Emmaus had some recovering to do, each mentally and bodily, after a loss final week at Penn Manor.
“We used the sport from Penn Manor as a studying lesson,” Emmaus Head Coach Sue Butz-Stavin stated. “We had to take a look at the positives after which the negatives, enhance the positives after which appropriate the negatives. We needed to proper the ship and work exhausting on the basics.”
The Inexperienced Hornets did simply that. After a 5-goal win in opposition to Nazareth earlier within the week, Emmaus made the journey down Route 100 to face District One energy Downingtown West on a sunny Saturday in Chester County.
The whole lot will not be fully corrected to Butz-Stavin’s requirements, however at the very least every little thing was improved. The Hornets left West’s Walter E. Kottmeyer Stadium with a 6-0 win – in a rush, really, because the gamers wished to get dwelling as quickly as doable to prepare for a social occasion on the faculty later Saturday night.
Now, it’s the Whippets’ flip to get well and modify earlier than their common season winds down. The Whippets should face rival Downingtown East, Bishop Shanahan, Solar Valley, and Kennett earlier than the District One Class 3A event begins.
Emmaus (16-1) is within the tough a part of its schedule. The video games in opposition to Penn Manor (District 3), Nazareth (District 11), and Downingtown West (District One) had been in opposition to groups rated second or third of their respective districts.
Subsequent up for the Hornets is the season finale in opposition to Lehigh County neighbor and Jap Pennsylvania Convention rival Parkland. After that one on Tuesday, the EPC playoffs, then the District 11 playoffs, start.
Emmaus gained its fifteenth PIAA Class 3A title final 12 months however misplaced 10 seniors and 6 starters from that group to commencement. West (12-2) had comparable commencement losses from a state qualifier, however nonetheless entered Saturday unbeaten within the Ches-Mont League, though Saturday’s loss dropped the Whippets from second to 3rd in District One 3A.
The sport was near even when it comes to possession time, however Emmaus had one substantial benefit: penalty corners. The Hornets executed effectively on each ends, a domination which modified the tone of the sport totally.
Gracie Huffer and Sadie Nawarynski every scored two objectives, whereas Addison Povilaitis scored one, totally on corners. Emmaus midfielder Autumn Kernechel, an Ohio State commit, scored on a penalty stroke.
Emmaus had a 12-7 benefit in corners tried. Kernechel now has 28 objectives this season, Nawarynski has 26, Huffer 23, and Povilaitis 4.
Simply as vital was Emmaus’ enchancment on protection. After permitting 4 objectives within the loss to Penn Manor, junior goalkeeper Aiko Value had a clear sheet with 10 saves.
“The protection did a really good job,” Butz-Stavin stated. “They stayed on their marks, stayed in entrance of individuals, and executed ways. It wasn’t good, but it surely was progress. Value was evening and day from final week to this week.”
That kind of enchancment is what Downingtown West coach Courtney MacPherson is now hoping for earlier than the postseason begins.
“We’ve been engaged on [corners],” MacPherson stated. “We’re youthful, particularly within the defensive space. After the primary quarter, it was a fair match, whatever the rating. [Emmaus] simply did a greater job of changing the alternatives than we did.
“We apply corners so much each apply. Corners are positively a giant precedence of ours, however the effort was there. I’m happy with them for that. I need them to play their greatest in order that they’ll compete. That’s the one manner they’re going to get higher. I ask them for one hundred pc (prefer it says on the again of the group t-shirts), it doesn’t matter what the scoreboard says.”
Regardless of the rating differential, Kernechel had reward for West. The sport was a lot harder than the rating indicated.
“They’re (Downingtown West) an incredible group,” Kernechel stated. “Their ladies have lots of expertise. It was a very good sport for us to play a aggressive group. A variety of the women (from Emmaus) are stepping up very well. They’re doing a extremely good job.”
MacPherson needed to transfer her star defender Scarlett Wooden, a Michigan State commit, to the midfield, leaving the Whippets a bit inexperienced within the again. Wooden noticed some worth in assembly Emmaus at this level within the season.
“[The game] was robust,” Wooden stated. “Our power simply wasn’t there. We began flat, and within the fourth quarter, we had been actually feisty. We have now to come back out exhausting and aggressive within the first quarter as an alternative of the fourth quarter.
“Total, the season goes effectively. We have now 4 new freshmen, and our group may be very younger. It’s nice to see how far we’ve come. Taking part in a group like [Emmaus] is a superb expertise for our ladies.”
Tim Shoemaker is a contract author.
Thanks for studying Feminine Athlete Information. Comply with us on our social media pages or attain us at [email protected] with a narrative concept.
Photograph: Rod Largoza
