Sep 17, 2014 4 min read

Reaching the WPIAL Class AAA title game for six straight years, and winning three state titles over that span, can have quite the impact on a girls soccer program.

It’s nothing new to Peters Township head coach Pat Vereb. The Indians (4-0, 7-0) reached the WPIAL title game last year before losing to Seneca Valley.

Despite losing two starters, not including 2012 Gatorade Player of the Year Veronica Latsko, expectations remain high and opponents circle Peters Township on their schedule. No game can be taken lightly, which is magnified against a rival that is rising up the WPIAL ranks.

Canon-McMillan (4-1, 5-1-1) is hoping to finally break its losing streak against the Indians tonight when the teams meet for the first time this season at 8 p.m. in McMurray.

“I think we’re still everybody’s big game, but last year was a growing year for us,” Vereb said. “I don’t think we’ll ever totally be off the radar, but we kind of are with this year’s team. The reality is that we brought back 80 percent of our players from that playoff run last year, so we do have a lot of kids who went through it.”

It’s a game the Big Macs and head coach Dave Derrico are looking forward to playing. When Peters Township and Moon played last Monday, Derrico took advantage of his night off to attend the match. With his team undefeated at the time and sparked by all-state senior goalkeeper Kyra Murphy, Derrico anticipated leaving with a game plan for victory.

That did not happen. Both teams were incredibly fast, and despite losing key cogs from last season, the Indians looked stronger than ever in a 1-0 win.

“I was hoping I would see two weaker teams I could take advantage of,” Derrico said. “I didn’t see that, and it had me concerned. I saw two well-organized teams. That concerns me because I thought we were the better team.”

Derrico will find out tonight when the Section 4-AAA match concludes, but even with Latsko gone, the Indians are flush with talent including senior midfielder Laurel Carpenter, an All-WPIAL selection and West Virginia commit, senior forward Maddi Santo, who committed to Virginia Commonwealth; junior midfielder Madeline LaVigna, who has committed to Kent State; and senior forward Carly Johns, an all-section pick last season.

The Indians lost goalkeeper Megan Parker to graduation, but it has not mattered. They have allowed only one goal in seven matches behind junior keeper Reilly McGlumphy and a defense that is one of the best in the WPIAL. On the offensive end, sophomore Mia Toscano, who did not receive extended playing time until late last season, and Santo are leading the charge.

“It’s more of a goal-by-committee type of thing,” Vereb said. “We have a similar team as last year. We had some dynamic goal scorers in the past, but I think we’re more of a team-based offensive approach this year.”

Vereb is never one to boast about the talent on his teams. Even during last year’s run to the WPIAL title game, he deflected praise of opposing coaches. That has not changed as he is calling Canon-McMillan one of the best teams in Class AAA.

“They are certainly one of the elite teams this year,” Vereb said. “It is their year to make their move. The factor of a lot of returning players, a lot of impact players and certainly, one of the best goalkeepers in the state, gives them an opportunity to make a run this year.”

That run took a speed bump when the Big Macs lost to Moon, 1-0. Despite 14 shots on goal, C-M could not capitalize. After losing to Peters Township 1-0 in both matchups a year ago, Derrico is hoping to avoid a one-goal loss tonight.

“We’ll match up well with Peters. If we are ever going to beat them – I don’t know how many one-goal games (Vereb) has beaten me in – we can do it this year,” Derrico said. “We just have to break through. We always give them the game of their lives, but they’ve always beat us. I’m going to try to turn that around this year, at least once.”