JACKSON TWP — The Seneca Valley girls lacrosse team isn’t thinking about what to do for an encore, the Raiders are just doing it.

In defense of the program’s first WPIAL title, SV has opened the season 6-1 in section play.

“We expected this season to be a successful one,” said veteran SV coach Dina McCaskey. “We have a very athletic and fast group.”

SV’s lone loss to date was a 9-8 defeat to section foe Pine-Richland April 3.

Both teams are 8-1 overall and will meet again at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Seneca Valley’s NexTier Stadium.

“We need to go out with intensity right from the start of the game,” said McCaskey of the rematch.

“We tend to be a second-half team,” admitted senior attacker Kelly Cundiff. “On offense, Pine-Richland is fast and their players like to dodge. Our defense has to be aware of that.

“Offensively, we need to take better shots than we did in the first game,” she added.

The Raiders graduated six starters from last year’s 15-5 team. Three of those — Sam Struss, Taylor Mayeda and Paige Corathers — took much of the team’s scoring with them.

But the offense has fallen into good hands thanks in large part to a pair of seniors on the team’s attack, Morgan Midkiff (28 goals) and Cundiff (23).

Midkiff was a frequent scorer last season, but Cundiff has increased her output from nine goals in 2011.

“I knew I had to step up,” said Cundiff, “and if we are to win another title, I think everybody realizes they have to step up their game from last year.”

A key contributor to SV’s scoring chances is junior center midfielder Maddie Koontz.

“She’s all over the place for us,” McCaskey said. “She takes the draw and scores some, but also gets back and plays well on defense.”

“I’m comfortable with all that responsibility, but it’s because my teammates are there to back me up,” said Koontz. “We have each others’ backs.”

McCaskey isn’t shy when it comes to talking about her defense, which is led by three juniors — Lindsey Leddon, Misha Demchuk and Rachel Leake.

“Those three are the core of our defense,” she said. “They set high standards and are good role models for the other girls.

“They say defense wins championships,” added McCaskey, “and it’s definitely the strongest part of our team.”

There’s no secret ingredient, according to Leake, a junior and first-year starter.

“We’ve been working on a few new things defensively,” she said. “A lot of it just comes down to playing together.

“There is pressure on us to win another (WPIAL) title, but we’ve done well so far this season.”

Junior goalie Haile Sandor replaced the graduated Lauren Moran and has made key stops for the Raiders.

“She’s still learning the speed of the varsity game, but has done well,” said McCaskey.

Thursday’s showdown with the Rams will go a long way in determining the section champion.

“A section title is definitely on our radar,” said McCaskey. “If we win it, it will benefit us when the brackets come out.

“Our section is tough,” she added. “Hopefully, that will pay off for us in the playoffs.”