The Peters Township High School boys' lacrosse team came up short of expectations during the 2007 WPSLA season.

With a rookie head coach and very few returning starters, the Indians have no expectations to live up to this year.

"I think we're going to surprise a lot of people who don't think we're going to do much this season," said Doug Miller, the Indians' new head coach and a former assistant at Upper St. Clair for three seasons prior to this year.

Miller takes over for former coach John Wilson, who resigned to become an assistant coach at Robert Morris University.

Peters Township lost three one-goal games last year, including losses to WPSLA runner-up North Allegheny and playoff semifinalist Bethel Park.

Under Miller, the Indians (2-0) have opened this season with a pair of blowout non-division victories, 9-3 over Fox Chapel and 18-6 over Chartiers Valley.

Both of those opponents compete in WPSLA Division 2 which is not as demanding as Division 1 where Peters Township competes. In fact, the Indians play in South Division 1, considered the more challenging of the two upper divisions. It boasts some of the traditional Western Pennsylvania lacrosse powers such as Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair and Franklin Regional.

Peters Township finished in fifth place in the division last year despite a winning 9-8 record. The team roster included 11 seniors who had several years of varsity experience.

The most notable player from the Class of 2007 was midfielder Spencer Smith. An all-league performer, Smith plays at Salisbury University, a Maryland small-college powerhouse that has won seven NCAA Division III titles and is ranked No. 1 nationally again this spring.

Smith has scored four goals in five games as a reserve at Salisbury.

Nonetheless, Peters has worked hard to make up for his absence as well as that of his classmates.

"I think we're improving every week and that's all I can ask for at this point in the season," Miller said.

"I was really unsure going in [as a first-year coach] about what was left over [concerning varsity experience on the roster] because they graduated a lot of seniors who are now in college programs.

"A lot of talent graduated, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but things are going well. I'm pleased and we're building confidence. I think we're going to have a very good season."

Although Peters no longer has a player of Smith's talent, there is some notable senior leadership on this spring's roster. The most prominent is goaltender Mike Moretti, an all-league honoree as a junior. Another key returnee is senior defender Kameron Burk, a returning starter.

Burk is a team captain along with senior midfielders Jeff Stockhausen and Ben McClure.

The offense is brand new up front with a senior (Edan Fletcher), a junior (D.J. DeStefano), and a sophomore (Connor Mannion) serving as starting attack players.

Fletcher scored five goals with five assists to open the first two games of the season. DeStefano has added five goals and an assist with Mannion accounting for two goals and four assists.

In addition to Mannion, there are five other sophomores who see playing time, including Jimmy Cogley, a starting midfielder.

"There is quite a bit of talent in our sophomore class and they're really contributing," Miller said.

A non-division game yesterday against Butler completes a trio of contests to open the season for Peters Township, which plays five consecutive matches on the road starting this Saturday at Division 1 North contender Seneca Valley.

Division play opens April 12 at Bethel Park, which finished first in Division 1 South last year. Difficult road games follow at Central Catholic on April 16 and at Upper St. Clair April 19.

"We've got some big tests coming up this month, but I'm confident in our kids, who are playing really well," Miller said.

"I think our chances are as good as anybody's to take the division. We're focusing on fundamentals and we're working on important parts of the game such as transition. Being a fundamentally sound team is our biggest focus right now."