The Emmaus High School girls lacrosse team had a fast start to the 2022 campaign, winning eight games in a row to open the season. Over the last two weeks, the Hornets have been busy with consecutive games, sometimes on back-to-back days.

“We played Tuesday, started off a little slow but the girls put together a very well-played game heading into two tough games Friday and Saturday,” said Emmaus head coach Roxann Betz. “The last two days of practice have been amazing. Fine tuning some things on attack and defense as we prepare for couple weeks of strong play.”

Outside of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference portion of the slate, Betz had scheduled a variety of nonconference games against quality competition for her team to see different teams. That includes Spring-Ford, Wilson, Pottsgrove and Crestwood.

“It means a lot to face some good teams out of conference,” Betz said. “It pushes us to the next level and helps us zone in on the things we need to improve. They are very exciting games, and it helps the girls understand just how much potential they have this year.”

Following the eight-game win streak to start the year, the Green Hornets (10-1 overall, 4-1 EPC) suffered their first loss of the season at the hands of EPC foe Pleasant Valley, losing 15-10.

“They outworked us that night for the loose ground balls,” Betz said. “Overall, we did not play at our best and it was a very humbling experience but great learning experience for the team.”

Betz has seen individual success from some of her players and it has come on both ends of the field.

“Julia Cote has been scoring and assisting well in each game,” said Betz. “Emily Hollinger has phenomenal shot placement and is very deceptive in attack. The defensive unit works very well together. Kam Watkins and Marybeth Smith have been leading the defense in groundballs and caused turnovers. Jordyn Poll and Mikayla Viola are making an impact at all aspects of the game as midfielders.”

Last Saturday Emmaus traveled to Southern Lehigh for not just a game but also for a good cause. The annual cancer charity games (Battle Lax) is an all-day event in which the Emmaus and Southern Lehigh lacrosse teams play to benefit the Pancreatic Cancer Hope Foundation and the HEADstrong Foundation, respectively.

“The cancer awareness game is always a highly anticipated game each year,” said Betz. “Southern Lehigh will be sure to bring great competition but to be able to prioritize cancer awareness above everything else that day is always an experience that touches so many of us in this community, as many of us have known someone fighting cancer or lost their battle with cancer.”