JACKSON TWP — Lacrosse continues to make strides in Western Pennsylvania.

The latest step was taken two weeks ago at Rutgers University, where a WPIAL boys all-star team won the prestigious MXP Tournament.

The annual event includes 60 teams and was viewed by 69 college lacrosse coaches last year. Longtime Rutgers lacrosse coach Jim Stagnitta is director of the event.

"We've sent teams out there before and haven't fared very well," said Seneca Valley boys lacrosse coach Peter Hoffman. "This is a big accomplishment for these kids."

The 24-player team, known as the Steel City All-Stars, included players from Seneca Valley, Butler, Mount Lebanon, North Allegheny, Sewickley Academy, Hampton and Kiski Prep.

Hoffman was one of the team's coaches.

Seneca Valley's players included attacker Jake McAndrew, midfielders Sean O'Rourke, Sam Jarrett, Rob Fyock and David Gibbons, and defenders Joe Natoli and Joe Chowansky. The Butler player was midfielder Tyler Kotch. All eight will be seniors next year.

McAndrew scored the game-winning goal in the championship game, a 6-5 decision over the Baltimore Crabs. Games were played on 10 lighted fields.

"We had some bad weather during the tournament, so some of the games were 50 minutes long and others were 30," Hoffman said. "They had a lot of games to get in."

The Steel City All-Stars defeated a team from Rhode Island 4-2, a team from Philadelphia 7-6 in overtime and opponents from New Jersey by scores of 5-3 and 6-2.

Their semifinal victory was a 6-5 decision over Green Turtle, another team from the Baltimore area.

"The competition was outstanding," Hoffman said. "We needed contributions from everyone on the team to get through this."

Because of graduation and other end-of-school events, the players were only able to practice together a few times before the tournament. Players were selected after a January tryout.

"Some of these kids played together on summer teams before, so they were familiar with each other," Hoffman said. "The more games we played in this tournament, the better we played as a team."

Winning the MPX Tournament gives the Steel City All-Stars an automatic berth in the Dick's Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions, a 25-team event slated for Tampa, Fla., in January.

The team also will compete in the Keystone Games at State College later this summer.