Early means everything
WEST VIEW — Scoring early is important, even for a soccer team as dominant as Mars' girls squad.
Senior midfielder Crysta Ganter placed a shot just inside the right post in the eighth minute of play to spark a 2-0 win over Quaker Valley in a WPIAL Class AA quarterfinal playoff Wednesday night at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium.
“It calms the nerves a bit,” Planets' coach Blair Gerlach said of an early goal. “You look around our league and upsets occur all the time. They happen when the top team isn't able to score and then something flukey happens.
“We just focus on playing the right way and getting a score on those early chances,” he added. “If you're looking for a player who is going to do whatever it takes to keep a scoring chance alive, that's Crysta. She's physical and aggressive.”
Undefeated Mars (19-0-1) will play Elizabeth-Forward, a 3-1 winner over Knoch, in a semifinal game Monday at a site and time to be determined.
The Planets just missed taking an even earlier lead. Before Ganter's tally, one shot sailed just over the crossbar and another one smacked off the left post.
Five minutes after Ganter's score, Mani Brueckner's free kick from the left of the Quakers' net was headed in by Patricia Glavin.
Though it was the final goal scored by Mars, the Planets never let up on their pressure. They forced Quaker Valley goalkeeper Morgan Felt to make 13 saves by the end of the game.
“We just found the matchups that we were really able to take advantage of and kept going at them,” said Ganter. “We should've scored more tonight, but 2-0 is good enough.”
In the final 25 minutes of the first half, the Planets peppered Felt with seven shots, though the junior goalkeeper stopped all of them.
“What was really nice is that we were getting scoring chances from different avenues,” said Gerlach. “There was a lot of movement and creativity off the ball. Our players also realize that every once in a while, it's okay to try something outside the box, do something a bit unconventional.”
Mars sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Dailey stopped the only shot she faced. She was supported by defenders Erica Schwab, Jordyn White, Amber Fichter and Shae O'Connor.
The Quakers finish with an overall record of 11-8.
Wednesday's victory clinches a state playoff berth for the Planets.
