Goaltending key to North Allegheny’s success

If there is one constant in the PIHL, it’s that North Allegheny will play great defense and come up with outstanding goaltending. This year is no exception. Through four games this season, the Tigers (4-0-0) were tied with Seneca Valley for the best goals-against average in Class 3A (1.25) and, consequently, had moved into first place in the nineteam division.

“It’s been a good start and we’re getting contributions from everybody,” North Allegheny coach Mike Bagnato said. “We’ve had exceptionally good goaltending and that’s been the key.”

Richard Karapandi has been between the pipes in all four games and has stopped 105 of 110 shots for a .955 save percentage that is tied with Aidan Campbell of Seneca Valley for the top spot in the classification. Karapandi has also made one more start and has faced 44 more shots than the Raiders junior.

“The guys have a lot of confidence in him,” Bagnato said. “When that happens, everybody gets to go with the flow.”

It’s not like Karapandi is the first North Allegheny goaltender to have a modicum of success. The Tigers have been in the top three in the classification in goals allowed each of the past three years.

“We have and that makes a huge difference, whether it was Joey [Hubert] or Ryan [Heil]. They evolved and all three of them are great young men, they’re great leaders and they’re great teammates in the locker room” Bagnato said. “I’ve been very, very fortunate with that.”

Shaler

There is a possibility Shaler could end up being one of the biggest surprises in the PIHL this season.

That is, if the Titans could settle their games in regulation.

Coming into the week, Shaler was undefeated in games decided in the first 51 minutes. But the second that game ends in a regulation tie and heads to overtime, the Titans hopes fall by the wayside.

Shaler (1-0-3) defeated Quaker Valley 6-3, in its home opener but its other three games, against Hampton, Mars and Moon, were all one-goal overtime losses, two of which came on home ice.

Despite the fact Shaler lost those three games, they still picked up a valuable point in every overtime loss and were in third place in the North/West Division.

The Titans were the No. 5 seed out of the East Division last year and lost to Quaker Valley in the preliminary round of the Penguins Cup playoffs.

Montour

A drop in classification has been a boon to Montour.

In 2016-17, the Spartans were 107-1 in Class 1A, but because of the realignment system, they were pushed up to Class 2A last season.

Needless to say, they did not thrive.

Last year, Montour finished 415-0 and missed the Class 2A playoffs. The team scored only 54 goals and had a minus-53 goal differential on the year.

Now, back in Class 1A, Montour came into the week 4-0-0 and tied with Meadville for first place in the North Division.

They lead the classification with 34 goals and have a plus-27 goal differential, second only to the Bulldogs plus-30 (32 goals for, two goals against).