By Brian Rippey
For the Morning Call
REIFFTON – Emmaus and Villa Maria Academy start each field hockey season with the same goal – winning a state championship.
After players from both teams fulfilled their dreams in 2023, a natural rivalry was formed when perennial District 1 power Villa Maria moved up into the same PIAA classification with 15-time state champion Emmaus.
The two teams met Tuesday night at Exeter for the second straight season in the PIAA Class 3A semifinals. Sophomore Rylie Povilaitis scored midway through the first overtime period to give Emmaus a 3-2 victory, reversing last year’s state semifinal outcome.
“I’m so incredibly proud of my team,” said Emmaus goalie Emily Romano. “After losing last year all we wanted was to come back and beat them, and that’s exactly what we did today.”
Romano was the hero most of the night for the District 11 champion Green Hornets (27-1). She made 17 saves and helped Emmaus prevail despite District 1 champion Villa Maria (22-3) finishing with advantages of 19-9 in shots and 16-8 in penalty corners.
“Emily had a wonderful game,” said Emmaus coach Sue Butz-Stavin. “Overall we hung in there defensively. We stood strong. I’m very proud of how our girls took to the field and played their hearts out.”
But it was Povilaitis who sparked a wild celebration when she scored the game-winner with 4:27 left in the first overtime. The goal will send Emmaus to the PIAA Class 3A championship game Saturday at 3 p.m. at Cumberland Valley to face District 1 runner-up Central Bucks West.
Povilaitis also scored the game’s first goal and Gracie Huffer tacked on a goal later in the first quarter to stake Emmaus to an early 2-0 lead.
“This is a program with high excellence and expectations,” Huffer said. “We just try to reach that every year.”
So does Villa Maria, which has been to the state finals six times in the last 15 years and has captured three state titles at the 2A level. The Hurricanes battled back from the two-goal deficit on a pair of goals by Caitlin Connel, the state’s leading scorer.
“This has become what we expect,” Villa Maria coach Daan Polders said. “It’s something that we expect from this program and all the girls work hard to make sure we get these opportunities. I’m so proud of our girls.”
Connel’s second goal with 11:17 left in regulation forced overtime and gave the Hurricanes a chance to return to the state finals. But like Emmaus found out last year when Villa Maria scored in overtime for a 2-1 victory, only one of these perennial contenders can win a state title now that they are in the same classification.
“These are tough games,” Butz-Stavin said. “To make it one more step is a great opportunity for the kids to move on. You just go out and play your heart out.”
