It may not have been as lopsided of a score from a year ago, but make no mistake about it, Emmaus’ win over Garnet Valley on Tuesday in the opening round of the PIAA 3A State Tournament was still as dominant of an effort
It just took the Hornets a little more time than they would have liked before they finally cracked through the brick wall that was Jessa Hay.
Facing the same District One opponent for the second consecutive season, the defending state champs spent the first two quarters firing shot after shot on the Jaguars goalie but had nothing to show for it as the two teams headed into the half scoreless.
But then finally for Emmaus, the dam broke with a goal in the first five minutes of the third quarter, and a big insurance goal followed in the fourth as head coach Sue Butz-Stavin’s team went on to earn a hard-fought 2-0 win.
“We were very courageous out there playing hard and trying to use our inside/outside passing but their goalie did an excellent job,” said the Hornets longtime coach following the game on The Eastern Pa. Sports Network’s coverage. “She (Hay) stifled us on every shot and then we finally broke the ice. It was just a matter of a lot of fortitude tonight and sometimes it’s about a lot more grit than finesse.”
Emmaus, which was coming off winning its 38th straight District XI title, got goals from two of its top guns as junior Ella Horner scored her 39th goal of the season and senior Gracie Huffer her 38th.
With the victory, the Hornets kept their perfect record intact as they improved to 24-0 overall while also extending their win streak to 36 straight games dating back to last season.
Garnet Valley, which was shutout for just the third time this season, ended the year with a 16-6-1 record.
Emmaus dominated the Jags statistically outshooting them 27-8 and holding a 9-3 advantage in penalty corners. Hay wound up with 23 saves on the night, while Hornets senior goalie Emily Romano stopped all eight shots she faced while posting her 17th shutout of the season.
Up next for the Hornets will be a quarterfinal round matchup on Saturday at 10 a.m. at Exeter High School against a familiar opponent in Downingtown West, which advanced with a 1-0 overtime win over District 2 champ Wyoming Valley West. Emmaus defeated the Whippets earlier this season, 2-1 on October 3.
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Emmaus 2, Garnet Valley 0
GV – 0-0-0-0 – 0
Em – 0-0-1-1 – 2
Scoring:
Em – Ella Horner
Em – Gracie Huffer
Stats
SOG – GV 8, Em 27
Saves – GV (Jess Hay 23), Em (Emily Romano 8)
PCs – GV 3, Em 9
PIAA State 3A Tournament Quarterfinals (Saturday)
District 1-1 Villa Maria vs District 3-2 Wilson, 10 a.m. @ Coatesville HS
District 1-5 Downingtown West vs District 11-1 Emmaus, 10 a.m. @ Exeter
District 3-1 Lower Dauphin vs District 11-2 Parkland, Noon @ Exeter
District 1-2 Boyertown vs District 3-3 Penn Manor, 2 p.m. @ Exeter