Tigers Tame Foxes 3-2 to Remain Undefeated
by Bob Orkwis
When Fox Chapel and North Allegheny met on September 13th in Fox Chapel, the Tigers saw a 3-0 lead evaporate before Abigal Stager scored the game winning goal.
That part of the script remained the same for North Allegheny, as Stager’s 25th goal of the season led the Tigers to a 3-2 win over the Foxes at Newman Stadium.
The Kentucky recruit took a pass in the 75th minute and turned and fired the ball into the top of the net from twenty yards out to help the Tigers improve to (15-0, 12-0).
North Allegheny had posted six straight shutouts, but Fox Chapel broke that streak on a corner kick goal in the game’s 34th minute.
Alyssa Quackenbush had the service, and the ball, Maddie Grimsley and Natalie Rak all arrived together on the goal line. There was contact between Grimsley and Rak, which forced the ball out of Rak’s hands and across the line for a 1-0 lead.
North Allegheny had a great free kick opportunity by Kieran Shannon four minutes later sail high and wide.
Another free kick opportunity in the 39th minute allowed the Tigers to tie the match. Junior Maddie Miller took the free kick just inside the far touch line from forty yards away, and the defender was able to bend the ball over the head of goalkeeper Gianna Patterson to make the score 1-1.
North Allegheny took the lead in the 58th minute, when Ally Ruiz received the ball at the 18-yard line, and in one motion, the senior turned and fired a shot into the top of the net for her 10th goal of the season and a 2-1 lead.
Another set piece allowed Fox Chapel to tie the game. Senior Kate Friday sent a free kick towards the far post where talented freshman Emily McKee volleyed into the net for her 17th goal of the season tying the score at 2-2 in the 62nd minute.
That set the stage for Stager to notch her second game winning goal of the year against Fox Chapel, who fell to (9-4-1, 7-4-1) with the loss.
Maddie Miller, who is a light’s out defender from her center back position, received the nod for the Wright Automotive Player of the Game. She was her usual self defensively for the Tigers, but her free kick marker was her first tally in 2023 and her second career marker, good enough to earn her the honors.
North Allegheny is back at it on Wednesday night at home when they welcome Allderdice to Newman stadium for their penultimate section match of the regular season. You can hear coverage with a 7:30 kickoff on the North Allegheny Sports Network.
Girls Soccer Summary vs. Fox Chapel, 10-9-23
| GAME SUMMARY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| SCORE BY HALVES | 1 | 2 | FINAL |
| Fox Chapel | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| North Allegheny | 1 | 2 | 3 |
