Demonstration Of Domination
ADAMS TWP — A demonstration of domination.
That's what the unbeaten Mars varsity soccer teams unveiled Saturday during their respective PIAA Class 3A quarterfinal games at the Mars Athletic Complex.
The Planet girls (17-0) extended their two-year unbeaten string to 40 games with an 8-0 thrashing of Warren (18-1). Ellie Coffield and Ava Lewis scored two goals each.
Dane Beller scored three goals — breaking the boys program's single-season record of 35 set by Ryan McKenzie in 2009 — in Mars' 4-1 triumph over Hollidaysburg. The Planets are 19-0 on the year.
Beller has 36 goals on the campaign.
“To break that record with a three-goal game in the state playoffs means a lot,” Beller said. “My teammates have had plenty to do with that.
“We played a complete game today.”
Mars boys soccer coach Chris Knauff agreed.
“The most important skill on a soccer field is the ability to put the ball in the back of the net and Dane is very good at that,” Knauff said. “Ryan had great teammates to help him set this record and Dane has a lot of teammates to help him break it.”
Mars tallied 12 shots on net to Hollidaysburg's six. The Planets had eight corner kicks — seven in the first half — while the Golden Tigers (8-6) had none.
Mars did not dent the scoreboard until the 32nd minute. Beller took a pass from Zaccheri Campagna and scored the game's first goal.
Tyler Nymberg scored on a free kick from 19 yards out, kicking the ball off a defender and into the net, in the 35th minute. Beller scored his second goal in the 38th minute, drilling a shot home from 25 yards out.
“We missed a lot of chances early,” Knauff said. “You wonder if this was going to be one of those games where the ball just doesn't go in.
“It does make you nervous.”
But Beller and company eventually soothed those nerves.
“It gets frustrating, hitting balls over the crossbar or just wide,” Beller said.”You just have to stay with it. We were applying plenty of pressure.
“Once one went in, everybody relaxed and just got it done.”
Beller scored his third goal in the 50th minute.
Hollidaysburg averted the shutout when junior forward Braden Callahan scored from inside the box in the 71st minute. Most of Mars' starters were out of the game by that time.
Planet goalkeeper Jacob Gareis made five saves on the day.
Mars' girls took on District 10 champion Warren, which began the day with an 18-0 record, averaging eight goals per game and outscoring the opposition 144 to 2.
The Dragons surrendered five goals in the first half. Warren's Kyleigh Wilson has 45 goals on the year, Kyra Wotorson 31 and Paige Johnson 19.
The lone shot on net the team managed against Mars was a long attempt by Wilson that was easily scooped up by the goalkeeper in the 65th minute.
“Teams from different areas play different styles,” Mars coach Blair Gerlach said. “You're never quite sure what you're gonna see.“This team began the game packed in a defensive mode.”Coffield scored in the 10th minute. A corner kick by Piper Coffield was headed in by Gracie Dunaway in the 17th minute.After that, the Dragons had to try to mount some offense.“That's the way things usually go when teams begin games in a defensive mode against us,” Coffield said. “Once we put a couple in, it forces them to loosen up.”Once Warren loosened up, the Planets simply took over.“We had three freshmen playing up front,” Warren coach Jeremy Bickling said. “They (Mars) kept turning us over and it became pretty easy for them to get back on the attack and generate scoring chances.
“They're just a great team. Solid everywhere. I hope they go on to win the state championship again. My hat's off to them.”Lewis put in a rebound of a Caroline Wroblewski shot in the 21st minute. Coffield scored her second goal — and team-leading 25th of the year — two minutes later.Lewis took a corner kick that was back-footed in by Erin Rodgers in the 39th minute to complete the first-half onslaught. Rodgers' first goal of the year was the Planets' only goal in last weekend's 1-0 WPIAL Class 3A title win over Plum.“I liked the way we kept coming,” Gerlach said.Mars finished the game with a 22-1 edge in shots on net, a 13-0 advantage on corner kicks. The Planets had nine corner kicks in the first half.Aly Cooper, Lewis and Julie Gagnon added second-half goals. Dunaway's first-half goal occurred after she missed a few games due to illness.“That was an awesome feeling, getting that one,” she said. “It was hard sitting out and watching the WPIAL championship, but I knew my teammates would get the job done.”Both Mars teams will compete in the semifinals Tuesday. The boys will host District 20 champion Cathedral Prep — a 13-2 winner over DuBois — at 7 p.m.The Mars girls travel to Hollidaysburg to take on District 3 champion Mechanicsburg — a 6-1 winner over Hollidaysburg — at 6 p.m.
