Villa Maria to meet in showdown

Berchtold, a 5 foot 3 inch freshman, had already developed varsity level ball handling skills and seemed to not run out of energy each practice as the Lakers prepared for the 2008 09 season.

"She's like the Energizer bunny out there. She has tremendous stamina and doesn't need to come out," Perfetto said. "She's come a long way over the past four years. That was the one position we needed help with that year. We had just graduated Lindsay Moore and needed a leader at the point guard position."

Given the chance, Berchtold hasn't let go of the starting job at point guard in four years. Although she has grown only an inch in her career, t ask he Laker sparkplug has developed into one of the best point guards in District 10.

If there were a match to Berchtold at point guard, it would be Lisa Mifsud of Villa Maria. Mifsud, a four year varsity player, has been a part of three state championships with the Victors after transferring from Fairview after her freshman year and has made an immediate impact on the program.

"When Lisa first attended Villa and came to an open gym, what stuck out to me was her competitive spirit," Villa coach Doug Chuzie said. "Lisa doesn't like to lose in anything she does. The two point guards have played on the varsity level their entire careers and are both closing in on 1,000 career points.

Berchtold, a Gannon recruit, is averaging 13.3 points per game this season and currently has 921 career points. Mifsud, a 5 foot 7 inch senior headed to Division I Holy Cross, is scoring 12 ppg and has 963 for her career.

"Lisa definitely brought a lot of dribbling ability to the team and can distribute the ball well," Villa four year varsity player Abbey Steudler said. "She helps everyone get involved and plays a big role on the team. Point guards see plays before they happen and they have to know who to look for each play."

The two point guards have four District 10 championships between them, with Mifsud claiming three and Berchtold playing a big role in Mercyhurst Prep's D 10 title last year.

With both programs making annual runs at state championships, it takes a special player to earn playing time right away at either school.

Berchtold and Mifsud both did it.

"It was very intimidating at first to come here and not only play but start," Berchtold said. "I played with a bunch of good players, and they really helped me settle into the position. There is always something to work on to improve, and over the years I've tried to learn everything I could."

Both guards possess explosive speed and use it to take the ball to the basket or lock down an opponent on defense.

"Both players have very high basketball IQs and do what they need to for their team," Chuzie said. "If that means driving to the hole and dishing, they'll do it. If it means taking over and scoring, they'll do it.

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Today's gameVilla Maria vs. 13, 2010.

Breakdown: Mercyhurst Prep and Villa Maria played a thriller last winter to begin the 2010 11 season. Both teams played a tough game defensively and showed some rust as well, being the first game of the year. Karlee McBride's jumper at the buzzer just missed off the rim. Both teams went on to the PIAA championships, with the Victors claiming their third straight Class AA title and the Lakers falling to Archbishop Wood in the Class AAA game.

The rivals have had terrific seasons so far and will look to defend their respective D 10 championships in March. Mercyhurst hasn't lost a game but is still finding its chemistry w nike free australia ith Kayla Wilwohl and Alissa Robbins coming back from injury. Amanda Berchtold and Brenna Robbins have kept the Lakers moving forward this season, while Elysha Chrzanowski has been a solid replacement for Ally Burke. Villa's only losses came to some of the best teams in the country at the Nike Tournament of Champions. All five starters including Lisa Mifsud, Abbey Steudler, Zhane Brooks, Adrienne Kloecker and McBride have committed to colleges and are looking for a historic fourth straight state title. District 10 has 15 PIAA girls basketball titles. Mercyhurst leads D 10 with four titles, while Villa Maria has three. Cranberry, a current member of District 9, is the only other girls basketball team in D 10 history to win multiple state titles, with three.

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