Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team advanced to the semifinals of the 2023 PIAA Class 3A Girls Varsity Soccer Championship on Nov. 14, but was defeated by the Moon Area Tigers 1-0.
The Lady Planets surmounted the Montour Spartans 2-1 in overtime in the PIAA quarterfinals on Nov. 11; and slew the Warren Area Dragons 4-0 in the first round of the PIAA playoffs on Nov. 7. The team advanced to the state playoffs after taking third place in the 2023 WPIAL Class 3A Girls Varsity Soccer Championship with the team’s 2-0 defeat of the Montour Spartans in the Third Place Consolation Match on Nov. 2.
The team was overtaken 1-0 by the South Fayette Lions in the WPIAL Semifinals on Oct. 31. The Planets beat the Elizabeth Forward Warriors 1-0 in the WPIAL quarterfinals on Oct. 26, and broke the Laurel Highlands Mustangs 6-0 in the first round of the playoffs on Oct. 23.
The Planets ended the 2023 regular season undefeated with an overall record of 14-0 and 12-0 in section play, earning the Section 1-3A title.
Players of this year’s team include seniors Kayleigh Clark, Addison Girdwood, Lily Goodworth, Kate McEnroe, Brooke Nihoff, Rosie Pellegrino, Ainsley Ray and Lily Wolf; juniors Meredith Ashbaugh, Brynn Ramsey, Jenna Caringola, Morgan Duker, Breanna Goerl, Madi Hickinbottom, Julia Lishia, Natasha Narasimhan, Ella Pierce, Adeline Rocco, Sadie Stewart, Alexa Werner and Meagan Williams; sophomores Alexis Cashdollar, Alexa Everhart, Gabrielle Gage, Ava Girdwood, Alivia Halliday, Maeve O’Leary, Addison Orehowsky, Mikayla Ostermann and Cori Sprague; and, freshmen Katie Blake, Emelia Carraba, Harper Hirth, Layla Lewandowski, Mya Spadafore, Peyton Thimons, Taylor Volaski and Alexis Whitling.
For more information, call (724) 625-9380 or visit www.piaa.org.
Boys Soccer Team Ends Season in WPIAL Playoffs
Mars Area High School Boys Varsity Soccer Team advanced to the first round of the 2023 WPIAL Class 3A Boys Varsity Soccer Championship on Oct. 21, but was defeated 4-0 by the Franklin Regional Panthers.
The Fightin’ Planets ended the 2023 regular season with an overall record of 11-3-1 and 9-2-1 in Section 1-3A.
Players on this year’s team included seniors Jackson Fox, Kaden Gratton, James Jayamohan, Liam Quinn, Landon Rocke, Aiden Savona, Jack Scanlon and Ryan Schnitgen; juniors Zack Angoff, Sean Brennan, Nicholas Butler, Luca Duerring, Miles Frazier, Luke Hagen, Jaxen Kosiorek and Camden Osterman; sophomores Logan Coone, Max Davis, Alex Kinch, Frank Knezovich, Andrew McAfee, Sean Scanlon, Eli Stansiowski and Colden Stewart; and, freshmen Turner Cox, Dominic DeBasi, Liam Duerring, Landon Eagon, Nathan Helwig, Nolan Horvath, Luca Martorelli, Freddy Matheis, A.J. Montes, Nathan Murphy, Matthew Myers, Noah Read, Mason Rocke, Lorenzo Stabile and Jackson Zirnsak.
For more information, visit www.wpial.org.
2022-2023
Howell is a four-year member and letter-winner on the Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team, which earned its third consecutive PIAA and WPIAL Class 3A title during the 2021 season. This season, the team placed second in the WPIAL Class 3A Girls Varsity Soccer Championships. She served as a team captain during her junior and senior years.
In 2022, she was named to the All-State, All-WPIAL and All-Section (1-3A) teams; was selected for the United Soccer Coaches Fall Girls High School All-East Region Team; and, along with senior Piper Coffield, was selected to represent Western Pennsylvania in the 2022 High School All-American Game. Howell has signed a letter of intent to continue her soccer career with the Spiders Women’s Soccer Team at the University of Richmond (Va.), where she plans to pursue a degree in a medical field or psychology.
At Mars Area High School, she is a member of Class Council, German National Honor Society, National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and Student Council.
In the community, Howell plays soccer with Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy teams and for the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL). She also volunteers with Mars Area Soccer Club, Foster Love Project, Kicks 4 Kidz, Tots for Tots, Harvest Stree Mission, Mars Home for Youth, and for the “A Night to Remember” program at Discovery Church (Mars).
Also of note, Mars Are High School senior Blake Bertolo was nominated for a 2023 WPIAL/James Collins Scholar-Athlete Award for Golf/Tennis. Bertolo is a four-year member of Mars Area High School Boys Varsity Golf Team.
The program recognizes and awards exceptional student-athletes at schools with WPIAL District 7. For more information, visit www.wpial.org/wpial-scholar-athlete-award/2023-winners/.
2022 Butler Eagle Girls Soccer Player of the Year
A forward and center back for Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team, Coffield helped to lead Lady Planets to the semifinals of the 2022 PIAA Class 3A Girls Varsity Soccer Championship and to the final game of the 2022 WPIAL Class 3A Girls Varsity Soccer Championship. The team ended the 2022 regular season with an overall record of 14-0 and 12-0 in section play, earning the Section 1-3A title.
Coffield amassed 22 goals and 15 assists this season. She was named to the 2022 All-WPIAL and All-Section (1-3A) teams and was selected to participate in the 2022 High School All-American Game.
At Mars Area High School, Coffield is a member of Enrichment Club, National Honor Society, Science National Honor Society and Student Council. In the community, she serves as a volunteer coach for BG Soccer and QuickSkills Soccer and participates in the youth ministry at North Way Christian Community Church.
Coffield has signed a letter of intent to join the Hoosiers Women’s Soccer Team at Indiana University (Bloomington, Ind.), where she plans to major in finance. For more information, call (724) 625-9380.
2022 High School All-American Game
Seniors Piper Coffield (midfielder) and Gwen Howell (defender) will represent Western Pennsylvania on the East Girls Team, made up of high school players in Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.
Both Coffield and Howell were named to the 2022 All-WPIAL and All-Section (1-3A) teams. Coffield has signed a letter of intent to join the Hoosiers Women’s Soccer Team at Indiana University; and Howell has committed to join the Spiders Women’s Soccer Team at the University of Richmond (Va.),
The All-American Game will stream live online at www.prepsoccer.com. For more information, call (724) 625-9380 or visit www.prepsoccer.com/2022/11/high-school-all-america-game-rosters-announced-2/.
Girls Soccer Team Ends Season in PIAA Semifinals
Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team advanced to the semifinals of the 2022 PIAA Class 3A Girls Varsity Soccer Championship on Nov. 16; but was defeated 2-0 by the Moon Area Tigers.
The Lady Planets grounded the Lower Dauphin Falcons 2-0 in the PIAA Quarterfinals on Nov. 12; and overpowered the Bradford Area Owls 5-0 in the first round of the PIAA playoffs on Nov. 8. The team advanced to the state playoffs after taking second place in the 2022 WPIAL Class 3A Girls Varsity Soccer Championship, with a 1-0 loss to the Moon Area Tigers on Nov. 5.
The Planets trounced the Greater Latrobe Wildcats 4-1 in the WPIAL Semifinals on Nov. 1; tamed the Franklin Regional Panthers 1-0 in overtime in the WPIAL Quarterfinals on Oct. 27; and thwarted the Penn-Trafford Warriors 1-0 in overtime in the first round of the WPIAL playoffs on Oct. 24. The team ended the 2022 regular season undefeated with an overall record of 14-0 and 12-0 in section play, earning the Section 1-3A title.
This season, seniors Piper Coffield, Reese Dunaway, Eden Gerlach, Gwen Howell, Ava Lewis and juniors Addison Girdwood and Kate McEnroe were selected for the 2022 All-WPIAL Team. Seniors Piper Coffield, Reese Dunaway, Eden Gerlach, Gwen Howell, Ava Lewis and Maddie Wolf and juniors Addison Girdwood, Kate McEnroe and Ainsley Ray were named to the 2022 All-Section (1-3A) Team.
Seniors Piper Coffield and Gwen Howell were selected to represent Western Pennsylvania on the East Girls Team at the 2022 High School All-American Game, to be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, in Panama City Beach, Fla.
In addition, seniors Ava Balazentis (Slippery Rock University), Piper Coffield (Indiana University), Reese Dunaway (St. John’s University), Eden Gerlach (PennWest Edinboro University), Gwen Howell (University of Richmond), Ava Lewis (College of William & Mary), Olivia Wilson (Marietta College) and Maddie Wolf (Vassar College) each signed letters of intent to continue their soccer careers at the college level.
Players on this year’s team included seniors Ava Balazentis, Piper Coffield, Gwen Howell, Reese Dunaway, Piper Empey, Julia Gagnon, Brooke Hamlett, Ava Lewis, Eva Ranalli, Olivia Wilson and Maddie Wolf; juniors Kayleigh Clark, Addison Girdwood, Lily Goodworth, Kate McEnroe, Brooke Nihoff, Rosie Pellegrino, Ainsley Ray and Lily Wolf; sophomores Meredith Ashbaugh, Jenna Caringola, Morgan Duker, Breanna Goerl, Madi Hickinbottom, Julia Lishia, Natasha Narasimhan, Ella Pierce, Adeline Rocco, Sadie Stewart, Alexa Werner and Meagan Williams; and, freshmen Alexis Cashdollar, Alexa Everhart, Gabrielle Gage, Ava Girdwood, Alivia Halliday, Maeve O’Leary, Addison Orehowsky, Mikayla Ostermann and Cori Sprague.
For more information, visit www.piaa.org.
Girls Soccer Players Named to All-WPIAL, All-Section Teams
Several members of Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team are listed among the best players in the region.
Seniors Piper Coffield, Reese Dunaway, Eden Gerlach, Gwen Howell, Ava Lewis and juniors Addison Girdwood and Kate McEnroe were selected for the 2022 All-WPIAL Team.
Seniors Piper Coffield, Reese Dunaway, Eden Gerlach, Gwen Howell, Ava Lewis and Maddie Wolf and juniors Addison Girdwood, Kate McEnroe and Ainsley Ray were named to the 2022 All-Section (1-3A) Team.
This season, the Lady Planets are competing for what would be their fourth consecutive PIAA and WPIAL titles. The ended the 2022 regular season undefeated with an overall record of 14-0 and 12-0 in section play, earning the Section 1-3A title.
For more information, call (724) 625-9380.
2022 WPIAL Class 3A Boys Varsity Soccer Championship
Mars Area High School Boys Varsity Soccer Team competed in the first round of the 2022 WPIAL Class 3A Boys Varsity Soccer Championship on Oct. 22; but was defeated 1-0 by the Bethel Park Black Hawks.
The Fightin’ Planets ended the 2022 regular season with an overall record of 10-6 and 9-3 in Section 1-3A.
Players on this year’s team included seniors on this year’s team are Sasha Bencun, Harlen Burtner, Cade Coldiron, Nico D’Angelo, Breiden Eagon, Caden Empey, Griffen Frazier, Kai Gratton, Drew Piatek, Ethan Santom and Sam Stewart; juniors Jackson Fox, Kaden Gratton, Joel Hoster, James Jayamohan, Liam Quinn, Colton Riska, Landon Rocke, Aiden Savona, Jack Scanlon and Ryan Schnitgen; sophomores Zack Angoff, Nick Butler, Luca Duerring, Miles Frazier, Luke Hagen, Jaxen Kosiorek, Cam Osterman and William Wilson; and, freshmen Logan Coone, Max Davis, Alex Kinch, Frank Knezovich, Andrew McAfee, Jacob Nymberg, Colton Rearick, Sean Scanlon, Eli Stansiowski and Colden Stewart.
For more information, visit www.wpial.org.
Girls Varsity Soccer Team Ranked No. 1 in Nation
Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team is ranked the No. 1 girls soccer team in the nation, according to United Soccer Coaches’ Fall 2022 High School Girls Soccer Rankings announced on Sept. 13.
During the team’s 2021 season, the Lady Planets earned their third consecutive PIAA and WPIAL Class 3A titles as well as the Section 4-3A title. Currently, this season, the team has overall record of 4-0 and 3-0 in Section 1-3A; and, in the last four seasons, the team remains undefeated with an overall record of 67-0-2.
For more information, visit https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/st-ignatius-and-mars-area-claim-no-1-in-latest-fall-high-school-rankings-september-13-2022/?fbclid=IwAR1XvRCrPyIsxN34s1ls9O2DHjbSptqEIV5hiA4G6IuBUl5EORuw_QPh6gM.
Girls Varsity Soccer Team Ranked Sixth in Nation
Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team is listed as sixth in the nation, according to recent United Soccer Coaches’ Fall 2022 Preseason High School Girls Soccer Rankings.
During the team’s 2021 season, the Lady Planets earned their third consecutive PIAA and WPIAL Class 3A titles as well as the Section 4-3A title. In the last three seasons, the team has remained undefeated and amassed an overall record of 63-0-2.
For more information, visit https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/united-soccer-coaches-release-fall-preseason-high-school-rankings-august-2-2022/.