WPIAL girls soccer: Miley Gratton cashes in late, sending Mars past Kiski into Class 3A quarterfinals

October 20, 2025 Last Updated: October 20, 2025 10:46 PM Sports

Mars players celebrate a goal by Miley Gratton in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game against Kiski Area on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

ADAMS TWP — Eleven corner kicks and multiple throw-ins near the opposing net yielded for Mars girls soccer a lot of frustration in Monday’s WPIAL Class 3A first-round playoff game against Kiski Area.

After 73 minutes of play, the Planets and Cavaliers were mired in a scoreless tie.

But sophomore forward Miley Gratton made the most of an unobstructed shot with under seven minutes to play.

Her teammate, Mackenzie Powell, chased down a ball and sent a centering pass toward the net from the right corner.

A Kiski defender was there but was unable to clear, and Gratton took possession and booted the game’s decisive shot past Cavaliers goalie Bria Bires.

Mars’ 1-0 victory sends it to Thursday’s quarterfinal round where it will meet No. 4 Plum, a 5-0 winner over 13th-seed Chartiers Valley, at a time and site to be determined.

“It became very frustrating,” Gratton said of seeing her team come up empty on so many chances. “But I never lost confidence that we would win.

“I saw that loose ball and knew I had to go after it.”

The Planets (14-3-1), the No. 5 seed in the tournament, forced Bires to make nine saves in the game.

“We created enough chances to score a couple of goals,” Mars coach Blair Gerlach said. “We had dangerous players in good areas, but there were some unlucky bounces, and they (Cavaliers) played good defense.”

Mars’ Mackenzie Powell (31) controls a pass in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer first-round game against Kiski Area on Monday, Oct. 20, 2025, at Mars Athletic Complex. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle

Rob McGraw

While Mars dominated play throughout, Kiski (8-8) did have its own opportunities.

With just under 34 minutes to play, Mars defender Maeve O’Leary thwarted a Kiski possession just to the right of the net with several Cavaliers hovering in front of goalie Ciara Spaun.

Their best chance to score came 13 minutes later when Mars was whistled for a handball, which led to a penalty kick. The attempt off the foot of Carly Talmadge smacked off the left post, and the game remained scoreless.

Spaun made two saves in the game. She became the Planets’ starting goalie during last year’s district playoffs.

“She has not been tested much, but when we’ve needed her, she’s come up with some big saves,” Gerlach said. “She is good with the ball at her feet when we play it back to her, so we have that outlet.”

Gratton now has 12 goals on the season. Jade Breese leads the team with 15 and Liv Halliday has scored 10 times.

“We are definitely offense by committee,” Gerlach said. “We can attack both flanks and the middle, so that gives us an advantage over a team with one dominant goal scorer.

“That said, we are still a work in progress. Hopefully, our younger players learned some lessons tonight.”