By Scott Johnston
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 5/27/10
Sophomore midfielder Nicole Schmidt scored a career-high seven goals, including the game-winner with just over three minutes left to play in regulation, lifting Emmaus to a thrilling 13-12 win over Southern Lehigh in the nightcap of the District 11 semifinals Wednesday at Emmaus’ Memorial Field.
Schmidt tallied three goals in the first half and added four more in the second, to increase her team leading point total to 67 (48 goals, 19 assists) as the Hornets advanced to Friday’s 5:30 p.m. championship game opposite top-seeded Nazareth.
Top-seeded Nazareth took care of business in the opener, jumping out to a 16-4 lead at the break and cruising past fourth-seeded Parkland, 22-9. The Blue Eagles have won 20 straight after a season-opening loss to District 1’s Lower Merion.
The District 11 champion will advance as the district’s lone representative in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs and meet the District 1 fifth-place seed (winner of Strath Haven and Downingtown East).
Emmaus (13-7) will be looking for revenge after falling to the Blue Eagles in the Lehigh Valley Conference title game (10-9) a week ago in a game played on the Hornets home turf.
Sophomore Caitlin Bryan, a first-team all-LVC selection, added a pair of goals and an assist in the win while Colleen Ehrig, Megan Traub, Allison Mikelson and Amelia Krajsa added solo tallies for Emmaus. The Hornets defeated Solehi for the third time this season.
Solehi, the defending District 11 and LVC champs, ended its season at 13-7. The Spartans were paced by attackman Julie Nemeth who had five goals. Rae Buhosky added a hat trick and an assist while Kelsey Gates and Sami Risi added two goals each.
