SHALER TWP — Time was ticking down on a scoreless tie, a trip to Hershey and the PIAA Class 3A girls soccer championship game hanging in the balance.

Mars wasn't worried.

“I knew we were gonna get one eventually,” sophomore midfielder Addison Girdwood said.

They did — and Girdwood helped produce it.

Her corner kick from the left of the Plum net was headed in by fellow sophomore Ainsley Ray in the 70th minute Tuesday night, handing the Planets (19-0-1) a 1-0 win over the Mustangs in their state semifinal at Shaler.

Plum (21-3-1) managed only one shot on net — a long-distance shot easily gobbled up by Megan Boddy in the 73rd minute — and had no corner kicks.

Mars had nine shots on net and nine corner kicks, six of the latter coming in the second half.

The game was a rematch of the WPIAL title game, won by Mars, 2-1.

“I expected this to be the same type of game and it was,” Mars coach Blair Gerlach said. “They tried four different formations in this game and we adjusted to each one.

“We controlled play in their end for most of the night and had plenty of chances. Finally, we got one in.”

Ray's goal was her eighth of the season. Girdwood's corner kick came down directly in front of the Plum net and Ray got off a solid header.

“All we do on those corners is get close to the net and try to knock it in somehow,” Ray said. “Addison's corner kick was perfect.

I could see the ball coming right at me. It was a clear shot.”

Girdwood said: “I had a few corner kicks tonight and was leaving them short. That's my bad. I'm glad I finally put one where it's supposed to go.”

Mars' victory extended its unbeaten streak to 62 games over the past three seasons. Sixty of those games have been wins.

The Planets will face Radnor — a 2-1 winner over or Archbishop Ryan — at 4 p.m. Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium in an attempt to win their third consecutive state title.

“It's hard enough to get to a state final even once,” Gerlach said. “To do it back to back years is rare and now we have a chance to win it three years in a row.

“I take about 0.1 percent credit for that. The players are the ones who have done it. I'm grateful to be along for the ride and they are great drivers.”

The Planets have outscored their opponents 59-3 this season. One of those three goals-against was scored by the Mustangs.

But Plum — which tallied 124 goals for an average of five per game this year — rarely threatened to score in this game.

Kaitlyn Killinger sent a cross pass in front of the Mars net in the second half, but no Plum teammates were there. A pass ahead to Ava Weleski — streaking past the Mars defense — in the 51st minute was just out of her reach.

“Mars is an extremely well-coached team and they play with discipline,” Plum coach Jamie Stewart said. “We'd try a play and there would be two or three Mars players there to break them up.

“That's a great team and my hat's off to them. But we felt, if we could keep it scoreless into the second half, we might have a chance to get one.”

Gerlach said the Planets were not as aggressive on the attack as they are in most games out of respect for Plum's capability.

“They are excellent at the counter-attack,” he said. “So instead of sending six or seven girls in, we were sending in four or five. Still, we had plenty of opportunities.”

It appeared Aly Cooper scored a goal for the Planets in the 29th minute. She blasted a shot from the left side of the net that Plum goalkeeper Megan Marston juggled, then cradled just inside the near post.

She apperared to pin the ball against the netting just inside the post, but no goal was awarded. Mars' players did not protest the play.

Regardless, the 62-game unbeaten streak plays on.

“I can't even explain that. I have no answers there,” Gerlach said of the streak. “You'd think somewhere along the way, a bounce would go against us, we'd lose a non-section game, something.

“That streak is just plain ridiculous.”