Josh Rizzo stories, Page 40

Finishing the regular season on a heater doesn’t lend itself to happy endings. North Allegheny baseball squeaked into the playoffs a year ago, but used the momentum from playing tight games down the stretch to qualify for the PIAA Class 6A playoffs. The Tigers ended this year with eight straight...

Six-foot middle blocker Steve Hoffman fits right in with the Shaler volleyball team. He’s undersized and has a persistent, defensive style of play. The Titans long have established their intent to wear down bigger teams with their tempo. “I don’t know if we are patient,” Hoffman said. “We keep moving...

The Shaler Area girls lacrosse team started to turn a corner by the end of the season. While it won’t be enough to send the Titans to the WPIAL Class AAA postseason, it provided a strong foundation for the team to build on heading into next season. Shaler finished 6-10...

The North Allegheny girls lacrosse team found the right recipe to capture four of its final five games and earn a spot in the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs. Senior midfielder Paige Jones attributed the surge to chemistry. Italian food helped bring the Tigers together before the season started. “We had...

Cam Mbalo came into the season with lofty goals. The Shaler junior jumper is gunning for a WPIAL Class AAA championship after qualifying for the indoor state championships during the winter. Mbalo showed any pressure of such pursuits haven’t halted his progress. If the season ended after the Butler Invitational,...

Zach Zajakowski is getting plenty of opportunities for the Shaler boys lacrosse team, and the freshman goaltender has been an anchor. “It’s his first full year starting,” Shaler coach Bill Wightman said. “He played goalie one half of last year and defense one half. He’s real raw, and he’s our...

First-year North Allegheny softball coach Morgan Vescovi didn’t feel like she had to reinvent the Tigers’ program. With what the Tigers had returning, the 2003 North Allegheny graduate was confident she could help steer the program in the right direction. Despite a 5-0 loss to Pine-Richland last Wednesday, the Tigers...

Diagnosing what has North Allegheny’s bats heating up isn’t something coach Andrew Heck has a clear answer for. Early in the season, the Tigers struggled at times by piling up strikeouts. But North Allegheny has improved steadily and broke things open over the past five games. The Tigers scored 10...

Tom Sorce went into his second year as Shaler Area softball coach knowing the Titans’ offense needed more flair. Packing some power into the bats was a key focus of an off-season training regiment built around strength. Shaler has seven home runs — after only hitting one last season —...

North Allegheny’s track and field team left quite an impression on the medal stand in the 3,200-meter event at the Lady Spartan/Wildcat Invitational. For the girls’ portion, the Tigers didn’t leave room for many others on the medal stand. Hannah Lindgren, Ally Christy and Jenna Mlecko placed first, second and...

Moving without the ball wasn’t something Liam Weaver ever put a lot of thought into. Making a position change for the Heidelberg (Ohio) men’s lacrosse team this season presented a new line of thinking. After moving from midfield to attack, the sophomore has found a niche for the Student Princes....

Sava Topich is the latest in a long line of North Allegheny volleyball players tasked with taking over the mantle at a tradition-laden position. But Tigers coach Dan Schall doesn’t expect Topich, a senior setter, to be like AJ Schmidt or MJ Barton. History won’t make this year’s offense go....

Having another year together has done the Shaler girls lacrosse program a lot of good. Missing out on a trip to the playoffs helped bring everyone together. “Our biggest strength is teamwork,” Titans coach Ali Nicholas said. “We work well as a team. Last year, a lot of the girls...

Ryan Shank doesn’t spend time thinking about being exhausted after Shaler lacrosse matches. Without a deep roster, the Titans’ veterans play long minutes. Shank, a senior defenseman, is no different in that respect. What all Shaler players have developed is an ironman approach. “It’s about having the mentality,” Shank said....

There will be no break for the Shaler baseball team this season. Before entering Section 2-5A play last Monday against Moon, Titans coach Brian Junker wanted to prepare his players for what would be a tight playoff chase. During a five-game stretch to open the season, Shaler took on three...

Matt Osten and the North Allegheny boys lacrosse team have a strong baseline to guide them. The Tigers’ system provides a solid foundation for an offensive attack. Making North Allegheny’s attack special relies on each player bringing his own personality. No two players approach each situation the same way. During...

North Allegheny girls lacrosse coach Harry Datz didn’t need much time to diagnosis what made the Tigers’ offense more potent. Behind seven goals from Old Dominion recruit Brooke Ferringer, the Tigers opened the season with a 19-9 win over Franklin Regional in their season opener. It was the most goals...

Trapper Crain knows the Shaler boys volleyball team isn’t likely to overpower opponents. The 5-foot-10 junior outside hitter wants the Titans to set the pace. For Shaler to extend its streak of making the WPIAL playoffs to a third year, the Titans plan on moving quickly. “During preseason, we did...

Shaler junior Dalton Kalbaugh is in position to make his accomplishments a seasonal affair. Heading into the outdoor track season, Kalbaugh will try to be the only member of the Titans’ track and field team to reach states in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. Kalbaugh qualified for the...

Tom Sorce didn’t want any hopeful Shaler softball players doomed by the pressure of a 72-hour performance. The second-year coach let all 36 players who tried out know conditioning and weightlifting would be a part of the process. Sorce said he felt people bought in. “That was the extraordinary part,”...

The Shaler unified bocce team wrapped up its season last Wednesday at the state championships in Hershey. The Titans lost their two matches in pool play to North Penn Liberty and Henderson. “The experience at states was a thrill for athletes, partners and families,” Shaler coach Gina Chmielewski said. “We...

Participating in tennis in some form was always a likely choice for Shaler sophomore Cam Szazynski. Szazynski enjoys watching Rafael Nadal, viewing matches on television and keeping up with old and new players. Pedigree also had something to do with Szazynski picking up the sport about two years ago. “My...

Rob Niederberger does everything possible to get the Shaler boys basketball team exposure to different styles during the summer. That strategy helped the Titans make their first appearance in the PIAA playoffs in seven years an eventful one. Shaler took District 10 champion Meadville down to the wire before losing...

Shots didn’t fall for North Allegheny girls basketball in the second round of the PIAA Class 6A playoffs. While the lack of offense led to a 41-32 defeat against defending state champion Upper Dublin last Tuesday at Chambersburg, it didn’t change much for the Tigers. North Allegheny, which led its...

Former Shaler hockey standout Zac Lynch is headed back to the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. Lynch was recently released following a six-game stint in the AHL on a professional tryout contract with the New York Ranger affiliate Hartford Wolf Pack. Hartford released Lynch on March 5 after he recorded seven shots...