Drama kings
JACKSON TWP — Postseason dramatics are becoming a theme for the Mars boys soccer team.
Three nights after the Planets earned a 2-1 win over Quaker Valley by outscoring the Quakers in penalty kicks, Mars found itself down 3-0 to Montour with 28 minutes remaining in Thursday's WPIAL Class AA quarterfinal at Seneca Valley's NexTier Stadium.
The Planets, however, came roaring back with three goals in the span of just 16 minutes to tie the game.
Junior midfielder Spencer Hnath then ended the game with a goal seven minutes and 52 seconds into overtime, giving the Planets a 4-3 victory.
The win pairs the Planets with Thomas Jefferson, a 1-0 winner over Ringgold, in a semifinal game Monday at a site and time to be determined. It also guarantees Mars a spot in the state playoffs.
In the night's second game, Seneca Valley disposed of Central Catholic 3-0 in a Class AAA quarterfinal.
Hnath's score came moments after a Montour goal kick that the Spartans quickly turned over. Andrew Dominijanni fed Hnath a pinpoint pass and the latter avoided a Montour defender long enough to end the Spartans' season.
“That's the biggest goal I've ever scored,” Hnath said.
Mars' Dale Glavin had 12 saves in the game, including two in overtime prior to the decisive sequence at the opposite end of the field.
It was Andrew Diefenbacher who pulled the Planets out of their funk. His goal in the 53rd minute against Montour goalie Brian Duggan cut the Spartan lead to 3-1, but also changed Montour's mindset.
“Mars came alive with that first goal,” said Montour coach Alex Hobbs. “It put us on our heels and it was like we started playing in survival mode.”
“When we were down 3-0, we were all hoping to come back,” said Hnath, “but scoring that first goal is what changed the momentum.”
The Spartans (13-4-2), who had earned their 3-0 lead while playing at a torrid pace, had the tables turned on them. Now it was the Planets controlling things.
In the 62nd minute, Caleb Brake headed in a corner kick from Dominijanni, bringing Mars to within 3-2.
“We were trying to get the ball to the outside the entire second half,” said Mars coach Chris Knauff. “At first, it wasn't working, but once we found space on the outside, that's when things began to turn for us.”Montour's Chris Hanlon scored in the 17th minute and the Spartans led 1-0 at halftime. Matt Slesinger and Noah Meehan scored early in the second half.Duggan had five saves in net for the Spartans.Mars' stamina was once again put to the test on Thursday. The Planets (17-2-1) played 110 minutes of soccer Monday before finding themselves in another golden-goal situation against Montour.“They're fine. They're young,” said Knauff. “If there's a couple days of rest, I don't think it affects them.”Class AAA Seneca Valley 3, Central Catholic 0At 6-foot-7, Central Catholic goalkeeper Oscar Marroquin looms as a large barrier to opposing teams, but Seneca Valley's play was more imposing Thursday night.SV's Zack McVicker, Griffin Mathew and Matt Saluga each scored to lift the Raiders into the WPIAL semifinals. They will face Canon-McMillan, a 2-1 winner against Penn-Trafford, in Monday's semifinal round at a site and time to be determined.Marroquin stopped five shots in the game, but allowed a pair of goals late in the first half.McVicker tallied the first on an assist from Cole Dengler in the 37th minute of play.Mathew then frustrated the Vikings even further when he booted a shot from 30 yards out and to the right of Central's net in the waning seconds of the first half. The ball was placed in the top left corner, just eluding the outstretched Marroquin as time expired.“When we score that first goal, it's like taking a match to gasoline,” said SV senior defender Macen DiPaolo. “It makes them (Vikings) start playing as individuals and not as a team.”It had been nine days since the Raiders (14-1-1) last played. SV coach George Williams was concerned that his team could be rusty.“You get that week off and sometimes it's tough to come back,” he said. “Central is a good team and we did have to shake off some cobwebs early. Fortunately, our guys were able to get the job done.”DiPaolo said he and his teammates relied on each other to avoid a letdown.“The key was making sure we were in the right mindset and playing as a team.”Saluga's goal in the 66th minute was icing on the cake, but SV's defense had already put a stranglehold on Central's attack. Raiders' goalie Luke Pecora was forced to make just four saves in the game. The Vikings (11-6-2) had one corner kick all night.“Sometimes in soccer, you have to match a team's skill and physicality,” said Vikings' coach Claudio Morini. “We didn't do that tonight.”“We played a lot of guys in the back — McVicker, DiPaolo, Sam Patry, Matt Stopar, Dylan Grubbs and Jacob King,” said Williams. “They all did great tonight.”
