Defending champs in 2A final
Tri-State Sports & News Service
Penn-Trafford knew before the season that it would be playing in the WPIAL Class 2A team tournament.
And the defending champion Warriors even had an idea they would end up with the top seed in the playoffs.
That’s what happens when there are only three teams in the classification and every one of them is locked into a postseason spot.
Even so, Penn-Trafford will have to wait until Friday when the WPIAL field hockey committee meets to line up the brackets and make it official that the team will be on top of the bracket and will get a first-round bye into Wednesday’s championship game at North Allegheny before it can truly prepare for an encore.
Penn-Trafford will play the winner of the semifinals between Oakland Catholic and Woodland Hills, which will likely be played Monday at a site and time to be determined. In their first meeting this year, the Eagles sneaked past the Wolverines, 3-1, on Sept. 5.
It was also the only goal thatWoodland Hills scored in Section 2 action this year. With the way the Wolverines are struggling, a rematch between the Eagles and Warriorsseems in the offing.
“We’re going to continue to prepare for them as though we were preparing to play a North Allegheny or Pine-Richland,” Penn-Trafford coach Cindy Dutt said. “I’m going to give them a break [over the weekend] to get their bodies back in order and then we’ll practice on Monday and Tuesday.”
Last year, Penn-Trafford made short work of Oakland Catholic with a 6-1 win in the championship game. In their only meeting this year, the Warriors put a 6-0 drubbing on the Eagles on Sept. 20 and their success in those two games gives them a jolt of confidence as they prepare for a potential rematch.
“We faced Oakland Catholic last year and they’re going to take it very seriously on both sides. I think they’re going to come at us with everything they have, but I think we have the advantage of experience right now,” Dutt said. “We’re going to try to get out there and score early and see if we can make sure we keep playing hard the entire game.”
Still, just because PennTrafford is a favorite doesn’t mean it’s unbeatable. The Warriors have a few weaknesses they need to shore up of they’re going to win their second WPIAL title and, perhaps, make it through a game or two of the state tournament.
To do that, the team will need contributions from its keyseniors, including centermid and Slippery Rock recruit Emily Polakovsky, midfielder Jordyn Bachman, first-year starter Rachel Grossand Alayna Wagner.
“I’m so grateful for my seniors this year,” Dutt said. “I know we’re going to struggle if we win and we go to the state tournament, but I think playing against TripleA teams has been good preparation for us.”