Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

Mars coach Blair Gerlach has said coaching his 2011 soccer team felt a little like an NHL all-star game with so much scoring power packed into one roster. The Planets were an offensive juggernaut that fall. They outscored opponents 193-8, tallied 10 or more goals nine times, and four times they scored at least 15 goals. As a result, they went 25-0-1 and won WPIAL and PIAA Class AA titles. The WPIAL title marked the middle year of three consecutive championships, while the state championship came in the team’s first-ever appearance in the PIAA finals. Their opponent in the state finals was ranked No. 1 in the country by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, yet the Planets defeated Villa Joseph Marie, 1-0, at Hersheypark Stadium. Senior midfielder Crysta Ganter was credited with the lone goal, which bounced off the foot of a Villa defender. Mars defeated South Park, 2-1, in the WPIAL finals. The Planets held 25 of their 26 opponents to one goal or less. They outscored their eight playoff opponents, 22-2. Senior midfielder Mani Brueckner earned all-state honors after scoring 37 goals and assisting on 43 others. Brueckner was one of seven players to earn all-section honors that season. She was joined by Gantner, midfielder Bethany Perri, forwards Kristen McKenzie, Karli Paracca and Kristen Check and goalkeeper Sarah Dailey. Mars went 69-3 in a three-year span from 2010-12.  The 2011 team members included seniors Brueckner, Check, Ganter, McKenzie, and Julie Koenig; juniors Perri, Emily Diefenbacher, Lea Eidenshink, Caitlin Foltz, Patricia Glavin, Erica Schwab, Jordyn White, and Brittney Wills; sophomores Dailey, Paracca, Aileen Brown, Lydia Dennis, Emily Ferraro, Amber Fichter, Olivia Haefner, Gabby Kosobucki, Lori Lehman, Katie Nelson, Shaelyn O’Connor, Maggie Sarver, Paige Simakas, Megan Stetz, and Taylor Vancheri; and freshmen Lexi Campbell, Sabrina Edwards, Molly Lennen, Casey Merritt, Jenna Odom, Angelina Prato, Katie Resosky, and Logan Wright.