The District XI playoffs felt a little like the movie "Groundhog Day" for the Whitehall field hockey team.

It was just a few weeks ago when the Zephs faced William Allen High School and defeated them in overtime, 1-0.

The winning goal was scored by Kourtney Cunningham with 1:21 gone in overtime.

These two teams hooked up in the opening round of the D-11 AAA playoffs Oct. 23, and conventional wisdom indicated it would be another close game.

Try carbon copy.

The pigtail game was won in overtime by the Zephs on a goal by Kourtney Cunningham. This time it took 1:11 for the junior to put the ball in the back of the cage, advancing the team to the quarterfinals.

The way the game unfolded, it was like they were in a time warp, transported back to their first meeting on Sept. 30.

"It was very, very similar," said interim head coach Jennifer Callahan.

Callahan said that the key to defeating the Canaries was also the same as the last time they played.

"We wanted to stick to the game plan, play our game, and be persistent," said Callahan.

They managed to accomplish that agenda once again, allowing just the one goal to Naiyah Brown in the first half.

The Zephs first goal was also scored by Kourtney Cunningham. Callahan said her tally was a direct shot from the corner. After working free of a defender, she got a shot past Allen goalkeeper Chris Santana to get them on the board. The game winner followed a restart when Cunningham weaved through traffic, dodging four or five defenders along the left-hand side, finally sneaking it past Santana inside the pipe for the trip to the quarterfinals.

The Zephs once again played solid defense to get the win over their LVC counterparts. Goalkeeper Kayla Nailor had three saves and the defense put the clamps on the Canaries the second half.

With another hard-earned victory under their belt, the Zephs were still looking to make some noise in the playoffs. There was more work to do, according to Callahan.

"They weren't ready to be finished with their season yet," said Callahan.

They now had the opportunity to play undefeated Emmaus High School, the No. 1 seed in the tourney, and one of the favorites to win a state title. And the "Groundhog Day" theme reoccurred in this meeting as well, with the Zephs suffering a 7-0 loss to end their season. During the regular season, the Green Hornets defeated Whitehall 6-0, blanking them in both meetings this year.

While it was a game in which they couldn't solve Emmaus goalkeepers Tori Laczo and Makheila MacDonald, they put up a strong effort, said Callahan.

She said that the team played their game, used their athleticism, and played hard the entire 60 minutes.

"I think they did the best they could," said Callahan. "They didn't give up the whole time. They showed good character. They played to the final whistle."

Callahan said that the team had to start a junior varsity player at right back because of scheduling conflicts. While that task is daunting for anyone as they watch a green wave swarm the offensive zone, Callahan said that Rachel Hibshman did "an excellent job."

She was another part of their young defensive unit that also features freshman Nailor in goal.

Still, the Zephs had some chances to put the ball in the net. Callahan said that they needed to capitalize on those situations since Emmaus' defense was tough to penetrate, allowing just six goals in 21 games this year.

"You're not going to get many opportunities with a team like that, so you have to score," said Callahan.