Sports
Bethel Park Black Hawks Win High School Hockey National Championship
March 30, 2014
After losing to Peters Township in the PIHL Penguins Cup championship game nearly two weeks ago, the Bethel Park Black Hawks regrouped in a major way and now they have a NATIONAL title to show for it. Bethel Park became the first Western Pennsylvania team to win the USA Hockey national Championship when they edged Providence, Illinois 2-1 Sunday in Omaha, Nebraska. Both Bethel Park and state champion Peters Township were a part of the 32-team national tournament. While the Indians were eliminated in pool play, the Black Hawks won their pool to advance to the Quarterfinals. There they beat Sioux Falls, South Dakota 3-0 on Saturday morning, then knocked off Des Moines, Iowa 3-1 in the National Semifinals Saturday night.Hometown Softball Broadcast Recap For South Side on 3/28/14
March 29, 2014
On a blustery day in Hookstown, the first Hometown Softball game of the 2014 season was played between the South Side Rams, and the Shenago Wildcats. Despite pre game rain, a damp field and gusting winds the visiting Wildcats win in come from behind fashion 5-3. These two teams are rivals in section 4 single A, and are expected to fight for the league title. As expected it was a battle decided by good pitching, solid defense, and timely hitting. Unfortunately for the Rams it was Shenango who did all three to perfection to pull out the victory.Scholastic Notebook – 03/28/2014
March 28, 2014
Baseball and softball teams were able to start playing games last week. But it’s never too early to look ahead – and there are two teams that have a chance to make history come late May. In baseball, Seneca Valley has been to the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game three years in a row, winning twice and losing last year. The Raiders could become the first WPIAL team in at least 70 years to make a championship game four years in a row. A check of WPIAL final game scores that go back to 1954, shows that no team has played in a championship game four consecutive years. Some teams have made it three years in a row. North Allegheny made it four of five years from 1990-94. Shaler made it four of five years from 1980-84.2014 WPIAL BASEBALL PREVIEW
March 26, 2014
With a new season upon us and WPIAL section play scheduled to start for some on Monday, March 31st, MSA Sports takes a look at some of the baseball players and the teams to watch for this 2014 campaign. The season again starts with a chill in the air, but who will be left standing when the district playoffs conclude in the heat of the final week in May. Four teams enter the season looking for back-to-back WPIAL baseball titles as North Allegheny, South Park, Beaver and Western Beaver start hitting for more gold. MSA Sports will have weekly rankings every Monday during the regular season, plus broadcasts and updated standings daily leading up to our exclusive coverage of the WPIAL Baseball Playoffs only here on the MSA Sports Network.2014 WPIAL SOFTBALL PREVIEW
March 24, 2014
With a new season upon us and WPIAL section play scheduled to start for some on Monday, March 24th, MSA Sports takes a look at some of the softball players and the teams to watch for this 2014 campaign. Will anybody knock Canon-McMillan off their district and state perch in Quad A? Will Greensburg-Salem, Riverside and Neshannock be able to repeat as WPIAL champs this spring after winning district gold a year ago? Those are some of the questions that will be answered over the next six weeks. MSA Sports will have weekly rankings every Tuesday during the regular season, plus broadcasts and updated standings daily leading up to our exclusive coverage of the WPIAL Softball Playoffs only here on the MSA Sports Network.2014-2015 WPIAL Springs Sports Alignment
The WPIAL Board of Control has approved the final seasonal alignment starting next season as the district spring sports sectional alignment has been approved. The new alignment kicks into affect next spring for WPIAL Baseball, Softball, Boys Volley, Boys Tennis, Boys Track & Field and Girls Track & Field. Click on the respective link below to see the new set up for each section and classification starting in the Spring of 2015. WPIAL Baseball: http://www.wpial.org/stuff/14-15/bse/14-15%20bse%20align%20o2.pdf
2014 MSA Sports Boys Basketball All-Netters
March 23, 2014
Two teams that won WPIAL championships this season each have two players on the MSA Sports All-Netters boys basketball all-star team. New Castle won the WPIAL Class AAAA championship and Lincoln Park the Class A title. They each have a duo on the team, which is picked by the MSA Sports Staff. The All-Netters squad (first- and second-teams) are made up of the top 10 players in the WPIAL, regardless of position. The teams also includes three juniors and one sophomore. Introducing the 2014 All-Netters team. FIRST TEAM: PLAYER OF THE YEAR MALIK HOOKER, NEW CASTLE 6-1, Senior, Guard-forward
2014 MSA Sports Girls Basketball All-Netters
The MSA Sports All-Netters squad is going places in the future. Five of the 10 players on the all-star girls team have either signed or made verbal commitments to Division I colleges. Another has around a dozen Division I scholarship offers. The team also has some youth. Four juniors and a sophomore are on the squad, which was picked by the MSA Sports staff. The team takes into consideration all WPIAL players. Here is a look at the 2014 All-Netters team. FIRST TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR BRENNA WISE, VINCENTIAN ACADEMY 6-0, Junior, Guard-Forward The MSA Sports staff made a Wise pick for Player of the Year.This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/23/2014
With winter sports and a busy week of state championships behind us, the spotlight shines on the change of seasons and spring sports as we wind down the month of March this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have the debut of WPIAL softball, boys volleyball, girls lacrosse and college baseball featuring Slippery Rock University, plus the final edition of the WPIAL Roundball Report ALL here at MSAsports.net Monday, March 24th: No Broadcasts Tuesday, March 25th: WPIAL Boys High School Volleyball - Shaler vs North Allegheny at 7:00pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network at MSAsports.net2014 PIAA BOYS BASKETBALL STATE PLAYOFF RESULTS
Two WPIAL champions were able to double their championship totals this season while another had to settle for state silver to go with their district gold. The New Castle Red Hurricane finished off a perfect season with a PIAA Class AAAA title a day after Lincoln Park was crowned the Class A champ. Earlier on Saturday, Seton-LaSalle came close, but lost by two points to settle for the runner-up trophy in Class AA. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 PIAA Boys Basketball Playoffs. All of the results with (MSA) after the score means you can listen to that contest anytime via archive here on the MSA Sports Network. 2014 PIAA CLASS AAAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:2014 PIAA GIRLS BASKETBALL STATE PLAYOFF RESULTS
The WPIAL went a perfect three for three during Championship Weekend in Hershey. The Blackhawks Cougars won the Triple-A crown, the Seton-LaSalle Rebels captured Double-A gold and the Vincentian Academy Royals are celebrating their first Single-A state championship. Here are ALL of the results from the 2014 PIAA Girls Basketball Playoffs. All game scores with (MSA) after can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network. 2014 PIAA CLASS AAAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Cumberland Valley Eagles 49 - Spring-Ford Rams 30 PIAA CLASS AAAA Semifinals: Spring-Ford Rams 47 - NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS 32 (MSA)
31-0!
The New Castle Red Hurricanes did what they had to do, just remain perfect. New Castle finished an amazing three year run with a PIAA Quad-A championship, claiming a 52-39 victory over LaSalle College in front of 6,600 at the Giant Center on Saturday night. New Castle finishes 31-0 on the season, joining Williamsport in 1984, Carlisle in 1988 and Chester two years ago to go undefeated in Quad-A. The Red Hurricanes are the first WPIAL to finish unbeaten since Sto-Rox accomplished a perfect campaign in 1983. The Red Hurricanes had come up empty in three other trips to the title game, falling in 1936, 1982 and 1998. New Castle is 87-2 in the last three seasons, winning 3 straight WPIAL championships. 78 of those wins came by 10 or more points.
Blackhawk Girls Win Third PIAA AAA Championship
The Blackhawk Cougars used a dominant third quarter to claim their first PIAA girls Class AAA title since 2000 and third in school history by defeating Archbishop Wood 51-43 at the Giant Center on Saturday night. Chassidy Omogrosso scored 26 points and allowed the Cougars to stay in the game in the first half. Blackhawk trailed 16-13 after one, Omogrosso hit a jumper at the buzzer to keep it a three point game. Halle Denman took over the scoring in the second, with a layup, two free throws and a key steal late in the half, the Cougars trailed 27-23 at the break.
Peters Twp Holds On to Win Class AAA Pa Cup Title
March 22, 2014
Peters Township killed off a pair of late penalties to capture a 2-1 victory over LaSalle College High School in winning the Class AAA Pennsylvania State Championship at Pegula Ice Arena on the campus of Penn State University. Indians captain Josef Kittelberger’s second period goal proved to be the game-winner, and Peters Township goalie Brian Baker made 31 saves, including several key stops in the waning moments. The triumph marks the fourth Pennsylvania Cup for Peters Township, and its first in AAA. Adam Alavi put the Indians (20-4) on the board 7:18 into the opening period, when he skated into a drop pass from Samuel Barnes, and snapped the shot past LaSalle College netminder Harrison Feeney.
Bisop Canevin Falls 5-2 in PA Cup Class AA State Finals
In the AA Pennsylvania Cup Hockey High School championships at Pegula Arena at Penn State University the Central Bucks South Titans defeat the Biship Canevin Crusaders by a score of 5-2. It is the first state hockey title and only the second state title in any sport for the school in only its 10th year of existence.
No Gold Rush For Seton-LaSalle as Rebels Boys Lose at Buzzer
The ball was in the right hands at the end of the game as Seton LaSalle had a chance to claim victory in the PIAA Class AA boys championship game against Philadelphia Constitution but Levi Masua’s three-pointer from the right win was a tad long and the Generals took home a 61-59 win over the Rebels at the Giant Center in Hershey.
Quaker Valley Falls to WC Bayard Rustin in PA Cup ‘A’ Finals
It might seem cliché, but a quick start in the playoffs is often talked about as a key in championship games. In the Pennsylvania Cup Class A title game at the Pergola Ice Arena at Penn State University, a fast start by Bayard Rustin was the difference as the Knights defeated Quaker Valley 5-2 to capture their 2nd PA Cup title and first since 2009. Less than two minutes into the game, Bayard Rustin led the Quakers 2-0 and that was a lead that QV could never overcome. Sophomore forward Brett Christie took a pass from J.R. Barone and went forehand-backhand to beat Parker Sherry just : 42 into the contest.
State Gold for the VA Royals
The second trip was the charm for Ron Moncrief and the Vincentian Academy Royals. Vincentian fell to Tri-Valley 59-42 in the return for PIAA basketball at the Giant Center last year, but the Royals finished 2014 in a big way, beating Old Forge 58-34 to win the second PIAA girls basketball championship in school history. Junior Brenna Wise dominated the first quarter, scoring 12 of her game-high 21 points in the first eight minutes. Wise hit a three late in the quarter that put Vincentian Academy up 18-9 after one. Vincentian Academy led 27-10 but some sloppy play and fouls led to 6 straight free throws for the Blue Devils and a 27-16 deficit at the break.
PIAA Boys AAA and Girls AAAA Championship Recap
The only two PIAA state basketball championship games this weekend at the GIANT Center in Hershey NOT involving teams from the WPIAL took place Friday night. Here are recaps from both the Boys AAA and Girls AAAA state title games.
Lincoln Park Comes Back to Earn First PIAA Boys Class A Basketball Crown
March 21, 2014
The third time was the charm for the Lincoln Park Leopards, who claimed their first PIAA Class A boys basketball title with a huge comeback over Philadelphia Math, Civics and Science Mighty Elephants 70-66 at the Giant Center in Hershey. The Leopards trailed by 16 points in the second quarter before rallying for the victory. Sophomore Maverick Rowan led the charge back for Lincoln Park, scoring 37 points in all 32 minutes. Rowan shot 13 of 24 from the floor in the game and came up with several huge baskets. The game was a rematch of the 2011 title game, won by MCS 70-55 at Penn State University.
