SHALER TWP — Kellen Fletcher has spent most of the season tinkering with her shot.

At times, trying to rediscover the form that made the junior midfielder on the Mars girls lacrosse team such a potent force two years ago was frustrating.

Fletcher, though, found other ways this season to contribute and remain one of the best players — not only in the WPIAL and state, but also the nation — namely setting up the slew of potent scorers around her on the Planets.

But Mars needed her scoring punch again against Hampton in the WPIAL Class 2A semifinals at Shaler's Titan Stadium Monday evening.

Fletcher provided it. The shot was there again.

“I was having such a hard time with it,” Fletcher said, then flashed a smile. “I guess it's back.”

And it couldn't have returned at a better time for the Planets, who watched an eight-goal lead nearly evaporate in the second half in a 16-13 roller coaster of a win.

The victory put the Mars girls in the WPIAL title game for the first time in program history.

Fletcher scored a season-high seven goals — four in the second half and the final two for Mars to staunch the bleeding.

“It was crazy,” Fletcher said. “But I'm glad it happened in the end. It will help us for (the WPIAL championship).”

It looked like for better than a half that Mars was going to cruise to the victory.

The Planets (15-2) scored seven consecutive goals, including two just 10 seconds apart, to take a 10-2 lead.

Mars was up 11-3 just 24 seconds into the second half before things began to slowly — then quickly — unravel for the Planets.

Hampton (12-7) scored six of the next seven goals to cut the lead to 12-9.

“I'm gonna have a heart attack,” said Mars coach Monica Ewansik, smiling. “They give me a heart attack every day of the week. Hampton is a second-half team, for sure. They gave us a run for our money. But they pulled it out and you can't ask for anything more than that. We're happy we got the W.”

Charlotte Stamper and Zoey Krock each added three goals for Mars.

One of the biggest scores came from McKenna Merritt to give the Planets a 13-9 lead.

Hampton got as close as 15-13 with a little more than a minute remaining before Fletcher capped the scoring and sent Mars to the title game against undefeated Blackhawk at a site and time to be determined on Wednesday.

“We've been very lucky with team chemistry,” Ewansik said. “There's been no drama. We have a team full of leaders and I think that helped tonight.”

Boys Mars 20, South Fayette 6

Queen's “Another One Bites the Dust” blasted from a boom box balanced on top of the head of a Planets' player as the team walked to the bus.

Mars has left a lot of teams in the dust this season.

But for a half anyway, Mars found itself in a tussle against South Fayette, leading just 6-5 at the break.

“We came out a little bit too fired up,” said Mars coach Bob Marcoux. “I told the guys at halftime, 'Let's take it down to a seven and play our game and we'll be fine.”

Mars made that slow start a distant memory, outscoring South Fayette 14-1 in the final two quarters.

Once the onslaught began, there was no stopping it.

And now Mars will play in its fifth consecutive WPIAL title game. The Planets will square off against Chartiers Valley in the 2A championship again at Robert Morris University Thursday night.

Austin Cote scored six goals, Nick Crowley four and Wes Scurci three to pace Mars.

“I think this is a huge game for us being in a tight game at the beginning,” Cote said. “And finally, like being able to pull away at the end, that's something that we really needed.”