When Nate Snyder scored with 8:04 to go to put Freedom in front, the Emmaus ice hockey team did not panic.

Matthew Scheaffer answered just thirteen seconds later, his third of the night, to tie the game. And Luke Rheiner, Shane Miller and Wyatt Weber each found the back of the net in the final period to give the Green Hornets a 9-6 victory against the Patriots last Friday night at Lehigh Valley Ice Arena.

The four consecutive goals by Emmaus marked the third separate time a team netted four unanswered goals.

In the opening period Snyder and Scheaffer traded blows, and Connor Evans added a second for Freedom to take a 2-1 lead after one.

“We started kind of slow, and it was tough for us to get anything going,” said head coach Jamie Rieder. “Their goalie, Jarrett Ballister (45 saves) had a great game for them. He made some incredible saves and really kept them in this game. He made it hard for us to get anything going at their net.”

Emmaus (4-8) did not waste much time getting back in front. Scheaffer, Miller, Gavin Wolff and Noah Brown all scored and gave the Green Hornets a three-goal edge. Rieder credited his team for adapting to the game plan in the second-half spurt.

“We really played some of the best hockey of the season in that second period,” said Rieder. “Our passing was consistent and that was what the difference was for us.”

With the Green Hornets up three, and seemingly rolling along, Freedom found another gear.

Cole Nicholson and Evans connected on goals before the end of the second, and Blayne Tasillo and Snyder tallied goals at the beginning of the final frame, as the Patriots fought all the way back to take the lead midway through the third period.

“Our defense got shocked a little bit there with their four-goal spurt,” Rieder said. “We lost a little bit of focus, and they took advantage of it. It’s a good thing we had more time on the clock, because we showed what we could do offensively as well.”

And the potent Emmaus offense, led by the league’s leading scorer in Scheaffer, answered with four straight to take this one.

It was a good feeling for Rieder and the Green Hornets, after the last time they were on the ice nearly two weeks prior, losing to rival Parkland.

“It was nice getting back out there and playing,” Rieder stated. “These kids love to play and deserve to win.”

Toshan Doodnauth made 13 saves on 19 shots for Emmaus as they outshot Freedom 54-19.