Peters Township ends record field hockey season
Though Peters Township’s field hockey season came to a screeching halt with an astounding 8-0 loss to Wilson in the first round of the PIAA playoffs, the future is bright for both the sport and the team.
The Lady Indians finished 13-3-2 overall. They were section champions with a 10-0-1 record as well as WPIAL winners for the first time in program history.
Nica Schratz led the team with 14 goals and two assists. Maura Farinelli followed with eight tallies and three assists.
The defense, dubbed the “Steel Curtain” because it allowed zero goals all season until the WPIAL championship match, an overtime thriller, 2-1 victory against Pine-Richland.
Megan Casciola excelled between the pipes. The University of Mount Union recruit played in the national tournament at the University of Stony Brook on Long Island as a member of the Pittsburgh region team.
Sisters Maddie and Emma Devine, a senior and sophomore respectively, along with senior Kyra Cunningham and sophomore Adrianna Costanza comprised the impregnable defense.
“My coaches and I are proud of our season,” said Amy Casciola, who was assisted by Melanie Cocco and Kelly Meenan. “This was a season to remember.”
Eight seniors contributed to the team’s success. In addition to aforementioned Casciola, Devine, Farinelli and Cunningham, the others who will be lost to graduation include: Greta Schratz, who scored the gamewinner in the WPIAL final, Lexi Lawrence, Carlee Breier and Chloe Paugh.
Schratz is committed to St. Francis University, where her older sister competes, and where Nica will attend in two more seasons. Farinelli will play at Division III Gettysburg College next year.
“The seniors were a huge part of the success we had this year,” Casciola said. “It will be hard to replace them, but we have a lot of talented underclassman waiting for the chance to make their mark on varsity.”
Because Peters Township has a feeder program, the years beyond this season won’t be lean. The Indians, like Mt. Lebanon and Pine-Richland, have youth teams that reach into the elementary schools. Over 40 girls compete in Casciola’s youth program. Plus, Peters Township and Lebo field middle school teams.
“So the future looks bright for PT field hockey,” Casciola said.
With the addition of club teams such as the Pittsburgh Venom, players are gaining valuable experience competing during the winter months in indoor leagues. Eventually, Casciola sees the Indians and Western Pennsylvania catching up with the eastern programs in the state.
“The players that play indoor with the club team are gaining experience at a high level and that’s what makes them better.
“While we were ‘over the moon’ excited about our WPIAL victory, our past experiences have been that the field hockey programs in the middle and eastern side of the state play at a higher level,” said Casciola, who noted the Indians played average schools two years ago on a travel trip east and lost big.
Additionally, Wilson featured eight Division I commits on its team and the squad also plays year round.
“That is the norm for that area and Wilson plays in a conference with historically some of the best teams in Pennsylvania. We saw some amazing passing and stick work when we played them.”