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Peters Township wins another WPIAL lacrosse title

By Eleanor Bailey staff Writer ebailey@thealmanac.Net 4 min read
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5. Sweet success in PT

Peters Township dominated the scholastic sports scene in Washington County and the surrounding South Hills. In a year to remember, the Indians captured WPIAL championships in lacrosse and field hockey, reached the PIAA Final Four in girls' soccer, the WPIAL finals in girls' basketball and experienced success on the gridiron not seen in decades.

On May 25, the Indians successfully defended their lacrosse title by defeating North Allegheny, 9-7, during the WPIAL boys’ championships.

The field hockey team captured its WPIAL title Oct. 29, as the Lady Indians used a penalty stroke by Greta Schratz, to nip Pine-Richland, 2-1, in overtime. The Indians were also section champions with a 10-0-1 record and featured a defense that only surrendered its first goal of the season in the championship contest.

During its record-breaking season, the football team captured its first conference crown since 1975 and reached the Final Four in the WPIAL Class 5A tournament. After winning playoff games against Armstrong, 35-7, and Penn-Trafford, 38-35, the Indians lost to Penn Hills, 22-14, on Nov. 16, leaving them with a 10-3 overall record.

On March 3, despite 25 points from Penn State recruit Makenna Marisa, the girls' basketball team lost to North Allegheny, 79-48, in the WPIAL 6A championship game played at the Petersen Events Center. The Lady Indians finished the season at 22-4 after falling to Bethel Park in the first round of the PIAA playoffs.

On Nov. 3, the girls' soccer team's hopes for a championship evaporated when Seneca Valley defeated the Lady Indians, 2-1, in the WPIAL 6A final played at Highmark Stadium. The Raiders scored the equalizer with three seconds remaining in regulation then added the game winner less than two minutes into overtime. The Indians also lost in similar, gut-wrenching fashion, as they surrendered a goal with 11 seconds remaining in the PIAA semifinals and lost to Souderton, 1-0, on Nov. 13, preventing the girls from heading to Hershey to compete for a state championship.

On March 20, the hockey team finished runner-up in the PIHL after dropping the AAA final, 4-2, to Seneca Valley at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry.

Other PT sports highlights in 2018 included: Connor Bruce finishing runner-up in tennis, falling to Robby Shymansky of Fox Chapel, 6-4, 6-3, in the WPIAL Class AAA boys’ tennis championship match played May 4 at the Alpha Tennis Center in Harmar; the boys' golf team competing in its 15th WPIAL championship match in 16 years on Oct. 11 and finishing sixth while Central Catholic won the Class title for the second straight season with a record 372 score on the Gold Course at Cedarbrook Golf Course; the girls' tennis team defeating Mt. Lebanon, 4-1, and qualifying for the PIAA championships in Hershey.

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Eleanor Bailey/the almanac

Aidan McCall celebrates after scoring a goal during Peters Township’s 9-7 win against North Allegheny in the WPIAL Class AAA boys’ championship lacrosse game.

Mike Kaplan and his Peters Township boys’ lacrosse coaching staff were so hot under the collar during the WPIAL Class AAA championship contest that athletic trainer Leigh Ann Cowger soaked towels in a cooler full of ice water then wrapped them around each one’s neck.

Kaplan’s players, however, neither wilted under the 86-degree heat at Joe Walton Stadium nor did they succumb to the pressure from North Allegheny as they successfully defended their title with a hard-fought victory, 9-7, on the Robert Morris University campus May 25.

“Today was stressful,” Kaplan said. “I think the heat got to the coaching staff a little bit. But the guys on the field did a really good job fighting through that and here we are. WPIAL champions again. Winning two WPIAL championships is pretty awesome.”

In 2017, Peters Township needed overtime to edge Mt. Lebanon, 12-11. This year, with more than a dozen seniors, the Indians confidently attacked the task of repeating as champions. Even when NA tied the match, 7-7, with 8:21 to play on Matt Osten’s fourth goal of the game, the players kept their cool.

“As much as we don’t want to talk about last year, last year our guys fought through those one-goal games; close games,” he added. “We brought back 14 of them from last year. They had that experience and obviously the results speak for themselves. They came out and they knew what needed done. And they did it.”

Aidan Stopperich knew the Indians needed a goal and with 6:39 remaining, he obliged with the game-winner, off an assist from Ben Delaney.

“I felt a little pressure when they tied it up, 7-7, but we were controlling the game and controlling the pace,” Stopperich said. “I saw Ben behind the net and saw the play develop. He made a nice cut and a nice pass and I was just there to finish it.

“Sure I want to be that guy but it could have been anybody.”

Kaplan concurred. He rated Stopperich’s goal equally with the hat trick produced by Colton Abate, the two from Daniel Bacchiochi and the single scores created by Delaney, Aidan McCall and Nickolas Phelps.

“I don’t look at that one goal as the game-winner,” Kaplan said. “Obviously, that was a huge momentum boost. Every guy that contributed today they were the game-winners.”

True because NA took a 1-0 lead 87 seconds into the contest and McCall tied it followed by Abate’s go-ahead goal, the first of three for the composed senior.

“We’ve been there before. The stress level is through the roof. But, I knew what to expect,” Abate said. Of his championship heroics he added, “I just wanted to come out and do my best and do whatever the team needed me to do.”

After Abate again gave the Indians a 3-2 lead 13 seconds into the second period, Delaney and Phelps followed with scores to provide Peters its largest lead, 5-2. After back-to-back goals from Osten, Abate made it 6-4 with 49 seconds left in the half.

Bacchiochi scored the only goal for the Indians in the third period but NA pulled to within one goal, 7-6 at the buzzer on a goal from Kyle Byerly.

“It was a little closer than I had hoped,” Kaplan said, “but obviously these are two championship caliber teams. NA, historically, is a championship caliber team. When those kinds of teams meet, that is what happens.”

On championship teams, the goalie often rises to the occasion. Luke Hirata did so for the Indians. He made 10 saves.

“Luke he has been huge for us all season long but (in the) playoffs, he came out to another level. He played an incredible (semifinal) game against Lebo. I told him to have a better game (against NA) and he really did. He played even more lights out today.”

The Indians are not stopping with just a WPIAL title. They want to advance in the PIAA tournament. They lost in last year’s first round. They will play their first match May 29 at Hempfield.

“It’s incredible,” Abate said of winning the WPIAL title because it’s his senior year. But McCall added that a PIAA banner is the next objective.

“This WPIAL title is more special this year in a way just because of the senior class and how connected the team is. To do it back-to-back is really special but we want to do better than last year. Winning the state championship is the next goal. That’s where we are headed.”

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