Planets stunned in 1st round
By Frank Richetti
Eagle Correspondent
Mars entered the WPIAL boys soccer playoffs believing it was peaking at the right time.
The Planets were winners of nine of their last 10 games – and five straight – earning the No. 6 seed in Class 3A with an 11-3-1 record.
But the Planets saw their momentum come to an end on Saturday as No. 11 seed Franklin Regional pulled off a shocking 4-0 upset in the first round of postseason play.
Led by senior goalkeeper Kaden Gratton, Mars came into the matchup with a streak of four consecutive clean sheets. Franklin Regional senior midfielder Lorenzo Aguiliera snapped that streak with a goal inside of ten minutes and Mars never recovered.
Mars coach Chris Knauff said that his team wasn’t playing with confidence after Aguiliera’s goal.
“I think it got into our heads mentally,” Knauff said. “We were not playing as confidently as you would like to see. It definitely changed the momentum of the game, unfortunately, we weren’t able to battle back.”
Mars struggled to create chances offensively throughout the match. The Planets registered just one shot on goal in the first half and lacked ideas in the final third. The Mars attack improved in the second half, but failed to convert on various chances to get itself back into the contest – including a one-on-one opportunity against the goalkeeper in the opening minutes after the break.
The Panthers made the most of their opportunities, however. While the Planets continued to send bodies forward to try to get on the scoreboard, Franklin Regional had acres of space on counterattacks and made its chances count. Junior forward Joey Bane scored a decisive brace and junior midfielder Jovan Sankoorikal added a final goal just before time expired.
“Seasons always hinge on how you do in the playoffs,” Knauff said. “It’s disappointing. I am gutted for my seniors, especially, but I am proud of the effort they put in.”
Despite the disappointing result, Mars stuck together as a team after the final whistle – picking each other’s heads up on their way back to the locker room. The Planets tried to soak in every last moment on the field together with teammates and coaches embracing in hugs.
“I will remember this group of players fondly,” Knauff said.
Knauff said that despite the early exit, there is reason for optimism heading into next season.
“We have a lot of young players,” Knauff said. “The future is very bright for our program. Sometimes it takes having some tough losses to teach lessons about how to handle tough situations when they come. My sophomores that were on the field and on the bench will take something out of this.”
