WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer championship breakdown: Mars vs. Moon

By: Tribune-Review
Friday, November 4, 2022 | 12:01 PM

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WPIAL Class 3A girls soccer championship

No. 1 Mars (17-0) vs. No. 2 Moon (19-0)

1:15 p.m. Saturday at Highmark Stadium

Video livestream: TribHSSN.triblive.com

Playoff path: Mars defeated No. 16 Penn-Trafford, 1-0 in overtime, No. 9 Franklin Regional, 1-0 in overtime, and No. 5 Latrobe, 4-1. Moon defeated No. 15 Indiana, 9-0, No. 10 Oakland Catholic, 1-0 in overtime, and No. 3 Plum, 3-0.

WPIAL titles: Mars 8 (2021, 2020, 2019, 2015, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2000). Moon 4 (2021, 2017, 2016, 2004)

Coaches: Mars: Blair Gerlach. Moon: Bill Pfeifer.

Players to watch: Mars: Piper Coffield. Moon: Hailey Longwell

Corner kicks: This could be the most anticipated matchup of the weekend at Highmark Stadium — a battle between two powerful defending WPIAL and PIAA champs. Mars has won the last three Class 3A titles. Moon won in 4A last year before dropping down in class. … The Fightin’ Planets are unbeaten in their last 80 games. Their last loss was a 1-0 setback to Blue Mountain in the 2018 PIAA playoffs. They’ve outscored opponents 102-4 this season. Piper Coffield and Gwen Howell have been selected to play in a high school All-American game in Florida in December. Coffield, an Indiana recruit, led the Planets with 21 goals in the regular season. Howell, a Richmond commit, scored the overtime winners in the first two games of the playoffs against Penn-Trafford and Franklin Regional, two teams intent on defending against the powerful Mars attack. … Moon has been just as dominant in the regular season, outscoring opponents 87-1. The only goal the Tigers allowed was in a 3-1 win over Butler on Sept. 10. They’ve won 32 consecutive games, last falling 1-0 to Mt. Lebanon on Sept. 29, 2021. Hailey Longwell, a Duquesne recruit, led the Tigers with 24 goals in the regular season. Sydney Felton had a goal and an assist in the semifinals.

Tags: Mars, Moon