NORTH ALLEGHENY SPORTS NETWORK

Boys' Lacrosse

Schedule

Roster

Photo Gallery

File Photo by Al Durick, Portraits Plus Studio

UHLER NAMED TO WPSLA FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS

Junior defense Nick Uhler was selected to the WPSLA Division I First Team All-Stars by the Western Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association.  Senior midfield Dan Stypula was named to the Second Team as was junior attack Chris Wojciak.  All members of the All-Star squads are listed below:

For more awards and details, go to: WPSLA

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SHADY SIDE EDGES TIGERS, 11-9, TO KNOCK NA FROM PLAYOFFS

The Tigers beat Shady Side Academy, 10-9, a week ago at Newman Stadium, but on Thursday night, the Indians got even with an 11-9 victory over the Tigers in a WPSLA playoff game.  Eric Hellberg scored four goals for Shady Side as the Tigers season came to an end.

Junior Chris Wojciak led the Tigers with three goals and five assists while junior Dylan Baun also tallied three goals.  Junior Tim Huckestein added a pair of goals and junior Jordan Quaglia scored a goal.  Junior Dan Torie was strong in the NA goal with 16 saves.

The loss dropped the final Tiger record to 13-7 for the season.  With a number of juniors returning for head coach John Rullan, the Tigers look to contend for the WPSLA title next season. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WPSLA PLAYOFFS - 2003

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

LATE TIGER RALLY STOPS SHADY SIDE, 10-9

The Tigers rallied from two three-goal deficits to edge the Shady Side Academy Indians, 10-9, on Tuesday night at Newman Stadium.  Junior Chris Wojciak's goal with 1:13 remaining was the game winner.  Senior Derek Polecritti and junior Tim Huckestein both had three goals for the winning Tigers.

Shady Side jumped on the Tigers early in the first quarter with a pair of goals in the first 1:33 of the game.  After Eric Hellberg and Brian Deal had given the Indians a 2-0 lead, the Tigers bounced back to tie the game.  Huckestein tallied his first goal at the 8:24 mark and Wojciak scored just 42 seconds later.  Neither team scored again as the period ended with the teams tied at 2-2.

The second quarter saw only two goals scored.  Garrett Fitzgerald gave SSA a 3-2 advantage just 1:11 into the quarter.  The Tigers had several good opportunities but were stymied by junior goalie Joey Costa.  Finally, senior Dan Stypula got the tying marker with only 1:50 left in the quarter as he beat Costa over the left shoulder to tie the game at 3-3.

The Indians started the second half with a three-goal burst.  Two goals by Hellberg and one by T. Shelby made it 6-3 halfway through the quarter.  Once again, the Tigers came back.  Huckestein set up Polecritti to cut the lead to 6-4 at the 5:19 mark.  With the Tigers two men down, Deal scored to push the lead back to three with 3:04 remaining in the period.  Huckestein then scored twice within a period of 44 seconds to bring NA within one goal at 7-6 with only 1:29 in the quarter.  With only four seconds on the clock, the Indians scored on a long pass and turning shot by Mike Leven to push the margin to 8-6 at the end of the quarter.

Polecritti got the Tigers back within one with his second goal at the 8:36 mark.  R.K. Galey came back to make it 9-7 as his shot barely crossed the goal line with 6:07 left.  Trailing by two, the Tigers mounted a furious rally in the last 3:40 of the game.  Polecritti scored again on a pass from Huckestein to cut the lead to 9-8 at the 3:40 mark.  Just 23 seconds later, Stypula converted on a pass from Wojciak and the Tigers tied the contest at 9-9.  With time running down, junior goalie Dan Torie made a good save and gave an accurate outlet pass to Stypula on the left side.  The Tiger senior avoided several SSA checks and broke toward midfield where he found Wojciak open.  Wojciak avoided one defender and broke in alone on Costa and beat the Indian goalie to give NA its first lead of the night with only 1:13 left in the game.  The Tiger defense held on as the home crowd stood for the final seconds, and NA had an important victory.

The win improved the Tiger record to 13-6, but more importantly, gave NA the #4 spot in the upcoming WPSLA playoffs.  Tentatively, the Tigers will host the #5 team, Shady Side, next Thursday at Newman Stadium.  For his outstanding efforts in his first game back after an injury had kept him sidelined for five games, the North Allegheny Sports Network selected Tim Huckestein as the Player of the Game.  Be sure to check the website for playoff information.  We will post the date, time, and opponent when it is officially announced.

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY – 10    SHADY SIDE ACADEMY - 9

SCORING SUMMARY (Unofficial)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

SEWICKLEY ACADEMY DOWNS TIGERS, 13-7

The Tigers traveled to Sewickley Academy on Saturday afternoon and came home with a 13-7 loss.  Junior Chris Wojciak scored a pair of goals while NA got single goals from seniors  Dan Stypula and Derek Polecritti, along with juniors Chris Slowik, Brad Heyl and Dylan Baun.  

The Tigers took a 2-1 lead after a quarter of play, but fell behind, 4-3, at halftime.  Sewickley came back to move ahead 7-3 before an NA rally cut the lead to 10-7 in the fourth quarter.  An aggressive NA defense gambled near the end of the game and allowed Sewickley to pick up the three final goals of the game.

The Tiger defense did force clearing errors by the Panthers resulting in three Tiger goals.  Molnar's strip of the SA goalie allowed Heyl to pick up the loose ball and score his first goal of the season.  Slowik intercepted a pass and scored his first goal after being moved to attack for the first time ever.  Wojciak scored one of his two goals after intercepting still another attempted clearing pass.

The loss ended a five-game NA winning streak and dropped the Tiger record to 12-6 going into the crucial game with Shady Side Academy on Tuesday night.

(Thanks to the NA Lacrosse website for information in this report!  Be sure to check the official website for more details about NA Lacrosse!)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS CRUSH BETHEL PARK, 14-2, FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT

The Tigers defeated the Bethel Park Blackhawks, 14-2, at Newman Stadium for their fifth straight win.  Leading the way for NA were junior Chris Wojciak and senior Derek Polecritti with six goals each in the easy victory.  Seniors Dan Stypula and Mike Molnar added a goal each for the winning Tigers.

The Tiger defense played well in holding Bethel Park to just two goals.  NA built a 6-0 halftime lead and coasted to the victory.  Junior goalie Mike Wiese was backed up by a tough NA defense that did not allow a goal until midway through the third quarter.  Junior defense Nick Uhler had two assists for the Tigers while seniors Stypula and Patrick Miner, along with juniors Wojciak, Dylan Baun and Brent Heffner, all had an assist each.

The win improved the Tigers' record to 12-5 on the season as they get ready for a big test at Sewickley Academy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS DEFEAT FOX CHAPEL, 10-3, FOR FOURTH STRAIGHT

The Tigers defeated the Fox Chapel Foxes, 10-3, on Senior Night at Newman Stadium on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.  Junior attack Chris Wojciak scored three goals and junior midfield Dylan Baun added two more to lead the NA attack.  Senior Pat Miner, juniors Garrett Simmer and Jordan Quaglia, and seniors Dan Stypula and Derek Polecritti all had goals for NA.  Wojciak picked up a pair of assists while Stypula and Polecritti had an assist each.

The Tigers got off to a good start, posting a 6-0 lead by the halfway point of the second quarter.  NA had a 7-1 advantage at the intermission.  Once again, Coach John Rullan got a good defensive performance from his Tigers.  The Tigers dominated the statistics with senior Cliff Moore winning eight face-offs and junior Brad Heyl accounting for seven ground balls.  Juniors Chris Slowik and Chris Bollinger chipped in with an assist each from their defensive positions.  Junior Dan Torie had seven saves in goal for the Tigers.

The win was the fourth straight and improved the overall NA mark to 11-5 on the season.  The Tigers will play Bethel Park on Thursday night at Newman Stadium.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

UPPER ST. CLAIR DEFEATED BY TIGERS, 8-2

The Tigers improved their record to 10-5 with an impressive 8-2 victory at Upper St. Clair on Tuesday evening.  Senior Dan Stypula and junior Chris Wojciak had three goals each to pace the Tiger attack.  Senior attack Derek Polecritti and junior midfielder Matt Territ tallied goals for NA.  Wojciak had two assists to add to his team leading total, while junior defense Nick Uhler also picked up an assist on a perfect pass to Wojciak.

Junior Dan Torie stopped eleven Panther shots to lead a strong Tiger defense.  NA will return home on Tuesday, May 6, to meet the Fox Chapel Foxes.  The North Allegheny Sports Network will be there to broadcast the game LIVE on the internet beginning with the pre-game show at 8:00 pm.  Game time is set for 8:15 pm.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WOJCIAK LEADS TIGERS OVER WOOSTER, 11-6

Junior attack Chris Wojciak scored five goals and added four assists to lead the Tigers to their first victory over an Ohio team as they defeated the Wooster Generals, 11-6, at Newman Stadium on Sunday afternoon.  Senior Derek Polecritti scored four goals and posted an assist in the victory.

The Tigers started quickly when Wojciak scored just 47 seconds into the game to give NA a 1-0 lead.  Wooster came back with a pair of goals by Adam Lowe to take a 2-1 lead, the second goal coming on a man-up opportunity.  The Tigers answered by scoring three goals in the last minute of the quarter.  Polecritti scored on assists from Wojciak with 57 seconds remaining and just eleven seconds later to give NA a 3-2 lead.  Senior midfield Dan Stypula scored with 20 seconds remaining on another Wojciak assist, and the Tigers took a 4-2 lead into the second period.

Wooster added another man-down goal just 23 seconds into the second quarter to cut the lead to 4-3.  Halfway through the period, Polecritti found Wojciak open and the NA junior made it 5-3 at the 6:34 mark.  Polecritti added another goal less than two minutes later, converting on a pass from junior Dylan Baun.  There was no further scoring and the Tigers went to the intermission with a 6-3 advantage.

Neither team could mount much of an offense for most of the third quarter.  Finally, with 1:15 remaining Lowe tallied another man-up goal to cut the lead to 6-4.  Wojciak had the answer with an unassisted goal with just eleven seconds left.  After three quarters, the Tigers had a 7-4 lead.

The Tigers put the game away with a three-goal outburst midway through the final stanza.  Wojciak scored after a 40-yard pass from junior midfield Jordan Quaglia to increase the lead to 8-4 with 8:05 left.  Polecritti and Wojciak both tallied unassisted goals and the NA lead ballooned to 10-4 at the 6:17 mark.  Junior Michael Belliveau scored from long range to push the lead to 11-4.  Ben Allen and Nick Polanco scored consolation goals in the last 1:38 as the Tigers won convincingly, 11-6.

NA got good defensive games from juniors Justin Rice and Nick Uhler, along with a strong game in goal by junior Dan Torie.  The win improved the NA record to 9-5 on the season.  The Tigers will be back in action again next Tuesday night when they travel to Upper St. Clair to meet the Panthers in an 8:00 pm contest.  

*BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE PHOTO GALLERY FOR PICTURES FROM SUNDAY'S GAME*

GAME SUMMARY
NORTH ALLEGHENY – 11    WOOSTER – 6

SCORING SUMMARY

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS CONTROL CENTRAL CATHOLIC, 10-2

The Tigers traveled to Central Catholic on Thursday evening and came home with a 10-2 victory over the Vikings.  Junior Chris Wojciak tallied five goals and added two assists to lead the Tigers.  Junior Tim Huckestein scored three goals and had an assist, senior Derek Polecritti had a goal and two assists, and junior Michael Belliveau scored a goal.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Tigers put the game away with six goals in the second period and four more in the third.  The Tiger defense, led by junior Chris Bollinger, who also had an assist, kept the Vikings under control for most of the evening.

The win improved the NA record to 8-5 on the season.  The JV Gold team defeated Central Catholic, 6-4.  The Tigers will be back in action again on Sunday when they host the Wooster (Ohio) Generals.  Game time is set for 12 noon at Newman Stadium.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS TROUNCE TRINITY, 17-1

The Tigers won their third straight game on Tuesday night at Newman Stadium as they defeated the Trinity Hillers, 17-1.  For all practical purposes, the game was over early as the Tigers scored six times in the first four minutes of the game.  Senior Derek Polecritti led the way for NA with six goals.  Junior attack Brent Heffner added three more tallies, while juniors Michael Belliveau and Tim Huckestein were responsible for a pair of scores each.

Coach John Rullan went to the bench early and often as thirty players were able to get on to the field for game action.  Senior Mike Molnar, along with juniors Tom Dittrich, Joe Williams and Chris Wojciak all scored goals in the game.  Wojciak continued to pile up assists this season as he was responsible for five "helpers" for his teammates.

The win improved the NA record to 7-4 on the season, with two of the losses coming to out of state teams from Ohio.  Speaking of Ohio, the Tigers will be on the road tomorrow night when they travel to Hudson, Ohio, to take on the Explorers in an 8:00 pm contest.  The JV Gold Team picked up another win as they defeated Trinity, 13-1.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

TIGERS WIN SECOND STRAIGHT GAME, 11-7, OVER PETERS TOWNSHIP

Eleven and seven have been lucky numbers for the Tigers in the past two games.  On Saturday night, NA defeated Peters Township, 11-7, for their second consecutive win by that score.  Leading the way for NA were seniors Derek Polecritti and Dan Stypula with three goals each.

Junior Chris Wojciak continued his fine play this season as he posted two goals and three assists.  Junior Tim Huckestein chipped in with a goal and two assists while juniors Garrett Simmer and Jordan Quaglia each had a goal for NA.  Credit senior Mike Molnar with an assist as the Tigers evened their division record at 2-2.

Defensively, junior Nick Uhler was the mainstay with seven ground balls, six forced takeaways and at least four big hits.  Junior Dan Torie had ten saves to pick up the victory for the Tigers.  The overall NA mark improved to 6-4, with two of the losses coming out of state.

The JV gold team downed Peters Township, 10-2.  The varsity will be in action again tomorrow evening when they host the Trinity Hillers.  Game time is scheduled for 8:15 pm at Newman Stadium.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE
WPSLA RANKINGS (as of 5/13/03)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SCHOLASTIC LACROSSE ASSOCIATION

2003 DIVISION ALIGNMENTS

DIVISION 1	DIVISION 2	DIVISION 3
NORTH ALLEGHENY	Fox Chapel	Shaler Area
Mt. Lebanon	Trinity	Allderdice
Franklin Regional	Hampton	Baldwin
Peters Township	Central Catholic	University
Shady Side Academy	Quaker Valley	Seneca Valley
Sewickley Academy	North Hills	North Catholic
Upper St. Clair	Bethel Park	Morgantown
Pine Richland	Chartiers Valley	Vincentian Academy

WPSLA ASSOCIATE MEMBERS: 
Erie Spears, Butler Area