Central Region

CRANBERRY - North Allegheny coach Brian Hershberger has his team playing well this year off to a 10-1 start and ranked # 2 in the Elite 8. But the coach probably takes a look in his rear view mirror every once in a while and sees the Meadville Bulldogs, who are unbeaten in nine games. Gateway, on the other hand is embroiled in a battle with Plum and Franklin Regional for the PIHL AAA East race, that may need a crowbar by mid-February. You see, the Gators have been on one goal games for what seems like eternity this season and lost leads in three ties late in the game. In a fast and swift game through two periods, the Tiger's Thierry Clermont and Gators David Himes closed the door and the game was a 0-0 tie. The Gators had their chances and so did the Tigers, but neither could score. Then in the third more of the same as Clermont stopped Zach Flora on the breakaway early in the third and Himes stopped Tyler Haldane from in close. The NA went on the power play and Dan Lobas fired a rebound pass Himes with 7 1/2 left and the Tigers led 1-0. Gateway came back though as Matt Kopaczynski blew right threw the NA defenseman and beat Clermont to tie the game. Then NA came back as Tim Ward chipped a loose puck past the outstretched Himes with a little over five minutes remaining and NA regained the lead 2-1. Kopaczynski came right back and beat Clermont with a bullet wrist shot which Thierry never saw and we were tied again. A minute later, it was Ward again picking up a loose puck and beating Himes for the game winner. Haldane added an ENG with just nine seconds remaining to make the final 4-2. Gateway outshot North Allegheny 29-28.