When Easton scored a goal in the first minute of last Thursday’s District 11 Class 3A field hockey title game, it marked the first time in a long time a team has gone ahead of Emmaus that quickly.

But the Hornets didn’t take long to get control of the game. They tied the score within minutes, had a lead by the end of the first quarter and went on to a 6-1 win and the program’s 36th straight district title.

“We haven’t been behind often,” said Hornet senior forward Autum Kernechel. “I think once they scored that goal, we didn’t let that determine the fate of the game. We brought the energy right after that. I think it was good that we bounced back really quickly.

“We have a two-minute rule. When anything good happens or anything bad happens, the next two minutes we just try to focus on having energy and getting good outcomes all over the field. I think that’s exactly what we did and we did get a goal out of it.:”

Junior forward Addison Povilaitis tied the game with 8:31 left in the first quarter before sophomore Gracie Huffer gave her team the lead for good off a corner with no time left in the first.

“I was just trying to get a shot on cage,” said Huffer. “But I got lucky and it went off a stick somewhere and it went in.

“I think [Easton’s early goal] just lit a fire under us. We knew we wanted it so we just had to come out with more energy and get it back.”

Huffer added a second goal, assisted by Sadie Nawarynski, to put the Hornets on top 3-1 early in the second quarter.

Nawarynski scored in the final minute of the first half to give Emmaus a 4-1 lead at intermission.

Sophomore Madison Lenig made it 5-1 early in the fourth quarter with an assist from Morgan Orobono. Kernechel finished off the scoring with a goal on a penalty stroke with 6:09 left in the third quarter.

Hornet head coach Sue Butz-Stavin, who has guided the team to all 36 straight district titles, called Kernechel the backbone of this year’s team.

“She runs the spine of the team,” Butz-Stavin said. “Even when she was double-teamed early on today, that didn’t help Easton because it left Povilaitis open.

“It’s like a chess match. For everything a team does, we can have a response to that.”

Kernechel is a four-year starter for the Hornets and co-captains the team with classmate Emmy Horner. They lead the team in goals and assists as Kernechel has scored 38 times and assisted 31, while Horner has found the back of the cage 30 times and assisted 25.

“It’s really special being a senior and leading the team to this,” said Kernechel. “Me and Emmy, we’re the leaders of the team this year. It feels special this year, especially since it’s my last one and just taking it all in for the last time.”

The Hornets (23-1) will now move on to the state playoffs with the goal of winning the program’s 16th state title. They hosted the sixth-place team out of District 1, Avon Grove (18-4), Tuesday at Memorial Field. That game was played after Press deadline.

A first-round win would put Emmaus in a quarterfinal matchup Saturday against either District 1’s fifth place team, Methacton (16-4-2) or District 1 champ Wyoming Valley West (12-5).

Kernechel likes the way her team has played in the postseason and it feels its yet to reach its potential.

“I still think we can get better,” she said. “There’s always room to improve. I don’t think we’ve peaked yet. I think there’s more to come from us.”