After a winless season last year, the Butler boys lacrosse team is on the rebound.

Junior attacker Zach Reiser and junior goalkeeper Matt McCarrier are doing their part to help the squad make last year's 0-16 mark a distant memory.

The Golden Tornado are currently 3-7 overall, but they are still eyeing a playoff spot from the Western Pennsylvania Scholastic Lacrosse Association's Division II North.

"It feels great to be part of a team that's respected," said McCarrier. "Last year, it was hard for us to hold our heads up because we were losing games like 21-2 all of the time. But this year we're fighting and fighting hard."

Reiser was Butler's leading scorer last year with 12 goals, but he has taken his game to a high level this season.

Following Wednesday's game at North Hills, Reiser has 28 goals, good for third

in the league."He would have had more goals last season, but we were rebuilding," said Tornado coach Rich Gigliotti. "I'm not surprised in the slightest bit that he's one of the top scorers."Every team knows he's a good player and they are planning their defenses around him."Reiser attributes much of his improvement to a traveling team he played for over the summer, the Pittsburgh Rebels."I got to see what's out there and what I need to strive for," said Reiser. "I hope to play lacrosse in college, and the traveling team gives you a lot of exposure."For Gigliotti, it's the little things Reiser does that sets him apart."He knows where he is on the field at all times," he said. "And he sees the field so well."McCarrier was comfortable playing attack and midfield last season, when he tallied seven goals.But when his team was without a goalkeeper this preseason, McCarrier stepped in to fill the vacancy."I figured it would be a learning year for me," McCarrier said. "And in the first couple of games, I was just trying to stop the ball any way I could instead of using the stick and actually playing the position."But then I started to work with my coaches and learn the right technique. Now I love the position."McCarrier's save percentage currently stands at 65 percent. That's just a few saves shy of the 68.2 percentage that Hampton's Nate Meade used to win WPSLA Division II goalie of the year in 2004.McCarrier also is planning to play the sport in college and hopes to attend a goalkeeper camp this summer."I wasn't expecting Matt to master the position as quickly as he did, but he's such a coachable kid," said Gigliotti.