Consolation victory some solace for Mt. Lebanon girls lacrosse team
It was a case of what might have been for the Mt. Lebanon High girls lacrosse team.
To advance to the PIAA Division 1 girls state tournament, the Blue Devils had to defeat archrival Peters Township in last Monday's WPIAL semifinals at North Hills High School.
It's not as if it couldn't have happened as the No. 4 Blue Devils split with the No.1 Indians in the regular season with a 14-11 loss countered by a 12-10 victory on the Indians' turf.
But any hopes of a second victory over the Indians, however, were dashed as Peters Township earned a trip to the WPIAL championship game with an 18-9 victory over the Blue Devils and a berth in the PIAA Division 1 state tournament.
The loss was doubly painful for the Blue Devils as it knocked them out of the WPIAL tournament and a state playoff berth as only the top two teams qualify for the statewide tournament.
The WPIAL, however, still conducts a consolation game for Division 1 teams. So semifinal losers Mt. Lebanon and Shady Side Academy met on Thursday at North Hills High with little more than pride on the line. It also was a chance for Mt. Lebanon to exact some revenge on the Indians.
And that's what happened as the Blue Devils earned a 16-13 victory that countered the 14-13 and 12-10 losses suffered in the regular season. The victory allowed the Blue Devils to finish with a 13-6 record.
To advance to the PIAA Division 1 girls state tournament, the Blue Devils had to defeat archrival Peters Township in last Monday's WPIAL semifinals at North Hills High School.
It's not as if it couldn't have happened as the No. 4 Blue Devils split with the No.1 Indians in the regular season with a 14-11 loss countered by a 12-10 victory on the Indians' turf.
But any hopes of a second victory over the Indians, however, were dashed as Peters Township earned a trip to the WPIAL championship game with an 18-9 victory over the Blue Devils and a berth in the PIAA Division 1 state tournament.
The loss was doubly painful for the Blue Devils as it knocked them out of the WPIAL tournament and a state playoff berth as only the top two teams qualify for the statewide tournament.
The WPIAL, however, still conducts a consolation game for Division 1 teams. So semifinal losers Mt. Lebanon and Shady Side Academy met on Thursday at North Hills High with little more than pride on the line. It also was a chance for Mt. Lebanon to exact some revenge on the Indians.
And that's what happened as the Blue Devils earned a 16-13 victory that countered the 14-13 and 12-10 losses suffered in the regular season. The victory allowed the Blue Devils to finish with a 13-6 record.
lacrosse