The state playoffs are all about surviving each round.

The Emmaus field hockey team did just that in the first round, winning 3-2 in overtime, before bouncing back with a 7-1 in Saturday’s semifinal game against Wyoming Valley West.

“The other day was a grind,” said Emmaus head coach Sue-Butz Stavin of the first-round win. “Even (in the second round), Wyoming Valley West had some speed and they had some surges going to the ball. We still had to play the game all the way through. They showed that they could execute on corners. “

Senior Autumn Held put Emmaus in front of WVW early with a goal just over five minutes into the game, assisted by Melea Weber.

Junior Emmy Horner made it 2-0 when she scored with 7:48 left in the first quarter.

Emmaus stretched the lead to 3-0 in the second quarter when sophomore Sharlise Salano scored, assisted by senior Haley Kvacky.

The Warriors (13-8) got their only goal when sisters Olivia (goal) and Charlotte (assist) Yelen connected on a corner play to make it 3-1 with 4:47 left in the third quarter.

Emmaus (24-1-0) answered when Weber scored on a penalty shot, her first of two in the game, for a 4-1 lead with just over a minute left in the third quarter.

Kvacky scored on an Autum Kernechel assist just over a minute into the fourth quarter. Weber converted her second penalty stroke with 11:04 left in the game for a 6-1 lead.

Horner capped the scoring, assisted by Weber, with a goal in the final two minutes of the contest, which was played Saturday at Nazareth High School.

“I think we played great as a team,” said Weber, whose game-winner against Methacton was also her 100th career goal. “I think we’re really brining it all together at the end of the season. We’ve been practicing together since summer. We’re all tying it down together right now and we all trust each other. Our team chemistry is great.”

While Weber leads the team with 63 goals this season, the Hornets have six other players with nine or more goals this season.

“It can come from anywhere,” said Butz-Stavin. “That’s what makes it a little bit more exciting. Melea is going to be tagged. The other girls can come through and everyone can have the opportunity to score. It’s something we work on at practice all the time so it’s good to see other kids got on the scoreboard today.”

Five different players accounted for the team’s seven goals Saturday.

“My teammates are amazing,” said Weber. “We have a lot of depth on this team. I trust all of them to finish on goal. A lot of them really stepped up, especially the sophomores and underclassmen. Emmy Horner did a great job today. She had a goal off a corner that we’ve been practicing all week. I know that felt good to score on those that we’ve been practicing.”

Horner is second on the team with 20 goals this season, while Held (13), Kvacky (12) and Sage Pilarski (10) all have 10 or more.

Weber also leads the team with 26 assists, while Kernechel has 18. Horner and Kvacky both have 18 helpers this season.

In the first-round game, Weber put Emmaus in front on a goal assisted by Kernechel in the first quarter.

That lead stood until Methacton’s Elena Weychert knotted the score in the third quarter. The Warriors (16-4-1) went ahead 2-1 when Lea Dewan scored early in the fourth quarter.

Hornet senior Sarah Schaffer scored the tying goal off a rebound on a corner play with just over five minutes left in the game.

Weber scored the game-winner in the first overtime on an assist from Kernechel.

While the Hornets would have rather finished off Methacton in regulation, the close game could be good preparation for playing in this week’s state semifinal and potentially the title game on Saturday.

“The close games definitely prepare us,” said Weber, who noted that the team had a great week of practice heading into Saturday’s contest. “I think it helps our mentality, if we’re going to respond to something and if we’re going to respond well.

“After [Wyoming Valley West] scored on us I think we took advantage of that and we did respond well just like we responded well last game.”

Emmaus advanced to Tuesday’s semifinal round where it met defending state champ Lower Dauphin. See next week’s Press for more about that game.