Lower Dauphin vs. Mars: PIAA Class 3A girls soccer semifinal preview

With two rounds of games left in the girls soccer season, only one Mid-Penn squad is still standing with a chance for state supremacy.

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That group hails from Hummelstown, as the Lower Dauphin Falcons, fresh off a 2-1 win over Fox Chapel on Saturday in Chambersburg, will head to Altoona on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. tilt against Mars, the team that eliminated LD from the state tournament two years ago, in the PIAA 3A girls soccer semifinals.

Here's a look at the matchup from Mansion Park.

Lower Dauphin (21-2): The Falcons head to their first state semifinal since 2017, and do so with one of the best players in the state on their side. Ashley Economopoulos has been dominant all year long, and put another highlight on her reel with a game-winning goal against Fox Chapel this past weekend. But she doesn't do it alone, with Hannah Sanson, Bella Tran and Adrienne DeBock highlighting the other weapons in the group, and a strong defense highlighted by Jocelyn and Janae Swartz as well as keeper Nahla Raab, who had a standout showing in the quarterfinals to keep LD in it.

Mars (20-3): One of the best programs in the state under head coach Blair Gerlach, the Planets boast a deep team, and one that is rolling after finishing third in the WPIAL. Defender Juliea Lishia and midfielder Brynn Ramsey are both all-section players for Mars, while Meredith Ashbaugh has been an impact offensive player for the group all year. This is the sixth straight semifinal appearance for the Planets.

X-factor: Lower Dauphin has been a tremendous program under head coach Nic Amici, but Mars holds the advantage in reps at this stage of the playoffs. Does the Planets' experience late in the postseason give them an edge? Does the fact the group beat Lower Dauphin two-years ago linger? This is a different Falcon team and a different Mars team, and players like Economopoulos and Sanson have grown significantly as players since that matchup. Like most Lower Dauphin games, this very well could come down to how well the Planets bottle up Economopoulos in the midfield.