Emmaus blanks Allen 5-0 in LVC field hockey

FROM THE MORNING CALL

Emmaus downed Allen 5-0 in its field hockey opener Wednesday, matching the final of two years ago when an experienced Hornets team scored in bursts.

The exception came last fall when Allen goalkeeper Brandon Karess saved the first 26 Green Hornets shots before succumbing 1-0. Karess, now a 6-foot-3 senior, wasn't in net for the Canaries on Wednesday. Instead he was working out with the men's Olympic squad in England, leaving junior Taneya Rivera (seven saves) to face Emmaus, ranked No. 1 nationally by topofthecircle.com.

Emmaus senior Allison Evans scored three goals Wednesday to run her career total to 106, six shy of Kristina Bortz's school record. Bortz had won a national title at Emmaus before moving on to Princeton University.

Evans, equally aggressive and driven with her scoring prowess and 4.2 grade point average, has verbally committed to Princeton, too. She still has lots of work left to match the national title Bortz posted.


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Evans took the first step in the season opener when she led Emmaus to victory, beginning with the first goal off a high back-handed flick.

"Usually when I go reverse stick I usually end up going high," said Evans.

Senior teammate Sammi Evans added the second goal in the first half when she lifted her aerial shot waist high into the cage. Few teams will be able to silence both experienced scorers this fall. Few teams nationally return so potent a duo.

Allen, returning just four starters, kept the game close. Five minutes into the second half, Bethany Mink punctured the Hornet defense, winding through four defenders before lifting a high shot at first-year varsity goalkeeper Hannah Nallo (three saves). The ball clipped the underside of the crossbar and skittered down across the goalmouth.

Instead of a 2-1 game, Emmaus woke up to re-establish control. Two minutes after the scare Evans added another goal to make it 3-0.

Said Allen coach Karen Nilson, "When they got that third goal I saw our kids deflate down. I'm a little bit disappointed that we weren't mentally tougher, but they're young."

Nilson did like it that her team managed five shots on goal and four penalty corners. Past Canary teams did no more in challenging Emmaus' back line. With Mink and Kristina Derkits trying to provide leadership on a young team, Nilson knew she would have needed Karess in goal at his sharpest to even have a shot at finally beating the Emmaus' juggernaut.

That depth of the Emmaus program showed itself over the final 15 minutes as the Hornets substituted liberally. Senior Maggie Murphy returned to the lineup after sitting out 2009 with an injury.

Everyone contributed. Sophomore Sarah Kazmierski inserted a pass off a penalty corner to Angie DeBellis, who made it 4-0. Minutes later, Evans took a rebound, dribbled in to four feet, and fired a hard shot for the fifth goal and her third, giving her a hat trick.

Allen dropped to 1-1. The young Canaries, who began the game with Japhia Solomon assigned to shadow Evans wherever she went and even implemented a few passive tactics aimed at slowing the Emmaus attack, gained much-needed experience.

Emmaus (1-0) remained unbeaten against Lehigh Valley Conference foes for over half a decade.

Emmaus 2-3—5

Allen 0-0—0

GOALS: E-Allison Evans (3), Sammi Wootsick, Angie DeBellis. ASSISTS: E-Becky Gagliardi, Sarah Kazmierski. SHOTS: E, 12-5. SAVES: E-Hannah Nallo 3; A-Taneya Rivera 7. PENALTY CORNERS: E, 11-4.

http://www.mcall.com/sports/mc-hockey-emmaus-allen-20100908,0,4646198.story