Sports
MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Softball – 03/29/2012
March 29, 2012
Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten softball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Tuesday at www.MSAsports.net While the first pitch to the 2012 season was thrown this past Friday, section play began Thursday for some district teams. So for now, MSA Sports presents our 'Preseason' WPIAL softball rankings.Final 2011 record is in parenthesis.WPIAL CLASS AAAA:1) HEMPFIELD SPARTANS (17-1)2) SHALER TITANS (16-2)3) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (9-6)4) LATROBE WILDCATS (17-5)5) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (13-7)6) NORTH ALLEGHENY TIGERS (14-5)7) BALDWIN HIGHLANDERS (11-4)MSA Sports Top Ten – WPIAL Baseball – 03/28/2012
March 28, 2012
Each week during the regular season, MSA Sports will rank the top ten baseball teams in the WPIAL in all four classifications every Monday at www.MSAsports.net While the first pitch to the 2012 season was thrown this past Friday, section play doesn't start for most district teams until next week. So for now, MSA Sports presents our 'Preseason' WPIAL baseball rankings.Final 2011 record is in parenthesis.WPIAL CLASS AAAA:1) SENECA VALLEY RAIDERS (18-4)2) BETHEL PARK BLACK HAWKS (14-6)3) NORWIN KNIGHTS (17-1)4) SHALER TITANS (12-8)5) PINE-RICHLAND RAMS (13-6)6) PETERS TOWNSHIP INDIANS (20-3)This Week on the MSA Sports Network – 03/26/2012
March 26, 2012
With the winter high school sports season now completely in the books, the spring high school and college sports season takes center stage as March turns to April this week here on the MSA Sports Network. We have Semifinals and Championship Game action in the PIAA boys and girls state basketball playoffs along with the Semifinals and Championships on the PIHL Penguins Cup Playoffs and the Pennsylvania Cup Hockey Finals, plus college baseball and women's lacrosse as well as the WPIAL Roundball Report and the PIHL Power Play Show ALL here at MSAsports.netMonday, March 26th:WPIAL Boys High School Lacrosse - North Allegheny vs Mount Lebanon at 8:00pm on the North Allegheny Sports Network at MSAsports.net Tuesday, March 27th:
2012 MSA SPORTS BOYS ALL-NETTERS
March 25, 2012
For the Girls All-Netters team, CLICK HERE. When it comes to picking the player of the year in WPIAL basketball season, you have to be on guard – twice. The MSA Sports staff has selected two guards as the co-Players of the Year. They are Highlands’ Micah Mason and Shaler’s Geno Thorpe. Those two players also lead the MSA Sports All-Netters team for 2012. Here is a look at the players of the year and also the first and second team All-Netters.
2012 MSA SPORTS GIRLS ALL-NETTERS
For the Boys All-Netters team, CLICK HERE.
Quaker Valley Wins Second Class A Pennsylvania Cup, West Allegheny & Bethel Park Fall Short
It was a good day for the Flyers Cup representatives as Council Rock South and LaSalle College claimed Pennsylvania Cup championships, and Quaker Valley making the short trip home with gold in the Class A gameHere are recaps and scoring summaries of all three championships, heard right here on the MSA Sports Network: CLASS AAA PENNSYLVANIA CUP CHAMPIONSHIP: LaSalle College Explorers 6 - Bethel Park Blackhawks 2 LaSalle College has won four of the last five Flyers Cups and won back to back Pennsylvania Cups in 2008-09, the Explorers came into the RMU Island Sports Center and dominated the opening period on the way to a 6-2 victory over the Bethel Park Blackhawks on Sunday night.It's the fourth Pa. Cup for the Explorers, to go with six Flyers Cup in all, LaSalle College ends the season at 24-2.
Chester, Neumann-Goretti, Imhotep Charter & Philly Constitution Win PIAA Boys Hoops Titles
For the second straight year, both Montour in Class AAA and Lincoln Park in Class A, won four rounds of games in the state boys basketball playoffs to qualify for the state finals at Penn State University, and for the second straight year, the Spartans and Leopards return home with silver. A day later, Beaver Falls lost in heartbreak fashion in overtime to defending champion Imhotep Charter as the three WPIAL teams go 0-3 in not so Happy Valley this weekend. Here are ALL of the results from the 2012 PIAA Boys Basketball Playoffs.All games with (MSA) after the score can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network.2012 PIAA CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:Chester Clippers 59 - Lower Merion Aces 33PIAA CLASS AAAA Semifinals:Lower Merion Aces 79 - Erie Cathedral Prep Ramblers 48Chester Clippers 67 - Central Dauphin Rams 48PIAA CLASS AAAA Quarterfinals:
Seton-LaSalle, Archbishop Carroll, Archbishop Wood & Steelton-Highspire Win PIAA Girls Basketball Gold
Seton-LaSalle finished a storybook season with a perfect ending. The Rebels ran away with the gold by routing York Catholic in the PIAA Girls Class AA championship game at Penn State University, closing out an undefeated 30-0 season. The news was not so good for two other WPIAL girls teams as Oakland Catholic was shutdown in losing to Archbishop Carroll 56-37 in AAAA while North Catholic lost to Steelton-Highspire 66-59 in Class A. Here are ALL of the final scores from the 2012 WPIAL Girls Basketball Playoffs.All games with (MSA) after the score can be heard archived here on the MSA Sports Network.2012 PIAA CLASS AAAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:Archbishop Carroll Patriots 56 - OAKLAND CATHOLIC EAGLES 37 (MSA)PIAA CLASS AAAA Semifinals:OAKLAND CATHOLIC EAGLES 64 - Governor Mifflin Mustangs 39Archbishop Carroll Patriots 65 - Spring-Ford Rams 43
Bethel Park, West Allegheny & Quaker Valley Win 2012 PIHL Penguin Cup Titles
Quaker Valley and West Allegheny were able to overcome all obstacles while playing with the bulls-eye of being the top dawg en route to PIHL high school hockey championships. For the Quakers, it was their third title and first since 2008 while the Indians celebrate their first ever Penguin Cup golden crown. Meanwhile 6th-seed Bethel Park is in 7th heaven after bucking the odds and winning their 7th PIHL championship with a third straight one goal victory. Here are ALL of the results from the 2012 PIHL Penguins Cup high school hockey playoffs.All games with (MSA) after the score can be heard archived on the MSA Sports Network at here msasports.net.2012 PIHL FIRST NIAGARA PENGUINS CUP CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME:Bethel Park Black Hawks 2 - Peters Township Indians 1 (MSA)PIHL CLASS AAA Semifinals:Bethel Park Black Hawks 3 - Penn-Trafford Warriors 2 (MSA)
Bethel Park Edges Rival Peters Township for Penguins Cup AAA Title
March 24, 2012
The turnaround is complete.Zach Volzer scored with just 1:56 to play, lifting #6 Bethel Park (18-7-1) to their historic 7th PIHL Penguins Cup title, defeating #5 Peters Township (15-6-3) 2-1 Saturday at CONSOL Energy Center.After starting the season 3-7-1, Bethel Park rattled off 15 straight wins, with many of them coming by only one goal.After a scoreless first period, Bethel Park would strike first, as Derek Lesnak would knock in his second goal of the postseason at the 4:40 mark of the second period, making it 1-0 Black Hawks.Peters Township would not wait long to respond, as Trevor Recktenwald would net his 4th goal of the playoffs, evening the score at 1-1.The score would remain ties until Volzer’s goal, as he would take a pass from Lesnak and riffle a shot by Indians’ goaltender Brian Baker, making it 2-1.That was all Bethel Park would need, fending off a furious attack in the final two minutes by Peters Township.2012 PIHL Penguins Cup High School Hockey CLASS AAA Blog
It's championship time, so that means it's MSA Sports blog time! Sure, we are the only place to listen to all three PIHL Penguins Cup Championship Games live (and archived), but if you don't have the time and want a quick update on the happenings of the high school hockey finals all day long from the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.CLASS AAA CHAMPIONSHIP: #5 Peters Township Indians vs. #6 Bethel Park BlackhawksBethel Park now has 7 Penguins Cup Championships, the 2nd most out of any PIHL team (Meadville).FINAL SCORE: Bethel Park 2, Peters Township 1.Empty net for Peters Township! 52 seconds to go. GOAL! With just 1:56 to go, Zach Volzer's shot from the point redirects off a Peters player and goes in, making it 2-1 Bethel Park.A couple of penalties each way, but still no scoring. Remains a 1-1 game. 8 minutes to go.
West Allegheny Works Overtime to Win PIHL AA Penguins Cup
Erie Cathedral Prep came into the PIHL Class AA Penguins Cup Championship red hot, as the Ramblers hadn’t lost a game since January. The only loss West Allegheny suffered since November 10th was at the hands of Cathedral Prep (5-0) on February 27th. The Indians were making their second appearance in the finals since 2010, when they were runner up to Latrobe. The Ramblers last captured the Penguins Cup in 1997. These two schools went back and forth in a great match for the AA title at the Consol Energy Center. It took some extra minutes to get the job down, but the wait was well worth it for West Allegheny as the Indians captured their first Penguins Cup.Imhotep Charter Repeats as PIAA Class AA Boys Champs With Overtime Win Over Beaver Falls
Imhotep Charter claimed their second straight PIAA Boys Class AA title, but this time it wasn't easy. The Panthers defeated the Beaver Falls Tigers 56-54 in overtime at the Bryce Jordan Center. It's the third overall title and the second won in extra time, the Panthers need two extra sessions to defeat North Catholic in the 2009 championship game. It was a lot easier last year, the Panthers blew out Greensburg Central Catholic 67-34.Shakur Nesmith forced overtime with a steal and score with 19 seconds remaining. Coach Andre Noble said his kids could have given up at that point, but Nesmith read the trap right and was able to get the tying points. The Tigers had a chance to win it, but Sheldon Jeter missed a deep three.
Quaker Valley Ends Mars 3-Year Run as PIHL Class A Penguins Cup Champions
The Mars Fighting Planets three year stay atop the PIHL Class A championship hill has come to an end. Their three Penguins Cup title in 2009, 2010 and 2011 are now bookended by championship loses to Quaker Valley. Ryan Dickson scored two goals and Clayton Bouchard added a goal and assist as the Quakers won their third PIHL Penguins Cup and first since 2008 with a 4-2 victory Saturday afternoon at the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh. The game had a tentative start to it as both team came out and played a conservative style with few great scoring chances against Mars goaltender Christian Knapp and Quaker Valley netminder Doug Revak. The Fighting Planets actually outshot the Quakers 8-7 in the opening period.2012 PIHL Penguins Cup High School Hockey CLASS AA Blog
It's championship time, so that means it's MSA Sports blog time! Sure, we are the only place to listen to all three PIHL Penguins Cup Championship Games live (and archived), but if you don't have the time and want a quick update on the happenings of the high school hockey finals all day long from the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP: #1 WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS vs #4 ERIE CATHEDRAL PREP RAMBLERSCLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP: #1 WEST ALLEGHENY INDIANS vs #4 ERIE CATHEDRAL PREP RAMBLERSWest Allegheny 4 - Erie Cathedral Prep 3 Final-OT. Keep it here for the Bethel Park/Peters Township Class AAA tilt on the MSA Sports Network! We will have the call, the blog and the article as well as all of the State Championship games on the network tomorrow.Steel-High Wins Back-to-Back PIAA Gold; Beats North Catholic In Class A Girls Finals
Rayvon Donald did the job on both ends, with a rebound and put back and followed with a steal all in the final minute to seal a 66-59 win for the Steelton-Highspire Rollers over the North Catholic Trojanettes in the PIAA Girls Class A championship game at the Bryce Jordan Center.The Rollers claim back to back championships, defeating Bishop Guilfoyle last season 73-60. Junior Malia Tate-DeFreitas averaged 32.4 points per game to lead the state, she struggled from the field shooting 5 of 21, but still led the Rollers with 18 points. She also contributed with eight rebounds and nine assists. It was only the third time this season that she was held under twenty points in a game.Amber Hess-Moore stepped up the scoring with 17 points, including five of seven triples. Amber Anderson added 13 points and seven rebounds. Donald only scored eight points but controlled the glass, with 9 rebounds.2012 PIHL Penguins Cup High School Hockey CLASS A Blog
It's championship time, so that means it's MSA Sports blog time! Sure, we are the only place to listen to all three PIHL Penguins Cup Championship Games live (and archived), but if you don't have the time and want a quick update on the happenings of the high school hockey finals all day long from the CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh.CLASS A: #1 QUAKER VALLEY QUAKERS vs. #2 MARS PLANETSThe Champions:FINAL SCORE: Quaker Valley 4, Mars 2.GOAL! Mars is making it interesting, cutting it to 4-2 Quaker Valley on a Power Play goal by Robert Foley. One minute to go here in this one.GOAL! Mars will not be shut out in this one. Robert Foley scores with 4:21 remaining to make it now 4-1 Quaker Valley.Neumann-Goretti Beats Montour Again for Three-Peat in PIAA Boys AAA
The Montour Spartans jumped out to a ten point first quarter lead but the Neumann-Goretti Saints rallied to take the lead late in the second quarter and survived some poor free throw shooting down the stretch to claim their third consecutive PIAA Class AAA Boys Championship with a 48-45 victory Friday night at the Bryce Jordan Center.Montour had a chance to tie the game with two seconds to play, but Kevin Scuilli's three point attempt from the left corner was deflected by La'Quan Coaxum, ending the dreams of the Spartans. The Saints could have pulled away but went 5 of 15 in the fourth quarter from the line, a 14 of 30 performance for the game.Oakland Catholic Falls to Archbishop Carroll in PIAA Girls AAAA Finals
March 23, 2012
The Archbishop Carroll Patriots picked up their second PIAA Girls Quad-A title with a 56-37 victory over Oakland Catholic on Friday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Patriots won the 2009 title and fell to Mount Lebanon in last year's title game.The Patriots were led by Sarah Curran with 16 points and 7 rebounds, Rachel Pearson added 14 points with 7 rebounds and Meghan Creighton with 10 points and 7 boards.Archbishop Carroll took the lead midway thru the first quarter as Creighton hit a three to stake the Patriots to a 14-9 lead. Oakland Catholic turned the ball over five times in the first and went without a basket over the final 3:07.The second quarter started the same way as the first for the Eagles, only one point and no field goals thru the first four minutes. Pearson hit a three with 2:27 left in the half forced Oakland Catholic coach Shannon Boyle to take a timeout with a 22-10 Patriots lead.Lincoln Park Comes Up Short Again in State Class A Boys Title Bid
The Philadelphia Constitution Generals made their first trip to Penn State a good one as they defeated the WPIAL champion Lincoln Park Leopards 68-49 in the Class A Boys title tilt. Seniors Savon Goodman and Daiquan Walker dominated the show for the District 12 champions, scoring 27 and 22 points respectively.The win was the fourteenth straight for the Generals.Lincoln Park fell for the second straight year in the title game, falling to another D-12 school, Math, Civics and Science 70-55. The Leopards saw a ten game winning streak come to an end.Constitution jumped out to a 7-2 lead, highlighted by a Savon Goodman slam. The Generals extended that lead to 22-11 after one, but went cold in the second, coming up empty on five out of six possessions near the end of the half. Lincoln Park cut the lead to six twice, but missed multiple chances to reduce the deficit.
