Through the first 40 minutes of last night’s Eastern Pennsylvania Conference quarterfinal round game, top-seeded Emmaus dominated play against eighth-seeded Nazareth but had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard.
And then the second half began.
And the dam broke.
And once that happened, the Hornets offense was unstoppable.
Using an outburst after halftime which was highlighted by three goals in a span of three minutes, the two-time defending EPC champs began their quest for a third consecutive league title as they pulled away from a stubborn Blue Eagles team to earn a 3-0 victory at home at Memorial Field.
Three different players scored goals in the win, and the Hornets stellar back line pitched its 16th clean sheet of the season as they earned a date in Thursday’s 7:30 p.m. semifinal at J. Birney Crum Stadium opposite Freedom, which advanced with a 4-1 win over Pleasant Valley.
The result also keeps Emmaus, currently ranked No. 2 in the state according to the Pa. Soccer Coaches Association poll, unbeaten on the season as they improved to a sparkling 17-0-2.
“We thought at the end of the first half that we had them on their heels a little bit and we just couldn’t capitalize,” said Hornets longtime head coach John Cari following the game. “I thought we just kept putting the pressure on them and once we broke through for one, we were smelling blood in the water, and we just went at it. We did a great job of capitalizing.”
Junior London Barrett, a player who normally comes off the bench, made the most of his third start of the season by scoring the only goal the Hornets would need in the 49th minute as he blasted a shot in the upper 90 past Nazareth goalie Owen Moyer for his sixth goal of the season and a 1-0 lead.
“It was awesome to come out tonight after a 1-1 tie against Parkland last week and put up three goals against a team that thought they had a chance against us,” said Barrett. “It was a very good night for our team. We played great all-around soccer.”
Barrett, who led the JV teams in goals last season with 13, also made the most of his opportunity last week in the annual rivalry games against the Trojans scoring the game-tying goal in the second half as Emmaus rallied to earn a 1-1 draw.
“London has really been coming on,” said Cari. “He had a beautiful goal against Parkland and he’s been playing well. I told him when I took him out for a breather tonight that you are giving your best effort and are going to be rewarded for it. He did a great job; very proud of his efforts tonight.”
Said Barrett: “I’ve been thrilled with how I’ve been able to finish shots and get opportunities. I really like to use my speed to take on players, I feel that’s my biggest asset.”
Another junior, Caeden Thornton, gave Emmaus a big insurance goal – his third of the season – less than two minutes after Barrett’s score to push the lead to 2-0 and then, a little over a minute later, senior Noah Tintle made it a three-goal advantage with his fourth goal on the year.
Emmaus dominated Nazareth statistically in the game outshooting the Blue Eagles 11-1 in the game and holding a 9-1 advantage in corners. In goal, sophomore Chase Evans and senior Nate Schalles combined on the shutout.
Up next for Emmaus will be a second meeting against Freedom. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw on September 21 at Memorial Field. They also met in last year’s EPC championship game won by the Hornets 1-0.
“It’s going to be tough,” said Cari of the matchup vs the Patriots. “This is going to be no walk in the park. They probably gave us our toughest game of the season. There was not much going on in that first matchup so I’m hoping we just lock in and take care of our business.”
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Emmaus 3, Nazareth 0
Naz – 0-0 – 0
Em – 0-3 – 3
Scoring:
Em – London Barrett, 31:29
Em – Caden Thornton, 29:28
Em – Noah Tintle (assist Noah Delgado), 28:59
Stats
SOG – Naz 1, Em 11
Corners – Naz 1, Em 9
Saves – Naz (Owen Moyer 8), Em (Chase Evans 0, Nate Schalles 1)