Often times in sports one team can control possession of the game, dominate play and still find itself trailing on the scoreboard.
Such was the case for the defending state champs Emmaus last night at home at Memorial Field as the Hornets found themselves in an unfamiliar position in their first round PIAA Class 3A state playoff matchup against Avon Grove.
Playing in their final home game of the season where they hadn’t lost, the Hornets had totally outplayed the sixth-place entry from District One in the first half, holding an 8-1 edge in shots on goal and 15-0 in penalty corners.
Despite the disparity, the Hornets still found themselves trailing in the game.
Avon Grove junior standout Morgan O’Donnell, a University of North Carolina commit, had given the visitors a 1-0 lead in the second quarter as she made her team’s only shot on goal count, stunning Emmaus and their fans.
It was the second time in as many games and just the fourth time all season that Emmaus had to play from behind.
Any panic from the Hornets who had been in this position before?
Not really.
They just continued to play on knowing eventually that their opportunities would come as they continuously wore down the opposition with corner after corner.
Junior Morgann Orobono, the Hornets outstanding central defender, was in the right place at the right time on two penalty corners as she converted both of her chances into goals minutes apart from one another in the third quarter as Emmaus rallied to earn a hard-fought 2-1 win over the Red Devils. For her efforts, Orobono was named the SportClips Player of the Game on The Eastern Pa. Sports Network’s LIVE broadcast of the game.
“It’s all about survival,” said Emmaus head coach Sue Butz-Stavin on the broadcast following the game. “When you get to this point in your season you always have to expect the unexpected.
“Everyone is trying to play for survival and going to give you their best effort and test your better players and Avon Grove did a great job. Their whole team played extremely well, and we learned how to battle tonight, and I thought our kids met the match.”
The victory was the 10th straight for Emmaus (24-1) who now advances on to the quarterfinals. Awaiting the Hornets in Saturday’s 1 p.m. matchup at Quakertown High School will be a familiar foe in Methacton, the fifth-place team from District One, who went on the road and defeated District 2 champ Wyoming Valley West 5-1.
Emmaus and the Warriors have met the last three years in states with the Hornets winning the previous three meetings – 3-2 in OT last year, 4-1 in 2022 and 2-1 in 2021.
The game will be aired LIVE on The Eastern Pa. Sports Network beginning with the pregame show at 12:45 p.m.
After trailing in last night’s, Emmaus was finally able to crack through after halftime on their 21st penalty corner of the night as Orobono scored her second goal of the season to tie the game.
Minute later, she would add what proved to be the game-winner as she took a pass from sophomore Madi Lenig and put a shot past Red Devils goalie Kylee Mellot giving the Hornets their first lead of the night.
“She’s part of our battery on penalty corners,” said Butz-Stavin of Orobono. “Sometimes we have to put different people in different positions on our corners and that’s something she been a part of all season long.”
Emmaus, which over the years has excelled in penalty corners, had been 0-for-20 in the game before finally cracking through a stingy Avon Grove defensive unit led by O’Donnell and Mellot, who was outstanding all night long in the cage
“I was hoping,” laughed Butz-Stavin when asked whether or not her team was eventually going to score. “We just kept hammering (the goal) and we told the girls don’t let your foot off the gas and keep trying to find a way to get the ball into the back of the cage and we were able to get a couple.”
“Give a lot of credit to Avon Grove. Even to the last few seconds of the game they were still a threat. They’re an athletic team and they belong in the state tournament.”
Overall, Emmaus dominated the play outshooting Avon Grove 28-2 and out-cornering them 24-2. In goal, junior Aiko Price saw little action making just one save, while Mellot was busy turning away 19 shots. O’Donnell had four defensive saves in the game for the visitors.
Avon Grove ended its season at 18-5. The Red Devils dropped three of their last five games.
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Emmaus 2, Avon Grove 1
AG – 0-1-0-0 – 1
Em – 0-0-2-0 – 2
Scoring:
AG – Morgan O’Donnell
Em – Morgann Orobono (assist Madi Lenig)
Em – Orobono
Stats:
SOG – Em 28, AG 2
PC – Em 24, AG 2
Saves – Em (Price 1), AG (Mellot 19)