Mars nets WPIAL soccer title
ELIZABETH — It was a play Mars had practiced, but was never able to make work in a game situation.
Until Saturday. Until the biggest game of the season. And it worked to perfection.
On a free kick just inside the 20-yard line, Michael Page ran past the ball and Scott Sowers followed from another angle.
He deftly kicked the ball past a line of Thomas Jefferson defenders to a wide-open Page, who rifled a shot past goalie Sam Braun with 28:07 remaining in the second half.
That goal would hold up as the Planets captured the program's first WPIAL championship with a 3-2 triumph in Class AA action at Elizabeth Forward High School.
"That's something we've tried," said Mars coach Chris Knauff. "We've been close but it never worked. I'm thrilled they came through when it counted."
"They made a beautiful set play," said Jaguars coach Dr. Michael Kulish. "(Page) got that shot off ... It was a nice play and they executed it well. You can't fault the defender. You can't fault the keeper. They did a beautiful set piece."
Said Planets' senior defender Zach Miele, "When I saw it, it was awesome."
<table width="300" height="275" border="0" align="right" valign="top" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><embed src="/assets/mov/BE59113113.MOV " width="320" height="250" autostart="true" loop="false" ></embed></td></tr><tr><td align="center"><a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/" target="_blank"><span class="style11">Requires Quicktime Media Player </a><br><font size="1" face="Tahoma, Times New Roman">Video by Brandon Gerthoffer</font></span><td></tr></table>Mars (16-2-2) scored the game's first goal with 25:38 remaining in the first half when junior defender Tanner Panza fired a shot to the left side of the net past Braun.The Jaguars (18-3) tied the game with 10:31 remaining in the first half when Alex Danzey took a cross pass and scored past the outstretched hands of Mars goalie Joe Haefner.However, the Planets responded with their second goal, this time fromAlex Perri. The sophomore forward's shot hit the post and ricocheted into the goal. The 2-1 lead was sustained for the remainder of the first half."I thought they controlled the first part of the game," said Kulish. "As the game progressed, we got more opportunities. It was a good game. Give Mars credit. Every time we scored, they came right back."The Jaguars did come back a second time when Tyler Danzey scored on an identical play as the first TJ goal when he found the back of the net off a crossing pass just 3:32 into the second half.Any momentum the Jaguars might have had was lost when Page scored his goal almost 8½ minutes later. The defense then turned it up a notch and never allowed TJ any other scoring opportunity other than Haefner's lone save of the game with 11:48 left off a free kick."We changed our line of defenders from three to four," said Knauff. ""We moved a player back and were playing a 4-5-1."
The game was a physical one as five players — Mars' Miele, Andy Knauff and Dylan McNany and TJ's Ryan Stroup and Matt Sauter — each received a yellow card."The more the refs let go, the better," said Knauff. "We have a lot of physical players and when they let us play, it's in our favor.""Our team was expected to go nowhere," said Kulish. "I told these guys this is the one game you'll walk away with something, gold or silver. Is our season over? No, Tuesday we'll be in the state playoffs."So, too, will be the Planets, but will have the distinction of being the WPIALchampions.Knauff admits that has a pretty nice ring to it."There's nothing better," said Knauff. "This is as big as states. It's local and there are a lot of great teams in the WPIAL. It's fantastic."Miele and Panza echoed those sentiments."It's amazing," said Panza."It's the best feeling knowing that we're the only Mars (boys) team to do this."It's incredible," said Miele. "We lost only one player (Drew Glavin) from last year's (state finalist) team."When the playoffs come, you have to step it up. You can't quit,"Miele added.Mars, the No. 1 seed out of the WPIAL, will face District 10 runner-up Grove City at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday atShaler.Having reached the state finals last year and the WPIAL crown this year, the Planets have the experience, but know it will not be an easy road."We've been there and we know how it is," said Panza. "You have to be on top of your game. We know you have to do your best to win. There's no margin for error."<B>Notes:</B> Braun finished with five saves ... The Jaguars reached the WPIAL finals six of the past nine seasons ... Tyler Fabian, who entered the game with 33 goals, was held scoreless by the Planets' defense.
