The Emmaus High School girls lacrosse team competed in its final week of the 2023 regular season last week and split a pair of Eastern Pennsylvania Conference contests.

In the opening game of the week last Monday, May 1, the Green Hornets went on the road and took down rival Parkland by double-digits, winning 20-8 at Parkland High School. In the regular season finale on Thursday, the league’s current top team, Pleasant Valley, came to Memorial Field and knocked off Emmaus 9-5, finishing an unbeaten season for the Bears and solidifying them as the top seed in this week’s EPC Tournament.

“They’re always great games against them,” said Hornet head coach Roxann Betz. “We saw a lot of them toward the end of last year in big games. They won some and we won some. We’re expecting to see them again when a lot is on the line this year.”

Against the Trojans, the Hornets led from start to finish and did not have to sweat it out against their rival. Olivia Schmidt led the Emmaus attack and tied a game-high with five goals. Bri McClain tallied four goals and three assists and both Emily Hollinger and Jordyn Poll recorded four goals, with the former adding an assist as well. Melea Weber had two goals and two assists and Brooke Peterson contributed one goal and one assist to round out the scoring for the Hornets. Natalie McKiernan added two assists and Alani Shotwell made three saves in net for her team.

Gigi Leonzi led the Trojans with five goals and three assists, while goalie Hailey Smith finished with four saves.

Against the Bears, in a rematch of last season’s District 11 3A championship game that was won by the Hornets. Pleasant Valley won the regular season matchup and conference title game last season. The Bears outscored the Hornets 3-1 in the first half and gave up just five goals total, a season-low for Emmaus. Hollinger and McCain each finished with two goals, while Peterson added the other lone goal. Shotwell had nine saves.

Emmaus finished the regular season with a 14-4 overall record and 6-2 mark in conference. The Hornets received the two seed for the league playoffs and will take on Easton, the three seed, in the EPC semifinal round Thursday evening at Northampton High School.

“We are excited for the postseason and the opportunity to win the EPC and another district title,” Betz said. “The girls have worked really hard to get to this point and they are ready for the challenges and big games ahead.”