Years from now, one of the players on this year’s Emmaus field hockey team will get a cold or perhaps, even bronchitis. Funny thing is though, that they’ll likely smile as it brings back memories of a state championship won during a time when many of the players on the team had to take time away from practice to see a doctor because of varying degrees of sniffles, colds and bronchitis that has swept through the team.

It seems to have started weeks ago when senior Meredith Sholder battled through a horrible bout with bronchitis on her way to pushing her career goal total past the 200 mark. From there, other members of the team came down with symptoms, but none of them wanted to take time or attention away from the team’s pursuit of back-to-back state titles.

“A bunch of girls went to the doctor this week and I think there are six of us that have bronchitis,” said Sholder. “This entire week though, the motivational level was amazing. Everyone wanted to play.”

Not only did the contagious bunch of girls continue to play, but they continued to win. They persevered through the conference championship, their 28th straight District 11 Championship and their 12th PIAA Championship. They were also able to stretch their win streak to 55 games, dating back to the start of last season.

Coach Sue-Butz Stavin noted that they took precautions not to spread the germs, but with the time that the team spends together, especially on some long bus rides, it was almost inevitable that it would spread. The illnesses made it interesting, especially considering that during a long season, there are bound to be aches, pains and bruises.

“We just started with a cold that crept into everybody,” said Butz-Stavin. “We don’t share water bottles or anything, but we had a few kids sick and a few little injuries here and there, but it didn’t put us on the sidelines at all.”

All of the players were determined that they wouldn’t miss games because of the illness and they continued to practice and work at their game as if everybody was in perfect health. At the height of Sholder’s illness, she took a rare couple of minutes off the field just to get a drink and work through a particularly rough coughing spell on the sidelines. Other players also were literally holding their sticks with one hand and coughing into the other as they ran down field throughout the postseason.

Junior Emily Ingalls, whose class now has the pressure of working to make it three state titles in a row, credited the seniors with pushing the players to give it their best, no matter what else was going on around the team. Ingalls learned from that leadership and vows to work to bring that same approach to the team next season, even if they’re perfectly healthy.

“We really stuck through it and I’m proud of all of them for hanging in there,” said Ingalls, who scored the opening goal in the championship game. “It was a little nerve wracking, but it came out with a great outcome and I’m so proud of everyone.”