity, that unit and the entire Tigers team defended valiantly and kept North Allegheny within a goal until the final whistle sounded.
For one final time in her stellar career, Northwestern recruit Joyce was awarded the Wright Automotive Player of the Game honors. Joyce had her typical stellar performance, making 19 saves. She was huge in the second half, when Mt. Lebanon pushed for the insurance marker that never came.
The loss ends the Tigers season at 8-11. With that, we wish the seniors, Gabby Hazzard, Mia Brinkley, Josie Schomberg, Eliana Jones, Bailey Yatcko, Ryann Snowden, Biz Petschke, and Kayla Joyce good luck as they move on. Congratulations to head coach Michelle Kessler, the coaching staff and entire team for another outstanding season of North Allegheny field hockey.
Field Hockey Summary at Mt. Lebanon, 10-24-24
| GAME SUMMARY | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCORE BY QUARTERS | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | FINAL |
| North Allegheny | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mt. Lebanon | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
