BUTLER TWP — Lacrosse is not in the immediate future for Kathryn Hitchan and Hannah Kranbacher.

It’s not exactly off their radar, either.

The two Butler seniors, best friends on and off the field, made all-section and honorable mention All-WPIAL Division 2 this season, but neither is moving on to college lacrosse.

Both wanted to do so.

“Both of them could have played,” Butler coach Annie Tigano said. “The talent, the passion, the desire, it’s all there. Their career ambitions just didn’t mesh.

“They’re going to miss it. I think they do already.”

Hitchan is headed to Point Park University to study cinema production. Her career goal is to be involved in film making.

Kranbacher is going to Carlow College to study nursing. Neither Point Park nor Carlow offer a lacrosse program.

“I was considering Shenandoah University in Virginia and they have a lacrosse team,” Kranbacher said. “I would have played there, but Carlow is a better choice for nursing.

“At this stage of our lives, we have to put our careers first.”

There was talk of Carlow beginning a women’s lacrosse program and Kranbacher talked to the athletic director about it.

“That would have been fantastic. I wanted to be a part of that,” she admitted. “But the department was funding a cross-country team and I was told a (lacrosse) team wasn’t happening in the near future.”

Kranbacher was a defender for the Golden Tornado, which finished 10-9 and reached the WPIAL Division 2 playoffs. Butler picked up its first-ever playoff win last year.

Kranbacher is a two-year letter winner, Hitchan a three-year letter winner. Hitchan scored 21 goals and had five assists as a midfielder this year.

“Point Park has an excellent cinema program and my mindset is on making it in that industry,” Hitchan said. “But I don’t feel like I’m through playing yet.”

Sports run deep in Hitchan’s family. She wore the No. 4 on her uniform out of respect for her grandmother, Norma Dearfield, who played women’s professional baseball in the All-American League years ago.

“I’ve worn that number on any team I’ve played for, whenever it was available,” Hitchan said. “Everyone who played sports in my family wore it.”

Hitchan and Kranbacher played lacrosse together in junior high. Hitchan has been playing since seventh grade, Kranbacher since eighth grade. They played on Butler’s first junior high team.

Because they are going to Pittsburgh-based schools, they are entertaining thoughts of forming a Pittsburgh club women’s lacrosse team.

“We would play against college club teams in the area,” Hitchan said. “If we can organize it, I think the interest is there.

“We used to run down to Father Marinaro Park every day after (junior high) school for practice. We didn’t walk, we ran. That’s how we got warmed up for practice.”

Hitchan played basketball and soccer when she was younger. She gave up other sports to play on a traveling lacrosse team in 10th grade. Kranbacher has been a cheerleader throughout high school and was a member of Butler’s competitive cheering team that traveled to Orlando, Fla., for nationals.

“My friends began playing lacrosse and I wanted to try it,” Kranbacher recalled. “My mother couldn’t believe it. She thought I was too girly for it. But I loved it.”

While their careers may someday take them to other geographic areas, Hitchan and Kranbacher have talked about coaching lacrosse together sometime down the road.

“We’re not done with this. Not by a long shot,” Hitchan said. “Lacrosse will always be a part of us.”

Of the 19 players on Butler’s varsity roster this season, 15 came from the junior high program.

“But a lot of girls are still learning the sport as they go,” Tigano said. “Our more experienced girls help the others along, even teach them the game to a degree. I’ve seen a lot of that going on here.

“When our program got started (10 years ago), we had about 50 girls sign up just wanting to see what it was. Now we’re getting some of the top athletes in the school. A number if girls from other sports are making lacrosse their No. 1 sport.”

Count Hitchan and Kranbacher among them.

“I miss playing already,” Kranbacher said.