Breese Scores Twice as Mars Rolls Into Playoffs With Eighth Straight Win

Jade Breese is usually in a pretty cheery mood.

The Mars junior midfielder had a reason to beam on Monday night.

“She smiles more than most people, and she really enjoys the game,” Mars girls soccer coach Blair Gerlach said after a 4-0 non-section home win over North Hills, in which Breese scored a pair of goals. “And if you watch her play, you can see that she enjoys it in the way that she plays. She’s not out there because it’s a job. She’s not out there because someone told her she had to. She’s out there because she loves it, and you can see it.”

Sophomore forward Mackenzie Powell and junior forward Miley Gratton added a goal apiece, as well, capping the Planets’ regular season. Now, Gerlach’s group looks toward the WPIAL Class 3A playoffs, having won eight in a row.

“The team makes it fun,” Breese said. “We have so much fun every practice, every bus ride, every game, so we’re just happy to be here.”

Breese, Mars’ leading scorer during the past two seasons, has been working on turning trailing defenders. She zipped it to the far post to double her side’s advantage late in the first half, then a few minutes later, she kept it tight to the goal again, depositing another in the back of the net. The latter score was her 16th of the campaign, which beats her 15 a season ago.

“Jade’s big for us because there’s days where she’s a scorer, and there’s days where she’s a facilitator,” Gerlach said. “And whatever it requires that day, she’s willing to do. She’s certainly bought in to that team-first mentality.”

Gerlach sees a group that’s bought in as it approaches the postseason. Early goals, he added, have allowed for the Planets to play with more confidence. All of Mars’ goals on Monday night were fired in during the first half.

“I think a lot of it’s coming from player familiarity,” Gerlach said. “People are starting to trust each other a little bit, and they know that if they put the ball in a certain place, they’re gonna get there. And if not, they’re gonna get there next time.”

Including a road win over Quaker Valley on Sept. 28, the Planets have outscored their opponents 28-1.

“I think any time that you’re on a run, you feel like at any moment, ‘We could do something,'” Gerlach said. “We’ve been talking all year about how we’re good enough to beat anybody, but we’re also able to lose to anybody on any given night because we’re very young. And, right now, I’m seeing some youngsters playing like some mature grown-ups.”

“We’re starting to get really comfortable,” Breese said. “We are a young team, so I think it’s perfect timing. We’re starting to get the flow. We just have to keep it up. … We’re peaking at the perfect time.”