WARRENDALE — The task isn't easy.

Mike Guentner is willing to take it on regardless.

Butler's varsity hockey team slipped to 1-18 on the season with a 13-1 loss to North Allegheny Tuesday night at Warrendale Blade Runners.

The Tigers (16-4-1) scored seven goals in the first period — including two tallies in the game's first 67 seconds — to win going away on Senior Night.

“This type of game does get awkward,” North Allegheny coach James Black said. “You're never quite sure what to do. Guys still want to play. They still want to score goals.

“After a while, you just want to get the thing over with, with nobody getting hurt.”

Guentner, a high-scoring defenseman during Butler's last run of playoff teams nearly a decade ago, began this season as one of the Golden Tornado's assistant coaches. He took over as head coach after the team went 0-14 under Brad Posey.

“The board and parents decided it was time for a change and asked Brad to step down,” Guentner said.

Butler's lone win is a 5-4 decision over Shaler Jan. 23 at Ice Connection. Since then, the Tornado have been outscored 33-6 in their four defeats.

Guentner went on to play hockey at Western Michigan University, graduating from there in 2009. He worked for a while in Minneapolis before returning home.

Now he wants to return Butler hockey to its winning ways.

“It's not going to be easy,” he admitted. “Butler is the only team in the PIHL that has to travel 25 miles to get to its home rink. And because we didn't have a varsity team for three years, there's a disconnect to the tradition of past teams.

“I could sense that disconnect as an assistant coach. I know I'm at the mercy of the board, but I hope to be in this for the long haul. I had three different head coaches in three years when I played here. I know what that feels like. We need to build chemistry here.”

North Allegheny had plenty of that working Tuesday. Zach Morton and Justin Leonard both scored hat tricks. They entered the game with season goal totals of seven and two, respectively.

Joe Griffin scored his 18th goal of the year and Cody Black added his 10th for the Tigers.

North Allegheny scored on three of its five power-play opportunities. The Tigers had a 39-16 edge in shots on goal.

“We were able to get a lot of ice time for our call-ups, so that worked out well,” Black said. “We feel like we're contenders, that we can take a run at the Penguins Cup. But any one of six teams could win that thing.”

The Tigers have won seven straight games and close the regular season March 2 at Bethel Park.

Logan Rothbauer and Mike Arturo split time in goal for Butler. The Tornado averted the shutout with 1:40 left in the game when Tanner Gilliland scored, assisted by Troy Double and Tanner Chuba.

Gilliland has 17 goals on the campaign. No other Tornado player has more than five.

“We're not a hockey hotbed like North Allegheny, Bethel Park or Meadville,” Guentner said. “But we do have some nice young talent in this town.

“Gilliland, Troy Double, Tanner Chuba ... that can be a nucleus to build around next year. We're only losing three seniors.”

Butler hosts Fox Chapel at 7:10 p.m. Monday.