Rocke’s Goal Lifts Mars Past Shaler as Planets Chase Better Playoff Seed

ADAMS TWP — The games already mean a little more for Mars.

The Planets’ boys soccer team, which tied up a playoff berth last week, is focused on securing the best postseason seed they can at this juncture.

A 1-0 WPIAL Section 3-3A win over Shaler (3-8-3, 3-4-2) on Tuesday night helped that cause.

“We don’t take this lightly,” Mars senior defender Mason Rocke said afterward. “There’s some games we came in joking around. We don’t do that anymore.”

“This is our first playoff week,” Planets coach Joe Haefner said. “This is how we’re approaching it. Both these games could move us (into) second in the section, or it could’ve moved us to fourth. So I think right now, our compete level and our work rate are at the highest point for us now.”

It hasn’t been hard to prepare Mars (6-4-4, 5-3-1) for the occasion.

“You just have to put them in situations in practices to make sure that it’s not always just a recovery day,” Haefner said. “You’ve gotta give them reasons to compete. … It’s a group that, at the same time, doesn’t need a Twinkie on the end of a fish hook. They’re a hungry group.”

Rocke’s 24th-minute goal stood up, with him putting it off his left foot after fellow senior defender AJ Montes’ try caromed off the crossbar and the ball ended up in front of him.

“It’s just pure will in front of the goal,” Haefner said. “It’s like, ‘I’ll make it to this ball before you.’ And we preach first and second balls, competing, putting balls in dangerous areas and that’s what he does. He just has the will to be first to everything, and he’s not gonna be outworked, and he’s not gonna get knocked over.”

“It really comes from, for what we know, it’s our last home game,” Rocke said. “It’s (Alex) Kinch Night, for our friend who passed away. It’s a lot. We think of these games as playoff games. … We wanna get the best seed, so we’re gonna do anything necessary to get a dirty goal and get the win.”

Sophomore forward Sebastian Fratangelo has added to the scoring effort this season, along with junior forward Abram Knezovich and senior midfielder Luca Martorelli. Haefner feels as if his team is deep, with “a lot of players that can do a lot of different things, so we’re not relying on one or two people on the field,” he said.

A first-year steward, Haefner is thrilled for what’s ahead.

“This school and this program is beyond words for all of our coaches, importance-wise,” Haefner said. “So I think it’s even more special to see these guys get the chance that we did when we played.”