Peters Township girls' coach Pat Vereb heard the word "rebuilding" thrown around early in the season after five starters graduated from last year's team.

After a come-from-behind win against defending WPIAL champion Seneca Valley late in the regular season, Vereb started thinking that this team was capable of more than just rebuilding.

Senior captain Hannah Weyrick thought this could be a special year even earlier than that. After a challenging opening schedule against four of the top teams in the area -- Penn-Trafford, South Park, Upper St. Clair and Norwin -- the Indians found themselves with a 3-0-1 record and looking more and more like a WPIAL title contender.

"After our first four games, we came away 3-0-1 and we played all top teams. After that we knew we had a pretty good team," Weyrick said.

Peters Township wrapped up the Section 4-AAA title with an 11-0-1 section record and finished the season with 21 wins while advancing to both the WPIAL title game and the PIAA title game. The Indians came up short against defending state champion Conestoga, 2-1, in the title game at Hersheypark Stadium last weekend.

The late-season win over Seneca Valley was an even bigger morale boost for Peters after being upset by Seneca Valley last year in the WPIAL quarterfinals after completing an undefeated regular season.

"It gave us a big confidence boost that we were able to get them back after last year," Weyrick said.

It was also youth night at Peters Township with youth players from around the school district on hand to watch the game. Another senior captain, Lauren Ray, scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Seneca Valley.

"That non-section game against Seneca Valley, that showed that this team has the resolve and the fight that previous teams have not had," Vereb said.

Although the team's regular-season unbeaten streak of 56 matches came to an end this season and the team won five fewer regular-season games than a year ago, Vereb was even more confident about his team this season as it entered the playoffs.

"I think the difference this year is that we had some adversity," Vereb said. "We lost a game, we tied a few games and the girls were well aware of the amount of discipline and effort it would take in the playoffs and they sort of learned the lesson last year.

"You are always cautious entering the playoffs but this team sort of had something special in the way they approached games and fought for each other and how they were able to grind out a lot of close, low-scoring games."

After a 3-2 loss to Mt. Lebanon in the WPIAL title game, Vereb was still confident his team could turn things around and make a run through the state playoffs. The basis for his confidence was the final minutes of the WPIAL title game.

After falling behind 3-0, the Indians mounted a furious rally with Ray scoring with 12:50 remaining in the game and just over four minutes later Ali Forbrich scored to cut the deficit to one.

"How we performed in the last 20 minutes of the WPIAL title game, that really propelled our team forward with some confidence," Vereb said.

"Getting out of district play and taking a long bus ride that helped refocus the girls and let them realize it was a new tournament."

Vereb was right about his team carrying momentum into the PIAA playoffs as they defeated DuBois, 6-1, in the first round, then shut out Eric McDowell, 1-0, in the quarterfinals and Hampton 3-0 in a rematch of the WPIAL semifinals to earn the trip to Hershey.

"In my earliest days as an assistant coach, my former head coach always said that when you are practicing soccer and it is snowing out, you know you have done something special," Vereb said.

This year's team was led by its four senior starters, all of whom shared captain duties. Ray along with Weyrick, Forbrich and Danielle Castillo have been playing together on traveling teams since they were 9 years old.

Castillo, a three-year starter, played in the midfield this year and Forbrich was one of the top goal-scorers in the WPIAL. She finished with 35 goals this season.

"The program has shown itself to rebuild but these four players were very special in their leadership and their desire to take the program as far as they can go," Vereb said.

"They will be missed in that aspect. I couldn't be more proud of their effort."