WPIAL soccer playoffs: South Fayette girls again deny Mars chance at district title berth with PKs
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Mars midfielder Brynn Ramsey dribbles past a South Fayette defender in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars midfielder Jade Breese dribbles downfield against South Fayette in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars goalie Ciara Spaun passes downfield against South Fayette on a goal kick in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars was defeated by South Fayette by penalty shootout 4-2 in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars midfielder Jade Breese dribbles downfield against South Fayette in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars midfielder Brynn Ramsey dribbles past a South Fayette defender in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars goalie Ciara Spaun passes downfield against South Fayette on a goal kick in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
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Mars midfielder Brynn Ramsey passing downfield in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Oct. 29, 2024, at North Hills' Martorelli Stadium. Eddie Clancy/Special to the Eagle
WEST VIEW — Same opponent, same round, same result, same way.
A season after losing to South Fayette in a WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer semifinal via penalty kicks, Mars watched its district title hopes evaporate in the same manner at North Hills’ Martorelli Stadium on Tuesday night.
Lions (17-3) freshman Gabby Beinecke sealed her team’s win by rocketing a try past Mars freshman goalkeeper Ciara Spaun and into the lower left corner of the net. Abbey Spalla, Quinn Miller and Mia Deramo also converted their rounds as South Fayette won 4-2 after a scoreless 110 minutes.
The No. 6 Planets’ Julia Lishia deposited her team’s first penalty kick into the bottom left corner, then Brynn Ramsey’s was kept out by Caitlyn Thompson, Maeve O'Leary’s fell over Thompson and Addison Orehowsky’s went over the crossbar.
“It’s difficult to have a battle that goes 110 minutes and scoreless two years in a row,” Mars coach Blair Gerlach said. “Both teams had chances to win it in regulation.”
“We work every day after practice,” Lions coach Nick Rosser said. “That’s the last thing we do at every practice. We know we get into situations planning against Blair, and those girls are a good team. We make sure that we’re well-prepared for that.”
Jade Breese’s shot kissed the right post of No. 2 South Fayette’s net two-and-a-half minutes into the first overtime period. Eleven minutes later, Miller’s try landed just to the left of the Planets’ net.
The Lions’ 52nd-minute try was the only shot either team registered in the first 27 minutes out of the midway point. Chances ramped up later on, however.
Mars (17-3) senior Morgan Duker got a shot off just before Thompson approached out of her net in the 77th minute. Gasps filled the air as Spalla chased it down feet from the goal mouth, kicking it from harm’s way.
That was the Planets’ only attempt on target in the second half. They went about 37 minutes without a shot. In the middle of the field, the contest morphed into clearing ping-pong. The majority of the second half was played beside the boundary.
That was 11 minutes after Spaun laid out to her right to snatch an intermediate attempt that appeared ticketed for the back of the net. Spaun made three saves in the loss.
Both sides notched five shots during the initial half, but South Fayette could only manage one whimper of a shot on goal, in the 31st minute. Miller brushed that attempt toward Spaun, who easily hugged it.
The Planets will face fourth-seeded Plum in a third-place consolation matchup Thursday at North Allegheny High School. South Fayette takes on top seed Fox Chapel Saturday for the district title.
