Nov 5, 2013 6 min read

Peters Township only had three days to celebrate its Class AAA WPIAL boys soccer championship.

The Indians will face bitter rival Canon-McMillan tonight at 7:30 p.m. Though this is the fourth meeting between the two this season, there is more at stake. Eight days after the Indians defeated the Big Macs at Chartiers Valley to advance to the Class AAA WPIAL title game, the two teams will meet in the opening round of the PIAA boys soccer playoffs at the same venue.

Peters Township (17-3-2) upset Upper St. Clair Friday night at Highmark Stadium, 1-0, to win the program’s fourth WPIAL Championship. Unfortunately for the Indians, the PIAA playoff seeding will require an immediate, yet familiar test – Canon-McMillan (17-3-2). After tying in their first meeting and Peters Township winning the second 4-3, the Indians stopped the Big Macs with two early goals in their 4-0 WPIAL semifinal win.

“All we talked about over the last two days at practice is this is another tournament,” Peters Township head coach Bob Dyer said. “It’s completely separate from the first one. Ultimately, if you win your section, you are the best of seven teams. If you win the WPIALs, you are the best of 35 teams. If you win the state, you are the best of 125. That’s what we have talked to the kids about to put things in perspective.”

Canon-McMillan enters the PIAA playoffs after defeating Bethel Park, 4-1, Wednesday night in usual Big Mac fashion – starting quickly on offense behind the strong leg of junior forward Josh Kruczek. Kruczek scored two goals in the win over the Black Hawks and has paced the for the past two seasons.

On the other side of the pitch is a Peters Township team that just unseated arguably the state’s best team in Upper St. Clair. The headline for the Indians’ season is the 36 combined goals for Mario and Nicco Mastrangelo, but the team’s unsung hero is often the most overlooked player on the field: the goalkeeper.

“The Mastrangelo boys are big athletes,” Canon-McMillan head coach Larry Fingers said. “It’s like playing against two Josh Kruczeks. They just work really hard and, as a group, they work together really hard.”

Senior Max O’Hare did not allow a goal during the Class AAA WPIAL playoffs; including a spectacular performance in the championship game. O’Hare made impeccable saves look easy Friday night – including two diving saves on Upper St. Clair’s Joel Hart, a 36-goal scorer – as Peters Township spoiled the Panthers’ undefeated season. The senior has been a steady presence in net for the Indians for two seasons.

“He gives us a lot,” Nicco Mastrangelo said of his senior goalkeeper. “He gives us motivation when he makes a big save and inspires us to score goals for him.”

This is the second time the Section 5 rivals will face off at Chartiers Valley in one week. Last Monday, Peters Township scored two goals in the first 15 minutes of regulation and it was Nicco who finished off the hat trick later in the game. The loss was an anomaly for the Big Macs. Canon-McMillan’s aggressive style of play has led to quick starts, such as the 1-0 lead the Big Macs took on Upper St. Clair earlier in the season.

“I think for a long time, because of our success and our program coming along, it has been a situation where we want to keep our spot at the top, and they want to knock us off,” Dyer said. “Because of the proximity of the two townships and the fact that these kids all play with each other on their club teams. Who would want to listen to the bragging rights from the other side for a full year?

After drudging Bethel Park 4-1 to extend their season, the Big Macs are looking to learn from the slow start that ended their chance to defend the WPIAL title against the Panthers.

“I’m more concerned where our mental state is as a team,” Fingers said. “I fear that after the experience we had last year – being such a new program to that level of success – the boys were really, really upset when they lost in the semifinals. It’s been a bit of a challenge to motivate them. They know how truly special it is and difficult it is to win the WPIAL again. They need to realize how many things need to go your way to win the gold medal.”

Halfway across the state, the Peters Township girls (16-5-1) will face State College in the opening round of the Class AAA PIAA playoffs. The Indians defeated the Little Lions Aug. 31 at home, 3-2. Peters Township was upended in the WPIAL title game by Seneca Valley after senior goalkeeper Megan Parker led the Indians to back-to-back penalty kick victories.

The interesting storyline to watch is whether two-time Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year Veronica Latsko makes her season debut against State College. Latsko, a University of Virginia recruit, has not played this season after tearing the ACL in her right knee May 26, 2012 in the Penn State Cup Championship at Slippery Rock University.

Latsko was announced in the Indians’ starting lineup prior to Friday’s championship matchup and warmed up with the team, but did not play. With an offense struggling to find the net, Peters Township would welcome her 104 career goals.

“There are bids on this side of the state to get to the PIAA final, and they have the ability to get there like any other team,” Peters Township head coach Pat Vereb said. “At some level, you might get more out of a team that loses in WPIALs and have them refocus. We’d much rather have the gold medal but sometimes you can get the girls to refocus.”

Also playing on Tuesday night is South Fayette (17-3-2), who lost Saturday’s Class AA WPIAL title game to West Allegheny, 1-0. The Lions, led by junior forward Brian Coyne, will face Bedford at North Bedford at 7:30.