WHITEHALL Alanna Haefner's headache turned into Beaver's heartache.

Mars' senior defender butted heads with Beaver's Shelby Lloyd when both tried to win a ball in the air in the closing seconds of a scoreless first half in the WPIAL Class AA girls soccer championship game at Baldwin High School Saturday afternoon.

Both players remained on the field for several minutes and when the second half began, Haefner was still on the bench.

“I've had a lot of concussions in the past, so I got a little nervous when I got hit,” said Haefner. “I took a balance test on the bench and a test where I had to remember some words.”

Mars' trainers determined Haefner could return to the game and she did so in the 56th minute with the game still scoreless.

Ten minutes later, Mani Brueckner's corner kick sailed toward Beaver's net and Haefner headed the ball past goalie Brianna Hellier and a Bobcats' defender, sparking the Planets to a 2-0 victory.

The win pushes Mars' record to an unblemished 22-0 and gives the program its second WPIAL title, the first coming in 2000.

“That was by far the biggest goal I've scored,” said Haefner. “I was pumped up once I got back in the game and it was kind of ironic that it came on a header.”

Brueckner, who had a plethora of scoring chances earlier in the game, finally found the net in the 78th minute.

“There's nothing like scoring a goal in a WPIAL title game,” said Brueckner, who has scored at least one goal in all four of the Planets' postseason games.

Before Haefner's tally, Beaver's effort was focused almost entirely on keeping the Planets (22-0) off the scoreboard with little offensive push of its own.

When the Bobcats (16-6) did venture into the attack zone, Mars' defense was there to clean things up.

Planets' goalkeeper Meghan Kelly made two stops in the game, as Beaver's only corner kick of the day came in the final minute of play.

“The defense wants to know when they're going to get the credit our offense does,” said Mars coach Blair Gerlach of defenders Beth Perri, Erica Schwab, Jordyn White, Haefner and Kelly in net.

“They're fantastic and all of them are leaders,” he added.

The Planets tallied eight corner kicks, four in each half. The team tallied countless throw-ins and free kicks in the attack zone.

But whether it was the play of Hellier in net, a hustling defender saving the day or a gust of wind that blew the ball too far left or right, the Bobcats were able to keep Mars off the board for 65 minutes.

All seven of Hellier's saves came when the game was scoreless.

“We knew Beaver would play a physical game and play hard,” said Gerlach. “That's exciting because it's what we will be seeing from now on.

“The wind was a factor and it was at our backs in the second half, so I felt good about that,” he added.

“We play aggressive defense,” said Beaver coach Rachael Schmitz. “But Mars is quick and they have a lot of speed.”

The Planets will now set their sights on the state playoffs, where they will face District 10 runner-up Villa Maria at 6 p.m. Tuesday at North Allegheny High School.

“The girls have this notion that we're going 26-0,” said Gerlach. “We've got four more games to get there and there are a lot of challenges ahead. But I don't put anything past this group.”