After strong regular season, Plum girls lacrosse carries journey into WPIAL playoffs

By: Michael Love
Saturday, May 6, 2023 | 11:01 AM

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The WPIAL girls lacrosse committee is scheduled to meet Thursday to hash out the WPIAL playoff pairings and also release the brackets for both Class 3A and Class 2A.

Plum hopes to earn a first-round bye in the Class 2A field of at least 12 teams — six from each of the two sections.

It would be the Mustangs’ highest-ever playoff seeding.

But coach Domenic Barnebei said that his players will be ready no matter where they are slotted and who they will face.

“The playoffs are fun,” he said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity and being able to go further in playoffs. It’s another step in our journey this season. I am really proud of the girls. It hasn’t been an easy road to where we are, but the girls have worked hard and have played well.”

Plum was playing like a top team through an 18-9 victory last Wednesday (May 3) against Oakland Catholic. It was the team’s 11th win in a row after an 0-2 start, and the Mustangs improved to a Section 1-best 9-0.

But the Plum coaches and players knew they couldn’t look ahead to the playoffs with section games at Latrobe (May 5) and at Ellis (May 10) still to be played.

It shaped up to be a busy end to the regular season. As of May 3, Plum was to play six games in nine days with a visit to South Fayette on Saturday and a home game against Class 3A North Hills on Monday included on the slate.

“We’ve been on fire,” junior defender Charlee Wastchak said after the Oakland Catholic victory. “We’re on a high, and we’re taking advantage of it. We don’t want to look past anyone.”

In Plum’s winning streak, which started with an 18-9 victory over Class 3A Norwin and continued through the win over Oakland Catholic, it earned its share of dominant victories.

On the flip side, the Mustangs were able to come together and score some close and satisfying section wins.

Shortly after a 24-2 rout of Yough, Plum edged Penn-Trafford, 13-10.

After a 17-2 victory over Greensburg Salem in which senior Kylie Fischer scored her 100th career goal, the Mustangs entered a key section week with games against Hampton and Franklin Regional.

Both games were on the road, and the Plum players responded.

The Mustangs scored an 8-6 win over Hampton on April 18 that not only avenged a WPIAL quarterfinal loss from last year but also ended the Talbots’ section win streak that dated back to 2019.

It was a quick turnaround for Plum which matched up with Franklin Regional two days later. The rivalry has proven to have games that come down to the wire, and the April 20 matchup was no exception.

The Mustangs maintained their hold atop the section with a 10-8 win over the Panthers.

“We were on cloud 9 after beating Hampton, but we knew we had to get ready for another challenging game against Franklin Regional,” Wastchak said.

“It was a tiring week, physically and emotionally. We didn’t come out with our best game against Franklin. I think we could feel it. We knew how good Franklin was and how they were going to play against us. But we stuck together. That was the important thing.”

Another close game April 25 at home against Indiana saw Plum survive for an 8-6 victory.

“Our section is getting better and better,” Barnabei said. “That win over Hampton was huge for us. A lot of these games, they really help prepare us for the playoffs.

“We work on defense with those close types of games. Close games are won by defense.”

Plum also has been one of the WPIAL’s highest-scoring teams.

Fischer scored five goals and added four assists against Oakland Catholic, while juniors Sophie Anderson and Rayla Smith scored four goals apiece. Sophomore Bella DiFrancesca added a hat trick, and junior Allie Venanzi tallied a pair of goals.

Smith led the team after the Oakland Catholic win with 40 goals on the season, while Fischer had 34, and DiFrancesca 27.

“We haven’t backed down from any challenge,” DiFrancesca said. “I like the way we’ve been playing. Everyone contributes, and that’s what we need to be successful.”

Plum celebrated senior night against Greensburg Central Catholic, and seven seniors — Fischer, Emma Warner, Madison Bevacqua, Ashley Harchick, Dannika Susko, Payton Brenner and Hope Doty — were celebrated in a ceremony before the contest.

“That was pretty emotional for me, Fischer said. “I started playing (Plum Youth Lacrosse) in fifth or sixth grade. It’s hard to think that I will be leaving the team and leaving so many great teammates I’ve played with for so long. I am very proud of where we came from and what we’ve been able to do for the program. Hopefully, we have some more things to accomplish.”

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

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