ADAMS TWP — Laurel Highlands' strategy was clear.

Pack 11 in the defensive third and take its chances.

Didn't work.

Not even close.

The nationally-ranked Mars girls soccer team is too talented and too explosive for such plans and the Planets blew up that plot quickly on the way to a 13-0 bludgeoning of the Mustangs (4-12) in the first round of the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs Monday night at the Mars Athletic Complex.

“I think we're a tough team to pack it in against,” said Mars girls soccer coach Blair Gerlach. “We have several people who can shoot from distance, and when you pack it in, you put so much traffic in front of your goalkeeper that often times they don't see the ball until it's through the traffic.

“I understand the idea,” Gerlach added. “I probably would do the same thing in the same situation.”

Mars (13-0) scored four goals in the first 11 minutes, two each off the toes of Ellie Coffield and Caroline Wroblewski, to assert itself.

“When you get a couple early and everyone calms down, it just becomes soccer again,” Gerlach said.

Gerlach substituted liberally after that and mostly reserves were on the field the entire second half.

Mars came into the match outscoring its opponents 73-5.

This, though, was the Planets' biggest margin of victory this season.

Coffield showed why she is regarded as one of the best players — not only in the state, but in the country.

The senior midfielder scored four goals in the first half with perfectly placed shots. Her second goal was perhaps the best as she bent it into the top right corner of the net.

The only thing that kept the match from being even more lopsided was Laurel Highlands keeper Jayden Rucalcaba, who had a dozen saves in the first half and 24 in the match.

Ava Lewis also had four goals and Eden Gerlach, Reese Dunaway and Gracie Dunaway also scored for Mars, which will play Oakland Catholic — a winner over Belle Vernon on penalty kicks — at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

In WPIAL boys Class 2A action, freshman Ryan Shantz scored in the 26th minute and junior Dylan Greggs found the net for an insurance goal with six minutes remaining as the third-seeded Trojans moved on.The two teams spent most of the first half feeling each other out before Shantz put North Catholic on top.In the second half, the Trojans controlled play, but narrowly missed on several prime chances before Greggs poked a shot into the bottom left side of the net for a 2-0 advantage.North Catholic moves on to play Mt. Pleasant at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.