HERSHEY, Pa. -- Having endured three win-or-else affairs to reach the PIAA championship, Achilles Vassilicos never expected his Penn-Trafford girls to fall victim to the anxieties that generally arrive when playing in big games.

Yet, that's what happened to the Warriors at Hersheypark Stadium for yesterday's PIAA Class AAA championship. When the 80-minute scrap had ended, Conestoga was the one with a 2-0 victory.

First-half goals from Casey Steidle and Carly Niness, both in the first 14 minutes, were more than enough for the Philadelphia-area Pioneers (23-2-1).

Goalkeeper Katie Frey made two saves for Conestoga, which shut out its final six opponents. The Pioneers, who allowed just seven goals all season, finished their championship season with 18 consecutive wins.

Sarah Kyper had three saves for Penn-Trafford (21-4-1), which was playing in its first PIAA final since falling to Strath Haven, 2-1, in the 2002 title game.

"We'll be back here," said Vassilicos, whose team defeated Erie McDowell, 2-1; Peters Township, 2-1; and Mt. Lebanon, 2-1, to reach the final. "We just need more experience."

Awarded an early corner kick, the Pioneers cashed in at the 6:02 mark when Steidle headed Murphee Greeley's set piece.

Nearly eight minutes later, the ball was fished out of the net again after Niness turned a Jessica Hirst pass into Conestoga's second goal. Kyper got a piece of Niness' shot, but could not prevent the ball from going in.

"It was a situation where some of my key players, especially in the back, were just too nervous," said Vassilicos, in his first season. "We gave up a couple of soft goals that we should not have given. In a championship game against a team like that, you just can't do that."

Especially against a team with a stingy defensive corps.

"I didn't think the pressure was going to affect us, because the last three games showed that we could play with some good teams," Vassilicos said. "I guess the pressure was too great to handle."