Butler's Cecelia Wolford, seen here in a game earlier this season, scored two goals in the Tornado’s WPIAL Class 4A first-round loss to Mt. Lebanon on Monday. Ralph LoVuolo/Special to the Eagle

MT. LEBANON — Even after getting out to an early lead, Dan Buzzard knew his team was facing an uphill battle against No. 6 Mt. Lebanon.

It was no different than the rest of this season, however. Butler girls soccer dropped a 4-3 decision in the WPIAL Class 4A first round Monday evening at Mt. Lebanon.

“Our backs were up against the wall from the get-go with all the injuries, and that was kinda the talk the whole time,” Buzzard. “My talk before tonight was, ‘Listen, we’re gonna be able to do this, but we can only do it if we do it together.’ That was kinda the mantra.

“I saw a lot of that tonight. I saw a lot girls trying to pick each other up, and the effort was fantastic.”

The No. 11 Golden Tornado (7-9-1) didn’t leave with a win, but it did earn respect for the way in which it got to the stage and clawed while on it.

Defender Julia Ameduri and midfielder Kara Lubinsky suffered injuries during the second half of the regular season, which further depleted the crew after senior captain Maggie Lucas was lost for the season early in the schedule.

A Blue Devils (13-5-0) own goal in the second minute gave the Golden Tornado a brief lead before the hosts’ Lucy Pryor knotted matters up less than a minute later.

Butler senior forward Cecelia Wolford gave her side another advantage with a strike from over 20 yards out in the 41st minute, then Mt. Lebanon netted three straight.

Blue Devils coach Seth Young complimented the Golden Tornado on emerging from a “brutal section” in order to compete in the postseason.

“When you get into the playoffs, anything can happen,” Young said. “And I think that it was a great game tonight. I give them a lot of credit considering where things started in the year and where they ended tonight.”

Wolford scored another long-range marker with 15 minutes to go, but the Golden Tornado weren’t able to even the scoreboard once more.

“We had ups and downs this season,” Buzzard said. “But they continued to battle. We came together. The effort tonight was fantastic. ... Just to be here, again, comes down to their determination.”

Buzzard added this season, although trying, was the “best showing, best effort I’ve had (as coach of this team).”

Mt. Lebanon advances to Thursday’s quarterfinals, where it will meet No. 3 Norwin at a time and location to be determined.