The Mt. Lebanon High School boys' lacrosse team fell to 0-4 in state championship games after losing, 5-3, to Dowingtown East last Friday at Marple Newtown High School's stadium.

The Western Pennsylvania champions have always been considered a decided underdog to the champion from the eastern side of the state since the state playoff format began in 2000 and this year was no exception.

Nevertheless, Mt. Lebanon coach Kee Joe Song was not particularly pleased by his team's close loss. Anything short of victory is considered a disappointment by the high standards Song has set for his team.

"It's a terrible way to look at things if you are satisfied with a [close] loss," Song said. "You'll never get over the hump or take that next step in the program if that's how you view it. If we look at this as a good loss, then we'll never win that game."

The loss to Downingtown East (21-3) was a stark contrast to the 16-14 shootout Mt. Lebanon won in the semifinals against Central Pennsylvania champion Manheim Township, which was unbeaten going into its game with the Blue Devils on June 6.

Against Manheim Township, Rob Marasti scored six goals with Tim Stratton scoring four with six assists for Manheim (25-1). Stratton is a Towson (Md.) University recruit.

"Stratton might be the best attackman I've ever seen at the high school level up close," Song said. "It was great to be a part of a win like that. I wish I could have just sat back and watched that game as a spectator because from what I've heard from people that were there, they felt it was one of the best games they've watched.

"Coaching it though made it tough to enjoy while it was going on. With the state championship game loss being so recent, I'm sure I'll be able to enjoy that win over Manheim a little more than I am right now."

Complementing Marasti's big night against Manheim was Jeremy Tissenbaum and Zach Boyt, who netted three goals each. Dan Roman and Chris White scored two apiece for Lebo with Tissenbaum adding five assists while Marasti assisted on three goals.

Downingtown East (21-3) came in with a reputation for great defense and it was able to limit the Mt. Lebanon offense. Boyt scored twice for the Blue Devils and Roman scored the other goal as the Blue Devils (14-6) trailed, 2-0, at the end of the first quarter and, 2-1, at halftime. Boyt's goal with six minutes left in the game cut the deficit to 4-3, the closest Mt. Lebanon got.

"It was a defensive style, which is the style of both teams," Song said. "Our goalie [Perk Oettinger who had 11 saves] played one of the best games I've seen a goalie play and our defense played spectacularly. We knew going in that they had an amazing defense and we knew we had our work cut out for us, but I still feel like we have the talent to put up more than three goals."

The Cougars finished the season on a 12-game wining streak. They held opponents to five goals or less 10 times during the streak.

"I don't think they had a game-plan to shut down one specific player, they just put their four long-poles on our four top scorers and pretty much took everybody out of the game," Song said.

Eight senior starters are leaving the program and all will be hard to replace, according to Song. Four of the graduating players are headed for college lacrosse. They are Marasti (Robert Morris), Tissenbaum (Hobart, N.Y.), Boyt (Ohio State) and Chip Young (Maryland).

Young is the last of four brothers who played for the Blue Devils. Oldest brother Brad Young was a standout when the Blue Devils lost the first state title game in 2000. That year, Haverford School topped Lebo, 11-8, by rallying from a four-goal deficit.

Brad Young is one of Song's assistant coaches, just as Song was an assistant on the 2000 Lebo team that won its first league championship. As they did seven years ago, Mt. Lebanon had a long bus ride to play the state final in suburban Philadelphia.

"We got there about midnight the night before the game and we made sure we weren't in the hotel for too long with the guys taking naps," Song said.

"Going on the road, that's the reality. We play in that Midwest League and we had to play in Cincinnati and we had to travel to Detroit twice, so by the end of the season, we were used to this."