The Emmaus girls lacrosse team earned its first berth in the PIAA Class 3A girls lacrosse tournament since 2011 by capturing the District 11 3A title.
In their first state playoff game in more than a decade, the Green Hornets were matched up with a longtime powerhouse of the tournament.
Radnor, the defending PIAA 3A champion, has won more state titles (four) and PIAA tournament games (29) than any program in Pennsylvania.
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5/31 - 6:30 PM Girls Lacrosse Final Radnor 11 Emmaus 6
The District 1 fourth-placed Raptors scored six straight goals to start the game and went on to defeat Emmaus 11-6 at Memorial Field Tuesday night.
“Six goals, it’s not that much, but when it happens so quickly and we were down we really had to adjust. I was just really proud of the effort they put forth the rest of the game because it was pretty much an even game,” Emmaus coach Roxann Betz said. “I really thought that they fought and I’m proud. I’m proud of the outcome, I’m proud of the effort.”
Radnor (17-6) will face District 1 champion Conestoga, which defeated Downingtown East 8-6, in the quarterfinal Saturday at a site and time to be determined.
Raptors’ leading scorer Julie Breedveld scored twice in quick succession to give them a 6-0 lead with 11:13 left in the first half. Radnor’s quick movement broke down the Green Hornets’ zone defense which stifled many teams throughout the Lehigh Valley this spring.
“They just move the ball extremely fast. They have a lot of fast players that know how to cut, when to cut, so they were adjusting to the zone pretty well. Honestly, I felt like our defense came up with a lot of stops so I’m still proud of the defense’s effort,” Betz said.
Emmaus (19-4) got on the scoreboard when junior Emily Hollinger found the back of the cage off a feed from sophomore Melea Weber. Senior Julia Cote, followed up with a goal 34 seconds later.
Cote, the 2022 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference MVP, cut the deficit to 6-3 on a high to low finish with 2:21 remaining in the first half.
The Raptors took a 7-3 lead just seven seconds before the break courtesy of a goal from senior Amelia Reinholt off a feed from Breedveld.
Radnor held the Hornets to just one goal in the first 17 minutes of the second half. The Raptors found success in slowing Emmaus’ ability to progress the ball from defense to attack quickly with a relentless work rate from their attack and midfield.
“Overall, they were a faster team than we were, so they were able to slow down our transitions. We’re used to relying on just running it down the field so with how tightly they were marking with all the cutters, it was a challenge,” Betz said.
Breedveld scored the final of her five goals with just six seconds left to play to wrap up the win. Sophomore Sarah Kelley and freshman Taylor Murphy both had two goals and an assist.
“There’s so much talent out there,” Betz said. “They’re strong, they’re fast, they’re aggressive. It’s what we expected in them… The depth on the bench too, they have a lot of kids flying in and out, and the talent. It’s just a strong area of lacrosse, District 1, it’s always going to be a challenge, but I do feel like we’re closing the gap.”
Cote tallied two goals and an assist to finish the season with 111 points. Hollinger added two goals while Weber recorded one goal and one assist.
The Green Hornets will see 11 seniors graduate from a team that captured the D-11 3A title last week and reached back-to-back EPC championship games after the cancelled 2020 season.
“I told the seniors, and the whole group, at the end that this is one of the most enjoyable seasons. They definitely set the precedent for what I want Emmaus lacrosse to be. They fought in every game all season long,” Betz said. “That district championship, just that moment, we set that goal in the beginning of the season… and attaining that goal is the most enjoyable thing. They’re such a great group of seniors.”
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Desmond Boyle may be reached at [email protected].