RECAP >> After a first half in which his team went toe-to-toe with rival Parkland, Emmaus coach Desi Gonzalez was left wondering at the end of Senior Night on Monday at Memorial Field how his team wound up on the short end of a 9-5 defeat to the Trojans.
“It was all of sudden we stopped going to the goal and turning the ball over, it was like we forget how to play lacrosse,” said the Hornets second year coach.
“It’s very frustrating because these guys are very capable of winning. Something in the mental game of our players changed in the second half and I’m not sure what it was. It’s a hard puzzle to figure out right now.”
Unfortunately, it was an all-too familiar result for Emmaus.
The Hornets battled the undefeated Trojans to a well-played 5-5 tie at halftime, but the visitors controlled play after intermission, while keeping the Hornets off the scoreboard.
Parkland, which escaped with a 9-8 win over Emmaus back on April 18, completed a perfect regular season, finishing 17-0 overall and 13-0 in the Eastern Pennsylvania. The defending EPC champs will be the top seed in Thursday’s league playoffs at Northampton High School and will take on fourth-seeded Easton at 7:30 p.m.
Emmaus, meanwhile, completed its regular-season at 12-6 overall and 9-4 in the league after falling to Parkland for the ninth straight time and 12th time in the last 13 meetings since 2015. The Hornets will be the No.3 seed and will face second-seeded Central Catholic in the first semifinal at 5:30 p.m. The Vikings already own a pair of victories – 11-5 and 13-6 – over Emmaus this season.
After a 10-0 start to the season, the Hornets are just 2-6 in their last eight games.
“We’re struggling to put four good quarters of lacrosse together,” said Gonzalez. ” We will play one or two good quarters then take a quarter off.”
Emmaus, which never led in the game, battled the Trojans in the first half to a 2-2 game after the first quarter and a 5-5 tie at intermission as both teams scored three goals in the second quarter.
The Hornets seemed to have the momentum after getting a goal to tie the game right before half, but the second half was all Parkland as they scored a pair of goals in both the third and fourth quarters, while the Hornets were held scoreless in the second half for the first time all season.
Parkland was led on offense by Ohio State recruit senior James Cipolla who had a hat trick in the first half and led all scorers with a game-high four goals. Teammate sophomore Will Filipovitz added a pair of goals, while senior Gregg Santa Anna had a goal and an assist.
Junior Michael Leschinsky, the Hornets leading goal scorer (39), led Emmaus on offense with a four-point game (2 goals/2 assists). Classmate Grant Hawkins also had a pair of goals, Nos. 6 & & 7 on the season, while senior Bailey O’Connor had a goal, his 27th, and an assist.
Gonzalez praised the efforts of Leschinsky, Hawkins, senior LSM Devon Boyko along with junior Cole Scott, who did a phenomenal job at the faceoff-X winning 11 of 16.
Both teams had 16 shots on goal. Parkland senior goalie James McLaughlin was credited with 10 saves and held the Hornets scoreless in the second half. His counterpart, sophomore Ben Franco, made six stops.
Prior to the game, Emmaus honored its 13 seniors along with their parents. The list included: Levin Sarver, Sabino Basso, Ryan Thomas, Dylan Keenan, Joe Alston, Devon Boyko, Sam Conway, Liam Gilley, Blake Thomas, Evan Bhagat, Jon Csensits, Bailey O’Connor and Tim Higgins.
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Parkland – 2-3-2-2 – 9
Emmaus – 2-3-0-0 – 5
Parkland goals – James Cipolla 4, Will Filipovits 2, Zach Poremba, Greg Santa-Anna, Eli Fisher
Parkland assists – Santa-Anna, Geroulo
Parkland saves – James McLauglin 10
Emmaus goals – Michael Leschinsky 2, Grant Hawkins 2, Bailey O’Connor
Emmaus assists – Leschinsky 2, O’Connor, Devon Boyko
Emmaus saves – Ben Franco 6
JV – Tie 3-3