PIAA girls soccer playoffs: Mars’ season ends in Class 3A semifinal at hands of Lower Dauphin
Mars' Meredith Ashbaugh tearfully hugs a teammate after a loss against Lower Dauphin in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Mars' Jade Breese battles for possession of the ball with a Lower Dauphin player in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Mars' Morgan Duker heads the ball in front of a Lower Dauphin player in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars' Meredith Ashbaugh tearfully hugs a teammate after a loss against Lower Dauphin in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars' Jade Breese battles for possession of the ball with a Lower Dauphin player in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
Mars' Morgan Duker heads the ball in front of a Lower Dauphin player in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
-
The Mars girls soccer team fell to Lower Dauphin 4-0 in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
ALTOONA — Hemmed in by steep hills, Lower Dauphin molded one of its own.
Beside craggy Appalachian terrain at Altoona High School’s Mansion Park Stadium, the Falcons’ Adrienne DeBock scored essentially as the opening whistle echoed, then Old Dominion commit Ashley Economopoulos tacked on two more goals in the first half of Tuesday night’s PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal against Mars.
The District 3-champion Falcons advance to Friday’s title game after a 4-0 win over the Planets. Lower Dauphin (21-2) will meet District 1 runner-up Strath Haven, a 3-2 winner over Bayard Rustin in Tuesday’s other semifinal.
Bella Tran put the final goal past the Planets, the WPIAL’s third-place finishers, in the second half.
Mars' Meredith Ashbaugh tearfully hugs a teammate after a loss against Lower Dauphin in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
DeBock whooshed past the left side of Mars’ back line in the second minute and, with a step of separation or two, sent a hard shot past Planets (19-4) freshman goalie Ciara Spaun.
“I think it’s a role reversal from the other day,” Mars coach Blair Gerlach said, referencing his team’s quick start in a 1-0 quarterfinal win Saturday over South Fayette. “I think we felt like we’d be able to sustain a little bit more offense in this game. I don’t know if it was a case of underestimating or figuring we’re going to be OK defensively. ... We didn’t step on the field fiery like our normal selves.
“Then, immediately, a minute and a half into the game, you’re chasing.”
“The last game, against Fox Chapel, we came out not with the correct intensity,” Falcons coach Nic Amici said. “We started out a whole lot stronger today. That was big, just to make sure we had the confidence continuing into this game. ... Just getting a jump on them, just mentally for us, that was huge.”
On Saturday, Gerlach praised his team’s willingness to block shots. That approach backfired Tuesday night when a Planets defender mistakenly redirected Economopoulos’ boot out of Spaun’s range in the 10th minute, doubling the Falcons’ advantage.
“The second goal is a killer,” Gerlach said. “When it’s one, you’re like, ‘OK, (we) let up an early goal. We have plenty of time to fight back and it’s a long game.’ That second goal, that ball was probably going to roll right to the keeper. Instead, it flicks into the panel. Nothing went our way today as far as bounces or anything else.”
After its initial two markers, Lower Dauphin continued to test the middle of Mars’ defense while denying the Planets any viable chances on the other end. Economopoulous made it 3-0 in the 29th minute by way of a Tran centering pass.
“There’s no letting up in a playoff situation like this against a quality team,” Amici said. “There’s never any letting up because, the second you do, a good team is going to take advantage of it and go.”
Mars' Jade Breese battles for possession of the ball with a Lower Dauphin player in a PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at Altoona High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Mars had four first-half right-side corner kicks. The first two were headed out of harm’s way, the next produced a bouncing shot that got lost in a jumble and the fourth was lifted out by Falcons goalkeeper Nahla Raab with seconds remaining before halftime.
The Planets registered just one shot on goal as LD built its 3-0 advantage. In the 33rd minute, Mars fired a hard shot toward Raab, who deflected it then pulled in a rebound try while laying on her side.
Tran’s 49th-minute goal came after a pin-balling corner kick. The Planets struggled to manufacture shots on target in the final 40 minutes. They finished with seven in all, the last coming after a 79th-minute corner kick. Meredith Ashbaugh’s header on the final attempt cruelly deflected off the crossbar, securing a clean sheet for Raab.
“There was really no loose ends or holes that we gave up,” Amici said. “We shut down what we needed to and we tried to compact the space as much as we could in the back.”
