BUTLER TWP— A job, a challenge and true potential.

Those three factors have brought Sara Lettrich and the Butler girls soccer program together.

Lettrich, a 1998 graduate of Shady Side Academy and former girls soccer coach at her alma mater, was hired recently as the Golden Tornado varsity coach.

She replaces Nicole Hilderbrand, who left the program after one season.

After four years of coaching Shady Side Academy, including two appearances in the WPIALfinals, Lettrich moved on to Fox Chapel last season and guided the Foxes to within one game of qualifying for postseason play.

She joined Fox Chapel to attain a full-time teaching position — the same reason she's coming to Butler.

"The job I took at Fox Chapel (seventh-grade reading teacher) was only available for a year,"Lettrich said. "I was filling in for somebody else.

"I didn't have full-time work at Shady Side and I needed a full-time job opportunity."

Lettrich will be teaching 10th-grade English in the Butler school system.

"I had applied at a few other places, but when the Butler job opened up, it seemed like a good fit," she said. "This program has had success and there is plenty of good young talent here.

"With a lot of hard work and by playing with heart, there's no reason why we can't get to the playoffs this year."

The Tornado were 6-10-1 under Hilderbrand last fall, 4-8 in section play. Butler reached the state championship game in 2001 and 2003 under coach Marlene Peoples, but has missed the playoffs each of the last four seasons.

Peoples left the program after the 2006 season. Butler is 5-17-2 in section play over the past two seasons.

"Anytime you bring in a coach who has had success elsewhere, it brings enthusiasm," Butler athletic director Curt Phillips said. "Sara has succeeded under similar circumstances she's seeing here."

Shady Side's girls soccer program had never won a playoff game before Lettrich led the it to successive WPIALtitle game appearances.

Her assistant coach at Butler, Annie Succop, was a high school teammate at Shady Side.

"That's such a plus, having that familiarity coming in,"Lettrich said. "Annie's a great person and I'm looking forward to working with her."

Lettrich said she believes in her teams being in good physical condition.

"That will be my philosophy during the preseason," she said. "We will show a lot of heart.

"Everything in this sport starts with defense. ... Defense wins championships and I plan on winning championships."