An early goal by Northampton had Emmaus playing from behind, and it was an uphill battle for the Hornets as they fell to the Konkrete Kids 2-1 in last night’s District XI Class 4A championship game at Salisbury High School.
Emmaus once again had to settle for a runner-up finish for the third consecutive season after falling to rival Parkland the past two years. The Hornets were seeking their first district title since the spring of 2008.
Northampton, which had lost in the previous two matchups against Emmaus, wasted little time in jumping out in front as they scored just :34 seconds into the match as Brielle Szoke found the back of the net giving her team an early 1-0. It was the first goal allowed by the Hornets in the post-season.
The Konkrete Kids then added a big insurance goal with 10 minutes left in the first half as Victoria Phillips got past two Emmaus defenders and put a shot past Hornets senior goalie Ashley Stine to make it a 2-0 lead.
That goal wound up being the difference in the game as the Hornets were able to rally late and avoid the shutout as sophomore Lizzie Bender scored her team-leading 16th goal of the season with 11 minutes left in regulation to cut the lead in half.
Northampton was able to hold off Emmaus the rest of the way as they claimed their first-ever District XI championship in program history.
Emmaus, which was coming off an emotional high following a 1-0 win over the four-time defending champs, Parkland, played without one of their best defenders, senior Kirsten Esterly, who missed the game with an injury.
For the game, the Hornets outshot the Konkrete Kids 6-4. In goal, Stine was credited with two saves for Emmaus, while her counterpart, Emma Fry, was outstanding making five stops.
Both teams will be headed to the PIAA State Tournament, which gets underway next Tuesday. Emmaus (17-4-2) will be on the road to take on District 12 champ Archbishop Carroll, while Northampton will be at home hosting either Garnet Valley or Downingtown West.
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Northampton 2, Emmaus 1
Em – 0-1 – 1
No – 2-0 – 2
Scoring:
No – Brielle Szoke 1′ (assist Alayna Hahn)
No – Victoria Phillips ’30
Em – Lizzie Bender 69′ (assist Sofia Isaksson)
Stats:
SOG – No 4, Em 6
Saves – No (Fry 5), Em (Stein 2)