Emmaus looking for eighth EPC title in a row
Emmaus last lost an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference field hockey tournament game in 2014, when the Green Hornets fell to Stroudsburg, but still have 40 league and conference titles in their glorious history.
Emmaus will seek its eighth in a row — the EPC did not hold a tournament in 2020 — this week and doing so will not be easy. The Hornets (18-1) are in a bracket with three other worthy opponents as the EPC holds its semifinals Thursday night at Whitehall.
In the first game of the semifinal doubleheader at 5:30 p.m., Parkland (15-3-1) and Easton (16-2) will play for the right to advance to Saturday’s championship game. In the second game, Emmaus will play fourth seed Nazareth (12-3-4), which has won eight of nine after being 4-2-4 at one point.
The difference between Emmaus, Easton and Parkland has been negligible and Nazareth, with a top-flight goaltender in Mackenzie Mann, has kept Nazareth in every game — except for 3-0 losses to Easton and Emmaus.
Emmaus scored only five goals (and allowed just one) in games vs. Easton and Parkland. Easton and Emmaus barely beat Parkland, while Parkland and Nazareth played to a 1-1 tie on Sept.12. Emmaus is 4-0 vs. the other three teams; Easton is 3-2 vs. the other three; Parkland is 0-2-1; Nazareth is 0-3-1.
Clearly, there is not much distance between the top and bottom in the final four teams.
Emmaus is No. 11 in the latest Max Field Hockey Top 25 national rankings. The only two PIAA teams ahead of them are District One’s Conestoga and District 3 rival Lower Dauphin. In the Pennsylvania rankings, Emmaus is No. 5, Easton is No. 15 and Parkland is recognized.
Emmaus is No. 5 nationally by topofthecircle.com
Colonial League championship
Top seed Southern Lehigh (16-2) will play Palmerton (14-4) in the Colonial League championship at 6 p.m. Thursday at Catasauqua. Southern Lehigh defeated Palmerton 3-2 in the first game of the season but much has happened since.
Palmerton was 2-3 early on, after losses to Southern Lehigh, Northwestern Lehigh and at Pen Argyl. The Blue Bombers have lost only once since then, a 6-0 loss to Crestwood. Southern Lehigh’s only losses came to perennial PIAA Class A power Oley Valley (8-2) and to Parkland, by 3-0.
Youth is serving
While this week’s league championships, and the ensuing district and state championships, will be dominated by upperclassmen, here is a look at what is coming in terms of talent in the area. Some of the promising young players (freshmen and sophomores) in the Lehigh Valley region: Catasauqua: Sophomore Shelby Haldeman had seven goals and six assists for the playoff-bound Rough Riders.
Emmaus: Sophomore Morgann Orobono is a two-year starter at center back. Plays post defense on corners and has two defensive saves. … Sophomore midfielder Avery Burnett plays on defensive corners as a flyer. … Sophomore Charlise Solano has six goals and two assists, while freshman Gracie Huffer has so far contributed three goals and two assists.
Freedom: Sophomore Karee Vandever showed that she knows how to finish, leading the upstart Patriots with 18 goals and eight assists for 44 points. She has 24 goals and 14 assists in her first two seasons.
Nazareth: Freshman Morgan Koch had nine goals and five assists moving around the forward and midfield areas.
Northampton: Sophomore forward Grace Roberts had nine goals and three assists and sophomore defender Brooke Spadaccia had two defensive saves and one goal vs. Stroudsburg.
Palisades: Freshman Kaylee Vinciguerra gave the Pirates an injection of speed and positivity on the front line. … Freshman defender Kelly Reilly played tough on defense in crucial spots this season. Palmerton: Sophomore Tessa Sander has 13 goals and two assists, including two so far in the Colonial League tournament.
Parkland: Freshman forward Lila Temchatin had 11 goals and two assists.
Pleasant Valley: Freshman Ella DePalma led the team with four goals scored and moved around the field as needed.
Salisbury: Sophomore Gwyn DeFazio led the team this season with seven goals and seven assists and has started every game for two seasons. Had a hat trick vs. Palmerton and an OT game-winner vs. Moravian Academy. … Sophomore Sarah Beckage has 10 goals. … Sophomore Kendra Morgan has six goals and six assists and, like DeFazio, has started every game as a highschooler. … Freshman Ella Schneider started every game, collecting four goals and four assists. Southern Lehigh: The Spartans did well this season despite going through a youth movement. Sophomores: midfielder Cassidy Clausnitzer had three goals and three assists; forward Delaney Mack had six goals and seven assists; back Torey Ritter has a good understanding of how to run coach Adrienne Searfoss’ system. Freshmen: Riley Bartosz had nine goals and six assists; first-year player Alli Denzel had one goal and one assist and has made big contributions despite having never played the game before this year. Whitehall: Freshman forward Kerigan Dreisbach led the team in scoring with 14 goals; sophomore forward Molly McFetridge had eight goals; sophomore defender Josie Shultz, a key player on offense and defense, will be important moving forward as Gabi Smith builds a defense around her. Wilson: Has played at least five, sometimes six, sophomores in every game. Coach Scott Horton said that he expects sophomore defender Emily Murgia to be a force over the next two seasons.