ADAMS TWP— Soccer balls were flying everywhere but into the net.

So were bodies.

Junior forward Ryan McKenzie finally scored for Mars with 20 minutes and 15 seconds left in the game, paving the way for a 3-0 victory over Freeport in a physical contest Tuesday night at the Mars Athletic Complex.

"The first goal was going to be the critical goal the way these teams were going at each other,"Mars coach Chris Knauff said.

"Once we put one in, I knew play would open up because they would have to press the issue offensively."

Chris Karns and Alex Perri added goals for the Planets (10-1-2, 7-1-2) just 1:08 apart later in the second half to break the game open.

"This was not a 3-0 game,"Freeport coach Chris McGrady said. "When they scored late in the half, we had to take some chances. Our kids played an excellent game defensively tonight."

The Mars victory avenged a 2-1 loss at Freeport three weeks ago and kept the Yellowjackets (9-3-1, 5-3-1) from moving into a second-place tie in Section 2-AA. Knoch remained unbeaten in section play Tuesday with a 3-0 win over Kittanning.

Freeport had chances to beat the Planets to the first goal, but were denied by either Mars goalie Joe Haefner, the crossbar or the goalpost.

Freshman David Hidinger had an open net from point-blank range with 11 minutes left in the first half, but a Mars defender jumped in front of the shot and deflected it.

Tahon Kirkland, Freeport's leading scorer with 11 goals, got the rebound to the right of the net, but Haefner dove across the goal mouth to rob him of his would-be 12th tally.

Kirkland had another golden opportunity less than two minutes later, but his shot sailed over the net from about 15 yards away.

Early in the second half, senior midfielder John Reichenbaugh's shot eluded Haefner, hit the crossbar and deflected straight down, but not into the net.

Moments later, Garrett Blake uncorked a shot from 25 yards out that Haefner deflected off the left goalpost. The ball rolled directly across the goal mouth, but it didn't go in.

"If any of those shots find the net, this may have been a different game,"McGrady said.

Haefner made nine saves, including a lunging stop on Mike DeFrancisis off a corner kick to preserve the shutout with a minute left.

"I just try to pray the posts and crossbar help me out in situations like those,"Haefner said. "I'll do the rest."

The shutout was the fourth in a row for Mars, which has allowed only nine goals all season.

The Planets had plenty of scoring chances themselves before eventually cashing in. The closest call occurred with 3:10 left in the first half when Andy Knauff's free kick from 19 yards away was headed by Perri.

Freeport goalkeeper Nick Gentile got his hands on the shot, but could not hold it. The ball deflected off his hands and over the net.

Mars missed the net on five prime scoring chances in the first half alone.

"You try not to change your game when stuff like that is happening,"McKenzie said. "We were getting good pressure, good chances. We just had to keep coming."

The Planets finally broke through when junior midfielder Mike Page found McKenzie streaking down the right side. McKenzie beat the defender to the ball and deftly rolled a shot into the far corner of the net for his team-leading ninth goal of the season.

"Mike did all the work on that play,"McKenzie said. "It was a perfect pass. All I had to do was deflect it in."

Karns made it 2-0 when he took a pass from McKenzie right in front of the net and drilled it past Gentile with 9:11 left in the game.

Perri scored the final goal on a breakaway, chipping a shot over Gentile's head and into the back of the net with 8:03 to play.

"I love this kind of game,"Knauff said. "It was physical and intense. It gets you prepared for the playoffs."

Mars had an 11-9 edge in shots on goal and had five corner kicks to the Yellowjackets' two.