When Mt. Lebanon lacrosse coach Julie Gartley took over the Blue Devils' squad seven years ago, a moment like this was not even a faint thought in her mind. But Thursday night at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium, when the Blue Devils claimed their fifth consecutive championship after defeating Peters Township, 10-7, Gartley still seemed a bit awestruck by the powerhouse she has built. "Each year it means something different," Gartley said. "To win this time is just amazing." Mt. Lebanon (14-4-1) received stellar performances in the WPIAL championship game from goalie Taylor Anderson and midfielder Missy Sunseri, who as four-year lettermen both now reign as four-time champs. After a sluggish few opening minutes of play by the Blue Devils and an aggressive stint by Peters Township (17-5), Anderson set the tone for Mt. Lebanon. The senior made two crucial saves before her effort ignited the Blue Devils' offense. "When you have a goalie that plays like that -- out of her mind --it's like wildfire," Gartley said. "It spreads down the field." A little more than a minute after Anderson stopped a shot, which was fired from five feet in front of her, Sunseri put Mt. Lebanon on the board with 16:47 remaining in the first half. Thirty seconds later, Sunseri struck again after carrying the ball from the 50-yard line to give the Blue Devils a 2-0 lead. Sunseri, who has committed to Virginia, ended the night with two goals while midfielder Lori Banky found the back of the net four times. Mt. Lebanon's Madison Boron, Abby Uddstrom and Lauren Fallert each recorded a goal. Mt. Lebanon played without attacker Alexa Challburg, who scored four goals in the semifinal match. Challburg suffered a separated right shoulder playing in a tournament over the weekend. "It's a great feeling knowing that our hard work every day paid off," Sunseri said. "We deserve it. Each year it feels different. It's a new championship." Peters Township coach Erin Reffner got a glimpse of how dedicated the Mt. Lebanon squad is when she left work at St. Clair Hospital and saw the Blue Devils running in January. "They are a great team and they have a great program," Reffner said. "It was a tough game until the end. In the first half we had a hard time finding the back of the net." Mt. Lebanon opened the second half with a 6-3 advantage before Peters Township midfielder Alexandra Oleynik and attacker Amanda Phillips each scored to cut the Blue Devils' lead to 6-5. With 4:40 remaining in the game, Banky scored to extend the lead, 10-6, and put the game away for Mt. Lebanon. With a solid final four minutes to play, Anderson allowed a goal by Peters Township midfielder Jennifer Doran with 30 seconds to go, but made a few key saves. Anderson, a midfielder who will play field hockey at Ohio University, finished with 10 saves. The loss was all too familiar to Peters Township who fell to Mt. Lebanon, 15-4, in the championship game last season. The Indians, however, handed Mt. Lebanon its only section loss of Gartley's career when they defeated the Blue Devils earlier this season. "We're definitely thinking WPIAL championship next year," said Reffner, who is in her second year coaching the Indians. "These are baby steps, and we'll keep going."

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---