Recipe for Greatness
ADAMS TWP — A fervent disdain for losing, attention to detail and a collective love of soccer have each played a role in the incredible run Mars' girls have turned in since the beginning of the 2019 season.
With Monday's 1-0 WPIAL Class 3A first-round playoff win over Penn-Trafford, the Planets have now gone 78 straight games without tasting defeat. A record of 76-0-2 has yielded three straight district championships and three straight state crowns.
Current seniors Piper Coffield (forward) and Gwen Howell (defender) are co-captains this season. They have never walked off the field following a high school game as members of a losing team.
Howell scored the winning goal in overtime Monday night.
"I've thought about that and it's crazy," Coffield said. "The (unbeaten) streak is always in the background a bit, but we never talk about it. We just go into each game thinking about what we need to do to win that day."
One thing the Planets had to account for was the graduation of Aly Cooper. The midfielder scored 16 goals and added 12 assists on last year's 20-0-1 team.
In response, the Planets (15-0) have become a more balanced attack, with five players scoring in double figures. Coffield paces the team with 21 goals, followed by Ava Lewis (11), and Addison Girdwood, Ainsley Ray and Resse Dunaway, who each have 10.
"I've been happy with the versatility our team has shown," said Planets' coach Blair Gerlach. "Teams have game-planned for us in different ways and the girls' ability to adapt and adjust has been valuable for us."
Kate McEnroe, a junior, has made a seamless transition into a full-time goalkeeper after she and Megan Boddy combined for 17 shutouts in 2021. The former has helped Mars post 12 shutouts this year.
"She's a smart kid, well-rounded and hungry to work and get better," said Gerlach.
All four starters on Mars' back line returned from a year ago — Eva Ranalli, Brooke Hamlett, Dunaway and Howell.
Gerlach said he can put 20 to 22 players into a tight game. That depth is another factor contributing to the Planets' dominance.
"We have kids who would be starters at other schools," he said. "They're really good players and just have great players playing in front of them."
Practices for the Planets are a mix of work and fun.
"The common denominator is that we enjoy spending time with each other," Coffield said. "That's contributed to our success."
Mars will face Franklin Regional in a quarterfinal Thursday.
"An x-factor this year is that the Class 3A brackets look completely different from years past," Gerlach said. "Penn-Trafford, Latrobe and Moon (last year's WPIAL and PIAA Class 4A champ) all dropped down to 3A. But our girls have been on the big stage before. They're resilient and I believe we have the pieces in place to make another run."
