Mars Area High School Girls Varsity Soccer Team ended the 2017 regular season with an overall record of 13-1-0 and went undefeated (10-0-0) in section play, earning the Section 1-3A title.

The Lady Planets advanced to the quarterfinal round of the 2017 PIAA Class 3A Girls Soccer Championships on Nov. 11, but were defeated 2-1 by the Villa Maria Academy Victors. The game ended in a penalty kick shootout after the score remained tied (1-1) at the end of double overtime.

The team bested the Dubois Area Beavers 7-0 in the first round of the PIAA playoffs on Nov. 7. Despite a 3-2 loss to the Moon Area Tigers in the final game of the 2017 WPIAL Class 3A Girls Soccer Championship on Nov. 3, the team took second place and qualified for the state playoffs.

The team grounded the South Park Eagles 2-1 in the WPIAL semifinals on Oct. 30; trounced the Franklin-Regional Panthers 4-1 in the WPIAL quarterfinals on Oct. 26; and tamed the Laurel Highlands Mustangs 8-0 in the first round on Oct. 23.

Outstanding players on this year’s team included seniors Alison Scaletta, Elise Tacik and Maggie Williams; juniors Kaitlyn Pietrusinski and Claire Valentine; sophomores Taylor Hamlett and Megan Zukowski; and freshmen Ellie Coffield, Gracie Dunaway, Ellie Howell and Caroline Wroblewski.  

For more information, visit www.piaa.org.