PITTSBURGH — Down on the scoreboard and trailing in manpower, a lot was working against the Mars girls lacrosse team.

After being outscored 5-0 in the first half of Thursday evening's WPIAL Division II title game against Blackhawk, the Planets scratched and clawed their way back into the game.

The Cougars, however, scored two late goals to prevail 7-5 at Highmark Stadium.

Due to several yellow cards, Mars was down a player for the final 13 minutes of the game and even endured stretches while playing with a two-man disadvantage.

“We showed a lot of perseverance in the second half with the comeback,” said Planet coach Lindsay Burns. “It wasn't so much about strategy, but lighting a fire under the girls.”

With its lead trimmed to 5-4, Blackhawk's Emma Verrett scored a crucial unassisted goal with 7:08 left in the game.

Mars' Kelly O'Connell answered with her second tally of the game two minutes later, but the final score belonged to Blackhawk when Evi Malagise beat Mars goalie Charla Tate with just 40 seconds remaining.

The Cougars had taken possession moments earlier in their own end of the field and Blackhawk coach Kevin White called a timeout with 1:49 left to go over the game plan with his players.

“We wanted to spread the ball around,” he said. “With Mars being down a player, we didn't want to be greedy. We just wanted to take the (scoring) opportunity when it came.

“That gave us a two-goal lead and it put the game away.”

Blackhawk proved to be the superior team in the first half. Gianna Piocquidio and Bria Braddock scored in the first five minutes. The team's defense stifled every scoring chance the Planets managed. Goalie Miranda Vigder stopped all five shots she faced in the half, two of them coming after Mars was awarded free position close to the Cougar goal.

“She's only a sophomore,” White said of Vigder. “She was incredible and she's been doing it all year for us.”

Several turnovers also played havoc with Mars' plans.

“We weren't connecting in transition and didn't have the best shot selection,” said Burns.

Two more goals from Verrett were sandwiched around a score from Nicole Cuddy as the Cougars entered halftime with all of the momentum in a game that appeared to be headed for a rout.

But White knew better.

“No doubt, I knew Mars was going to make a comeback,” he said. “It was just a question of when.”

The Planets began to answer that question with O'Connell's goal less than four minutes into the second half.

Vigder, who was a wall in the first half, suddenly showed her human side, allowing three combined goals to Shannon Doyle (2) and Paige Seles in a span of five and a half minutes and Blackhawk's lead had dwindled to just one goal.

The scoring run was due to more inspired play, according to Burns.

“We honed in on the groundballs,” she said. “You can't just stand there watching the ball go out of bounds or let the other team get to it. We got after them.”

Vigder made nine saves in the game and Tate 11 for the Planets, including several big stops during the team's spirited second half.

Though the Planets (15-4) never led in the game or pulled even with the Cougars (17-1), their comeback attempt still meant something to Doyle.

“This senior class was the first group to come through Mars lacrosse,” she said. “We were two men down for most of the second half tonight, but still outscored them 5-2. We fell short, but I'm still proud of the team.”

The title game was the third meeting of the season between Mars and Blackhawk. The Planets won 9-7 in late March, accounting for the Cougars' lone defeat this season. Blackhawk defeated Mars 12-9 last month.

“We've had a bit of a rivalry with them the last couple of years,” Burns said. “It's been back and forth and is always great competition.”