Tigers Top Vikings, Advance To Penguins Cup Semifinals
By: Jared Barton
The #3 North Allegheny ice hockey team advanced past the quarterfinal round of the Penguins Cup Playoffs with a hard-fought 1-0 win over #6 Central Catholic Tuesday night from the Baierl Ice Complex. The win extends a streak of 11 straight seasons which the Tigers have reached at least the semifinal round of the Penguins Cup Playoffs.
The first period was predominantly controlled by North Allegheny, which boasted a physical brand of hockey on the ice, with many hits and blocked shots. Juniors Ravi Desai, Ed Scherer, and Joey Mitchell all brought intensity and relentless pressure throughout the contest.
The Tigers scored the lone goal of the game less than three minutes into the second period after killing off one of four Viking power plays. Senior Gianni Lochiatto banked home a feed in front from fellow senior Marc Joyson’s pass from behind the net. Senior William Kasunich also assisted in the play.
Senior Cam Junker had a strong game in net, stopping all 20 shots he faced. Vikings senior Ben Balla made 21 saves in the loss.
With the win, North Allegheny advances to Monday’s semifinal against #7 South Fayette from the RMU Island Sports Complex. The North Allegheny Sports Network will have live audio coverage of the contest, with puck drop scheduled for 9:15 p.m.
Ice Hockey Summary vs. Central Catholic, 3-4-25
| SCORE BY PERIOD | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | FINAL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Catholic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Allegheny | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
