With a few veteran leaders and a lot of young players, the Emmaus boys lacrosse team will improve as the 2017 season goes along.

The Hornets had a mid-term exam last week when they headed to Parkland’s new turf field for their first of two meetings with the Trojans this spring.

While Emmaus came out on the short end of a 6-4 final, there were plenty of positives to take away from the game.

“I think our defense answered a lot of questions tonight,” said Emmaus head coach Scott Ketcham. “They’re a team that scored 31 goals two days ago and we held them to six. And we had seven minutes of stick penalties. I think that’s pretty impressive what these young guys are starting to do.

“We’re learning on the fly. We’re a little bit young and we’re learning. It’s not how you start it’s how you finish and I think we’re in good shape.”

After a scoreless first period, Parkland put in the game’s first four goals in the second period. Luke Summers scored just 49 second into the quarter before Ryan Geroulo added another with 6:55 left before halftime. Andrew Albertson put his team up 3-0 just nine seconds later and Geroulo made it 4-0 with just under four minutes to go in the first half.

Emmaus’ Brent Meilinger got his team on the board with 2:33 left in the second quarter and the Hornets went to halftime trailing 4-4.

Parkland’s defense and goalkeeper James McLaughlin made it tough for the Hornets to score, but they climbed to within a goal over the first 17 minutes of the second half.

Gabriel Vansuch made it 4-2 with under five minutes left in the third period, but Summers’ second goal of the game got it back to a three-goal lead at 5-2.

Meilinger scored again to get Emmaus within two goals with five seconds left in the third quarter at 5-3.

After an Emmaus time out four minutes into the fourth quarter, Hunter Krauss scored to get his team within a goal at 5-4.

Parkland’s James Cippola sealed the win, scoring his team’s final goal on an assist from Ian O’Neil with 5:23 left in the game.

McLaughlin, a sophomore, and a stingy Parkland defense led by Alex Albertson held on for the win.

The first-year starter made 10 saves for the Trojans.

“He was good,” said Ketchum. “We didn’t move him. That’s a credit to their defense. They were getting shots from where they wanted. Their defense is very good. We have to figure out a way. There’s a way to do it.”

The Hornets (8-5 overall, 6-3 Eastern Pennsylvania Conference) followed that game with a 10-7 loss to Syosset High School of Long, Island, New York, one of the country’s top high school programs, according to Ketchum.

Emmaus had a rematch with Central Catholic on Tuesday, a game that was played after Press deadlines. The Vikings were the last undefeated team left in the EPC heading into this week and were responsible for one of Emmaus’ three conference losses.

The Hornets were scheduled to play a nonleague game against Southern Lehigh on Thursday and host Easton next Tuesday, May 2.

“I think we figured out and identity a little bit,” Ketchum said after the Parkland game. “We still have a long way to go and we still have a lot of season left to go.”