There was no happy ending to the Peters Township girls' lacrosse season this year.

It still won a WPIAL title, its third consecutive, but with the institution of the state playoffs this year, the Indians knew it was going to be even harder to finish the season with a win.

Peters Township would not have it any other way, welcoming the challenge of competing against other districts throughout the state, even if it meant having the taste of defeat in their mouths the entire offseason.

For this year and beyond, capturing the WPIAL championship is not the end of the campaign as it was in years past, but just the beginning of the state playoffs where this season, the Indians went on to blow past District 3 Kennard-Dale, 19-7, before falling to Manheim Township, 13-10, Saturday evening.

"Traditionally winning the WPIAL, we have always ended the season on a win and it is very final," Peters Township coach Kim Eldridge said.

"To advance to the state playoffs and then to win in the first round is a great building block and it was quite an honor to represent the WPIAL in the state tournament."

Eldridge returned to coach the team after missing last season. She inherited a much different team after 12 seniors graduated but the result was the same as her first year in 2007 -- a WPIAL title.

Eldridge is familiar with what it takes to compete for not only WPIAL titles but also on the state level. She played lacrosse in high school at Downingtown West, a more established area for lacrosse in the eastern part of the state, and also played on the collegiate level at William & Mary.

"They realize that they have to put their best game on the field to beat those teams [in the state playoffs]," Eldridge said.

"By having the reality of the state tournament and realizing where we rank outside of our region is a good indicator for the players to realize that being the best in Western Pennsylvania does not mean being the best [in Pennsylvania].

"The state playoffs increase the overall level of play."

Eldridge was able to rebuild for this year despite 12 seniors graduating from a year ago so Peters Township will likely still be considered a favorite as only nine seniors graduate this year. Junior attacker Jules Femiani alongside returning underclassmen Brianna Kilberg, Ellie Hanlon and Bridget Stein will make up the core of the team next season.

In the 18-15 WPIAL title win against Upper St. Clair, Femiani and Hanlon combined to score 10 goals. Hanlon also led the team with four goals in the loss to Manheim Township.

Next season, Manheim Township would be smart to avoid Peters Township, a team that made a habit of righting wrongs from earlier in the season.

Early-season losses to Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair sent Peters Township into a five game slid. Unfortunately for Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair, both teams had to run into Peters Township not once but twice.

In the span of two weeks, at the end of the regular season and in the WPIAL playoffs, Peters Township paid both teams back with regular-season wins and playoff wins.

"We use all our losses as a springboard," Eldridge said. "We had to start playing harder or our season was going to be over. We just reviewed our goals of winning the WPIAL and got refocused. The girls played together as a team."

Another adjustment players have had to make with the addition of the state playoffs is preparing to play unfamiliar teams in postseason games.

South Hills powers Peters Township, Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair have a natural rivalry among themselves that is often settled in the WPIAL semifinals or finals. Eldridge realizes it is much harder to spark a team emotionally playing against unfamiliar teams from the eastern part of the state.

"When they play Upper St. Clair or Mt. Lebanon, the rivalry brings out the emotion of the players," Eldridge said. "When they go out against teams where they don't necessarily have that rivalry established, they have to realize it is back to basics and their game has to improve."

The Division 1, All-Section 1 team was dotted with Peters Township players. They were midfielders Ellie Hanlon and Lauren Ray and defender Sarah Grech.

Femiani, the team's leading goal scorer, Ray, Hanlon, Grech, Jenna Simmons and Corey Sam also were named WPIAL Division I All-Stars.