ADAMS TWP — Knowing Kiera Zacher was getting the ball was one thing.

Stopping her proved to be another story for the Mars girls lacrosse team.

Moon’s junior star received a pass from Elizabeth Naugle and fired a shot past Planet goalie Charla Tate with just 25 seconds remaining in the game, lifting the Tigers to a 14-13 win in a WPIAL Division II quarterfinal playoff Thursday at the Mars Athletic Complex.

Naugle’s pass came from behind the net, leading to Zacher’s sixth score of the game.

“They ran a draw and dump and we knew the ball was going to her (Zacher),” said Mars coach Lindsay Flavion. “She’s tall (5-foot-11) and has a long reach. She’s a great player.”

Mars had one last possession, but turned the ball over 20 yards from Moon’s goal in the final seconds.

Mars’ Shannon Doyle scored her team’s final six goals, including one on a free-position shot that tied the score at 13 with 51 seconds left.

Doyle posted a game-high eight goals.

“This is the way she plays all the time,” said Flavion. “She has heart and loves the game. I can’t teach that, but it’s something you want in all of your players.”

Doyle and the Planets grabbed the early momentum. She and Graycen Vitale both scored twice while teammates Kelly O’Connell, Cassi Buzzelli and Eden Fletcher all found the net to put Mars up 9-5 with six minutes remaining in the first half.

“We made the semifinals last year and we wanted to move on today,” Flavion said. “Our girls wanted it and they were ready to go.”

But their four-goal lead was the high-water mark for the Planets. Zacher and the Tigers began to chip away at their deficit late in the first half. Hayley Mazreku and Sammy Beddings scored before intermission, leaving Mars with a 9-7 edge.

“I think nerves affected us early on,” said Moon coach Rachel McGregor. “We had to get our heads right.”

The Tigers (15-3) tallied four of the first five goals of the second half, with Zacher scoring three of them. She scored goals just 15 seconds apart, giving Moon its first lead of the game at 11-10 with 15:23 to play.

“It’s a fast game,” said Flavion. “We said to the girls that Moon can score equally as fast as we can. We had some split-second breakdowns on defense and they caught us.”

“She was injured for a lot of last year and I’m still hesitant with where I play her,” McGregor said of Zacher. “But any position she plays, she comes out loud and has a great shot.”

Due to an injury to starting goalkeeper Janeen Grese, Kristen Steffes made her first career varsity start and stopped eight shots for Moon. Tate made eight saves for Mars.

The Planets (11-6) shared the Section 3 title with Shaler this spring.

“It was an excellent season,” said Flavion. “I’m proud of the girls.”