For years, Kiersten Green was the face of Manheim Township girls' basketball.

For good reason.

The 2010-11 Lancaster Newspapers Player of the Year and explosive, slashing point guard — who now plays at NCAA Division I Cleveland State University — powered the Blue Streaks to two Lancaster-Lebanon League Section One titles in three years, not to mention their first L-L crown since 1996-97 last winter.

But not long after Township cut down the nets following a 48-42 victory over Solanco in last year's L-L final, before having its stellar season  derailed by a frightening 31-13 loss to Wilson in the second round of the District Three Class AAAA playoffs, the question everyone knew was coming suddenly surfaced.

How would the Streaks adapt to the post-Green era?

Uhh ... pretty well, actually.

Coming off a second straight 16-0 L-L League season and its second straight Section One crown, Township enters tonight's quarterfinal round of the L-L playoffs, possibly, as the team to beat.

Again.

And this time, without Green.

"The neat thing about this season is the girls had to find their own identity," first-year Township coach Sean Burkhart said. "And they did that.

"I think it was a collective thing," continued Burkhart, who served several years as an assistant under his predecessor, Lance Wagner. "One of the things that might have helped that was them dealing with me being a new coach, and (having) a bunch of kids playing varsity for the first time. All of those (factors) went into forming that identity."

Helping, too, is that a big part of the "old" identity still exists in senior guard/forward Jordan Brewer and junior forward Alex Ross — the Streaks' two leading scorers — along with senior guard Michelle Relin and junior guard Molly Hendrick.

Not that that brings any added pressure this week, according to Burkhart.

"I think the whole groundwork of what the last (few Township) teams have done is there," he said. "I don't think (the Streaks) think they have to live up to those teams ... but nobody wants to be the team to turn it in another direction.

"So I don't know if it's them putting pressure on themselves or them knowing they can do it."

Perhaps because, since an opening-night, 62-26 beating at the hands of District Three power Red Lion on Dec. 9 — when Burkhart said Township was just in the baby stages of finding its new identity — the Streaks have lost only once. The other being a 43-36 defeat to another district power, West York, in the opening round of the York Suburban Holiday Tournament on Dec. 28.

Township has won 14 straight since then.

Entering tonight's first round, the only squad in the eight-team field near that mark is Solanco, which has five straight wins.

Still, when you consider the Golden Mares' only losses all season were to perennial power Lancaster Catholic (65-59 on Jan. 21) and Township (36-33 on Jan. 25), it probably doesn't mean all that much.

Especially when you further consider that Catholic's only losses this season were to Carlisle (51-47 on Dec. 10) in its second game of the year, and to perennial PIAA Class AAA power Trinity (66-52 on Jan. 7) and longtime PIAA Class AA force Delone Catholic (67-56 on Feb. 4).

"Depending on what night it is, any team could be (the team to beat) for a lot of different reasons," Burkhart said. "I think (the tournament) is more wide-open than people think it is."

Regardless, Township is ready to attack it.

With a whole new identity.

jfulginiti@lnpnews.com