North Allegheny notebook: Girls soccer goes after 4th third straight playoff berth

By: Josh Rizzo
Thursday, August 29, 2019 | 6:00 PM

North Allegheny girls soccer won’t be lacking for firepower when it begins its quest for a third straight WPIAL Class AAAA playoff berth.

The Tigers, who opened the season last Friday against perennial power Mars at Newman Stadium, bring back plenty from a team that advanced to the WPIAL quarterfinals last season.

Seniors Emma Bundy and Ava Ruppersberger are returning first-team all-section players. Bundy tied for the Tigers’ lead with nine goals, and Ruppersberger added seven goals.

North Allegheny will return another scoring threat in Sarah Schupansky, who finished second on the team with eight goals last year and was named second-team all-section.

Senior midfielder Sophia Spano, junior goalie Madison Vukas and senior forward Hannah Kirkpatrick also are returning all-section players.

The Tigers, who finished 11-6-2 last season, again will have to contend with Butler, Fox Chapel, North Hills, Pine-Richland, Seneca Valley and Shaler in Section 1-AAAA.

Long streak ends

The North Allegheny girls golf team suffered its first loss to a WPIAL opponent since 2014 when the Tigers lost 185-188 to Fox Chapel last Wednesday at Pittsburgh North Golf Course. North Allegheny’s previous defeat came Sept. 11, 2014, against Shady Side Academy.

The Tigers (4-1) were led by Isabella Walters, who shot 41. Esha Vaidya contributed a 47, and Olivia Schenk and Sissi Hai shot 50s.

Canovali’s big day

North Allegheny wasn’t able to earn a section win over Pine-Richland last Tuesday, but Tigers junior Portland Canovali made it a memorable day at Diamond Run Golf Course.

Canovali recorded a hole-in-one with a gap wedge on the 127-yard eighth hole. North Allegheny (6-3, 2-2) lost to Pine-Richland, 191-210.

Scott Fitzgerald led the Tigers with a 4-over-par 39.

Settling down

The defending WPIAL Class AAA champion North Allegheny girls tennis team had to refocus after a slow start. The Tigers dropped two of their first three matches to Upper St. Clair and Latrobe, respectively, by 3-2 margins.

Since, North Allegheny (5-2, 2-0) has four consecutive wins, including a 3-2 win over Mars last Tuesday. Jenny Zhu won at No. 3 singles against the Planets, and the doubles duos of Claire Shao/Emily Wincko and Abbey Swirsding/Ashley Chung propelled the Tigers to victory.

Devine return

North Allegheny graduate Derek Devine returned to Pittsburgh last Saturday to help Virginia take on Pitt in the ACC season opener.

Devine, a redshirt freshman, was listed as the backup right-tackle entering the game behind sophomore Ryan Swoboda.

Tags: North Allegheny