Butler Toronadoes

KITTANNING – One long time observer has an analysis of Butler’s excellent season in 2003-2004 and it went something like this….. the Golden Toronadoes started last season like a house of fire and went undefeated through the first 5 or so games and then they woke up and said “ oh, we are Butler and we can’t be that good”. Well, folks, Butler was a very good team last year and nearly pulled off a major upset at Meadville to move onto the Penguins Cup semi-finals for the first time in their history. The unfortunate thing is that the Golden Toronadoes will need to replace goaltender Bucky Holt to try to duplicate last season’s performance. North Allegheny has been to the Penguins Cup playoffs each of the past six seasons and have been knocking on the final 4 door and waiting for it to open, which it has happened only once in 2000, which resulted in a quarterfinal loss to Cathedral Prep at Rostraver. Head coach Tom ‘Benito’ Pandolfo wants to be part of the process and the Tigers are determined to pace themselves to finish the season rather than start fast and fade. An opening night loss to Upper St Clair put NA at 0-1-0 and the Tigers were looking to rebound against Butler to get in the win column. The first period was a pretty close checking affair with a couple of power play chances for both teams. North Allegheny struck first as Garrett Waldschmidt scored on a wrist shot upstairs at 9:52 for the games first tally. On to the second and the Tigers would score early and often as newcomer Alan Halapin re-directed a Brandon Lied pass at 14:28 for a 2-0 NA lead. Butler would answer as Spencer Crouse took a clean faceoff win from Greg Rogerson and blistered a shot through traffic to cu the lead to 2-1 at 12:12. NA would come back in the middle of the period and break this one wide open as Garrett Waldschmidt [7:16], Wes Waldschmidt [7:03] and Matt Pekins [:20] scored to extend the Tiger lead to 5-1 after two periods. North Allegheny would turn this one into a rout as Chris Gilson, Ian McGlumphey, Wes Waldschmidt and Matt Zrebiec would add goals in the 3rd and Ryan Rodgers scored for Butler for a 9-2 North Allegheny pasting to even the record at 1-1-0 for the Tigers.