What a difference a week can make.

After lamenting a struggling offense that came close to scoring a lot of goals, Emmaus girls soccer coach Rob Rooney is now watching an offense that finishes off scoring chances left, right and center.

The change came, at least in part, thanks to a 1-1 tie with Wilson West Lawn, a team generally perceived as one of the best in Pennsylvania. At the time the two teams met, Wilson was undefeated and untied this season. Whether it was seeing that they could play with a team of that caliber or something else, the tie turned into a barrage of goals with Emmaus scoring 16 times over the next three games, beating Liberty, Bethlehem Catholic and a strong Penn Manor team in a non-conference game this past weekend.

Emmaus has also stepped it up defensively, allowing just three goals - all to Bethlehem Catholic - in its three wins this past week.

Leading goal scorer Mandy McCarthy, a junior, thinks the game against Wilson may have been a turning point for the team this season.

"We've been more positive," pointed out McCarthy. "After getting the tie against Wilson, we really wanted to show teams that we could score and keep up with them."

McCarthy is bunched at the top of the scoring charts with senior Kelsey Bacon and freshman Kristen Roth. The three have combined for 22 goals this season and that total should start to climb quickly if the new-found offense continues to develop.

"There were some games where we played really well and didn't win and that kind of builds on itself and then all of the sudden you're in a bad stretch," explained Rooney. "We gave up a goal early against Wilson and then found some character at the end of the game and from there, it's been a bit of a different team."

Rooney thought his team played its best game of the season against Penn Manor in a 3-0 win.

"They're a good team and we played very well against them; our best overall performance of the season," he said.

McCarthy has stepped up to be a leader for the team, scoring the game-tying goal against Wilson and then going on to score four goals over the next three games for the Lady Hornets. McCarthy is a two-sport athlete, who also plays basketball in the winter.

"A couple of us [Bacon is the other] play basketball and we're looking forward to the season, but for now, we're just concentrating on soccer," said McCarthy.

The change in attitude came at a good time, because there isn't much time left in the season. With just five games remaining, Emmaus (5-5-2, 4-4-1) trails Central Catholic (8-3-1, 7-1-1) in the West Division of the LVC. All of the remaining games are against LVC opponents. The first four opponents Freedom, Northampton, Allen and Dieruff have a combined record of 9-39 on the season before the season wraps up with a game against Central Catholic.

The schedule may appear relatively easy, but McCarthy says her and her teammates won't be looking at it that way.

"I think we're going to continue to do really well, play hard and stay positive," said McCarthy. "Once the district playoffs begin, I think we're going to really do well and give other teams a hard time."