Penn-Trafford lacrosse teams finish strong

By: Paul Schofield
Saturday, May 10, 2025 | 11:01 AM

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Penn-Trafford boys lacrosse coach Charles Hach said he did not know what to expect this season after graduating 16 seniors.

“We were rebuilding, and our goal was to make the WPIAL Class 2A playoffs,” Hach said. “We exceeded my expectations by finishing third. Now that we are in the playoffs and have a home game, we want to win our next game. That is our focus right now.”

Penn-Trafford (12-6, 9-2) finished third behind South Fayette (17-0, 11-0) and Peters Township (10-6, 10-1) in Section 1-2A and a game ahead of Bethel Park (11-7, 8-3).

The Warriors were seeded sixth for the WPIAL playoffs and played host to No. 11 Shaler (10-6, 6-4) on May 13 in the first round of the playoffs. They defeated the Titans, 14-7, earlier this season.

The Penn-Trafford girls were scheduled to host Butler on May 13 in the opening round.

If either team wins, they’ll advance to the quarterfinals on May 15.

“I am really happy with the way we played this season,” Hach said. “What I am extremely happy about this team is that they never quit and they always continue to battle no matter the score.”

The offensive leaders for the Warriors have been senior attacker Gavin Weaver, sophomore attacker Carter Vandrak and senior attacker Elias Habura, along with newcomers in sophomore attacker Mason Nigut and sophomore Carter Zeminski.

Another strong player has been senior goalkeeper Chase Morocco.

The defensive standouts have been senior Blake Branthoover, senior Chad Pusateri and senior Bryer Hamilton, along with freshman Shane Lekovitch and junior Weston Johnson.

“We have a lot of players who have stepped up,” Hach said. “Our goals have changed. I know it is a cliché, but we are focused on our next game. Once you get into the playoffs, anything can happen. I like how we are playing.”

Girls finish 4th in section

The Penn-Trafford girls finished their first season in Class 3A in fourth place in Section 1 behind Upper St. Clair (16-1, 10-0), Mt. Lebanon (12-2, 9-1) and Peters Township (13-5, 8-2).

The Lady Warriors (12-6, 7-3) ended the regular season on a six-game winning streak.

They opened the playoffs against Butler, a team they defeated 13-4 on March 14.

Paul Schofield is a TribLive reporter covering high school and college sports and local golf. He joined the Trib in 1995 after spending 15 years at the Daily Courier in Connellsville, where he served as sports editor for 14 years. He can be reached at pschofield@triblive.com.

Tags: Penn-Trafford