McGrath twins double up on Charters Valley, send Mars to 3rd straight WPIAL 2A girls lacrosse title

By: Giustino Racchini
Friday, May 23, 2025 | 8:44 PM

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A dominant performance by the McGrath twins, Anna and Tess, led top-seeded Mars to its third straight WPIAL championship Friday.

There were bumps and bruises along the way, but in the end, the McGraths combined for eight goals to give the Fightin’ Planets a 15-6 victory over No. 3 Chartiers Valley in the Class 2A finals at Upper St. Clair.

Both teams had experience, but at vastly different levels. Mars had only one senior starter, goalkeeper Ella Roach, whereas Chartiers Valley had only two nonseniors in the starting lineup, Valerie Suter and Kylie Miller.

Mars (19-1) started out fast, scoring the first goal of the game off the stick of Lucy Balazs. Chartiers Valley (15-4) made a plethora of turnovers that led to Grade A chances for the Fightin’ Planets.

The Colts survived that stretch and were able to score two goals in the final two minutes of the quarter to take a 2-1 lead heading into the break.

The Fightin’ Planets did not let the early deficit faze them, because they came out with a fire in their belly. Anna McGrath and Balazs scored back-to-back goals early on in the second quarter to give them the lead back.

Mars committed multiple fouls near the goalmouth that caused the Colts to get some momentum and a Megan Witte goal.

“Sometimes the game can get a little tense, but you can’t let it get to you,” Anna McGrath said. “You have to play through it and play smart, and coach tells us all the time to stay composed and that’s what we did.”

Mars went into the break holding a 6-4 lead. After halftime, Mars came out as the aggressor and dominated the vast majority of the third quarter on both sides of the ball.

Coach Abby Latona discussed the team’s mindset throughout the game.

“We knew we needed momentum and the ball and to finish strong scoring opportunities,” Latona said. “Obviously we’ve seen them twice in the last three years, and we had to execute and finish.”

Balazs and Tess McGrath scored for Mars in the quarter, doubling its lead heading into the final quarter.

Chartiers Valley and Mars also faced off in last year’s WPIAL championship game, with Mars taking a decisive 14-6 victory at Robert Morris.

Despite the new setting, the Fightin’ Planets retainded firm control of the WPIAL girls lacrosse landscape.

Chartiers Valley, despite the loss, had a standout performance by Witte. She netted four of the six goals for the Colts, building momentum for the upcoming state playoffs.

“She had four goals against Mars last year and four again this time and she knows when to find the openings, and she’s really big for us in the draw as well,” Chartiers Valley coach Melissa Moran said.

Tags: Chartiers Valley, Mars