One was in a WPIAL championship victory, the other in a title-game defeat.

But Mars girls lacrosse senior goaltender Alaina Metal and Seneca Valley boys volleyball senior outside hitter Michael Devlin stood out enough to be named the Butler Eagle Female and Male High School Athletes of the Week.

Metal made nine saves in the Planets' 10-3 win over previously undefeated Blackhawk in the WPIAL Class 2A title contest. The Cougars failed to score on Metal in the game's first 18 minutes.

The win marked Mars' first-ever girls lacrosse district championship.

“We had two or three goals before they scored,” Metal said. “I love when our team is able to score goals. It takes a lot of the pressure off.”

She appreciates how the Planets often maintain pressure in the offensive end of the field, though it leaves her a bit lonely standing in front of her own net.

“Sometimes I feel like I can read a magazine back there,” she joked.

Metal has been a lacrosse goalkeeper for seven years. She began playing the position at the youth level when the regular goalkeeper got hurt.

“They rotated a bunch of the girls in as goalie and I didn't hate it,” she said. “By middle school, we felt we needed to establish a regular goalkeeper and I was anxious to develop the skills for it.”

A starter for most of her high school career, Metal will continue to play goalkeeper in college. She has committed to Muskingum University in Ohio and will study nursing.

The toughest part of the position?

“The mental blocks,” she said. “You can't lose focus if you give up a goal. Anyone can have a bad day and sometimes it's a great shot.

“You have to stay mentally strong for your team. I've gotten much better at that.”

Devlin had a team-leading 17 kills in the Raiders' 3-1 WPIAL Class 3A finals loss to undefeated North Allegheny.

Mars lacrosse and SV volleyball will both compete in PIAA quarterfinal action Saturday.

“I think we'll play (NA) again,” Devlin said. “Our team has been together for a few years now. Their team has been together for six years.

“We're ranked third in the state. I like having North Allegheny in our section. It's a great rivalry and such high competition has made us better.”

Devlin is headed to Baldwin Wallace to play college volleyball next year. He plans to major in cyber security.

Previously a football, basketball and baseball player, he got into volleyball by following the career of older sister Emily, now a senior volleyball player at Robert Morris University.

He began playing volleyball in eighth grade.

“Some of my friends were playing and got me to try it. I loved it,” he said.

Devlin has become one of the prime offensive targets of the Raider setters.

“I'm one of the guys who has to finish the play,” he said.

The Raiders enter state quarterfinal play with a 19-3 record.

“Playing together for so long, team chemistry has helped us,” Devlin said. “Coach (Brett) Poirier has taught us a lot of things and we have great athletes as well.

“All of that has made us a pretty good team.”