Jubilant Mars players surround Dane Beller (27) after he scored the winning goal in overtime to give the Planets the WPIAL Class 3A boys soccer championship, 2-1, over Franklin Regional Thursday night at North Allegheny's Newman Stadium.

WEXFORD — Chris Knauff believes his Mars boys soccer team has the uncanny ability to make plays in the most crucial moments.

Did the Planets ever prove him right Thursday night.

Trailing Franklin Regional 1-0 at halftime of the WPIAL Class 3A championship game, Mars received a goal from Tyler Nymberg in the 55th minute.

Dane Beller then extended himself to reach a deflected shot with 3:53 left in the first overtime, earning for Mars the program's third district championship with a 2-1 victory at North Allegheny's Newman Stadium.

“Time was winding down and we were getting tired,” said Beller. “We needed a goal and I knew I had to put my body on the line.”

“We went down a goal and Franklin Regional was all over us,” said Knauff. “But we kept playing, kept pushing and knew we could come back.”

Franklin Regional (16-3), which was attempting to win its third straight WPIAL championship, controlled play for much of the game, but like Mars' attack, the defense and goalkeeper Jake Gareis found a way to survive.

Three times in the first half, a Panther shot was blocked by a Mars player standing just in front of the Planet net. Devin Shupp, Ryan Pasko and Brady Nihoff were in the right place at the right time to keep the game scoreless.“If a team is going to beat us, they have to go through all of us,” Knauff said. “That's our motto.”But Mars (18-0) allowed a goal to Anthony DiFalco just 50 seconds before halftime.“We weren't really worried at that point,” said Beller. “We knew we just had to keep going hard and they (Panthers) ended up cracking.”Nymberg's tying goal came with a great individual effort. He took control of the ball along the left sideline and managed to keep the ball inbounds despite being pressed by a Panther defender for 15 yards.Nymberg got just enough of an edge that he was able to turn right toward the goal and soon let a shot go that bounced past Panther goalkeeper Gianni Diacopolous and into the lower right corner of the net.“He's known for making things like that happen,” said Knauff. “It was a brilliant effort.”Gareis, who made several great saves, including earlier in overtime, finished with nine saves. Diacopolous had seven saves.Not only did Mars earn a WPIAL title, it also extended its season.Only district champions advance to the state playoffs this year.Beller is confident of Mars' chances.“I think this win is going to motivate us to keep grinding,” he said.

Frankllin Regional is denied a scoring opportunity by Mars goalkeeper Jacob Gareis diring the Planets' 2-1 WPIAL 3A boys soccer tiotle win Thursday night.