Pioneer's Emy Guttman (with ball) is hoping to lose in the state finals to complete her championship loss trifecta. Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

For all but a fortunate few, having a prep season end with a loss is a painful inevitability.

Pioneer senior Emy Guttman wants her final season with the Pioneers girls lacrosse team to end in a loss. But not just any loss.

Guttman -- who will play field hockey this fall for the University of Michigan -- has had each of her two seasons (field hockey and ice hockey) end in state championship losses. She hope to get the three-peat in lacrosse.

Pioneer lost to cross-town rival Huron in overtime in field hockey and in ice hockey to Grosse Pointe North.

This spring? She wants more, “I want to be runner-ups in the state so I can be 0-3 for my senior year.”

She's joking, of course. But she has a good sense of humor about the topic.

In playing lacrosse, Guttman remains the only Pioneer athlete with the opportunity to hit the trifecta of championship losses. However, her desire to lose in a state final this season actually speaks to her desire to compete -- and to win. Reaching the state finals for Pioneer (11-3) would be a great achievement for a team that has recently experienced little postseason success.

Playing attack, Guttman is second on the team with 32 goals and third with 14 assists,

“Emy has been a great asset to the program this year. I have so much respect for Emy and her commitment and dedication to our program this spring. Despite her success in field hockey and ice hockey, which I believe to be her first loves, she has been able to stay focused and take on a leadership role with this team," said Pioneer head coach Zach Maghes.

Field and ice hockey are in Guttman's blood, her father, Steve, had Olympic aspirations as a field hockey goalie and Emy only started to play lacrosse in high school.

It would be easy for Guttman to use her spring to focus on field hockey, a sport that still takes up most of her weekends, but instead she is committed to lacrosse,

“I did think about not playing, but truthfully I’m not sure what I would do every day after school if I didn’t,” Guttman said.

This summer Guttman’s focus will shift back to her college bound sport.

“I’ll be playing a lot of field hockey and helping my parents out at Top of the Park,” Guttman said.

But in the meantime, the rest of Guttman’s high school career is focused is on working hard to get to another state final...and lose.

Bob Gross covers sports at AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at bobmgross@gmail.com.