Planets coast in playoff debut
ADAMS TWP — The Mars girls soccer team opened up the WPIAL Class AA playoffs as most thought it would — with a dominating performance.
Five different players scored as the Planets crushed Beaver 5-0 Saturday afternoon at the Mars Athletic Complex.
Just five minutes and 25 seconds into the game, junior midfielder Bethany Perri took a pass from Kristen McKenzie and beat Beaver goalkeeper Eleanor Neeley and the Planets never looked back.
Patricia Glavin and Amber Fichter added first-half goals. Karli Paracca and Crysta Ganter both found the net in the second half to round out the scoring.
The performance came despite the absence of senior forward Kristen Check, who has 16 goals this season but missed the game with a leg injury.
“We have a few players who can score,” said Mars coach Blair Gerlach. “It's nice to know that if a player isn't in there for us, others can step up.”
Mars (18-0-1) will face Quaker Valley, a 1-0 winner over Greensburg Salem, in a quarterfinal match at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium.
Also contributing to the Planets' latest triumph was yet another suffocating effort by the team's defense of Amber Fichter, Jordyn White, Erica Schwab and Shae O'Connor.
Mars goalkeeper Sarah Dailey needed to make just one save the entire game and it came on a free kick from Beaver with 13:40 left in the contest.Through 19 games, Dailey and the defense in front of her have tallied 14 shutouts.While Dailey recently earned All-Section honors, none of the defenders was recognized.“Our back four have been very solid all year,” said Gerlach. “They play physical and do everything they're asked to do, but they were not recognized for it.“That's fine, it's not about individual achievements,” he added. “But did they deserve it? Absolutely.”White, a junior, is in her third season of starting for the Planets.“Our defense and goalie have worked very hard to get those shutouts,” she said. “We go into every game believing we're not going to give up any goals.”White, Schwab and Fichter each started on last year's defense that helped Mars win the WPIAL title.“I do think we're stronger this year,” White said of the defense. “We can attack more out of the back from both sides.“We're happy with what we've been able to accomplish so far this season.”
