Behind a dominant showing from senior Jack Tirch, Mars is headed back to the PIAA Class 2A boys lacrosse championship game.
Tirch scored seven goals, including three in the decisive fourth quarter, to lead the WPIAL champion Fightin’ Planets to a 9-6 victory over District 3 champion Lampeter-Strasburg in the state semifinals Tuesday at Mifflin County.
Mars (18-4) will face the winner of Tuesday night’s semifinal between Twin Valley and Penncrest for the state championship at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Penn State’s Panzer Stadium.
Mars, the only WPIAL team to win a state lacrosse championship, will be making its fifth appearance in the state finals since 2021. The Fightin’ Planets lost to Allentown Central Catholic in 2022, beat Marple-Newtown in 2023 and lost to Marple-Newtown in 2023 and 2024.
With the score tied 5-5 with less than eight minutes left in regulation, Tirch scored a pair of goals 82 seconds apart to give the Fightin’ Planets the lead for good.
After freshman Nate Caldwell gave Mars a three-goal lead with 2:34 to play, Grant Filius scored his second goal of the game as Lampeter-Strasburg (22-3) pulled within two with 1:47 to play.
Tirch delivered the dagger with 20.4 seconds left to end any ideas of a Pioneers comeback.
Lampeter-Strasburg, which was trying to reach the state finals for the first time, was in control early. After a scoreless first quarter, Landis Todd, Finley Bare and Filius scored in the second quarter to give the Pioneers a 3-0 lead.
Tirch scored the last two goals of the first half, including one with 30.1 seconds to go, to bring Mars back within a goal at 3-2 at halftime.
After Lampeter-Strasburg’s Blake Cunningham scored 3:17 into the third quarter to make it 4-2, Mars got goals from junior Blake Cote and Tirch to finally pull even at 4-4.
After Todd’s second goal gave Lampeter-Strasburg a 5-4 edge with four minutes left in the quarter, Tirch scored another final minute goal, this one with 55.9 seconds left, to leave the score tied heading into the decisive fourth quarter.