As much as they tried, the Hornets could never take momentum back from Parkland and hold onto it during Monday’s boys lacrosse game. If they could have just gotten that one go-ahead goal, it might have been a different outcome.

Emmaus tied Monday night’s boys lacrosse game five times after the Trojans scored the opening goal. But Parkland had an answer all five times before pulling away late for a 12-9 win over the Hornets at Memorial Field.

“Just not enough,” said Emmaus head coach Scott Ketcham. “The time for moral victories is over. I think this team realizes they can play with Parkland. That’s nice, but we’ve got to start beating them. It was a one-goal game and we started chasing at the end. They’re a talented bunch but we’ve got to get over the hump.”

It was Emmaus’ second close loss to the Trojans in the past three weeks after a 6-4 setback at Parkland on April 20.

The loss gives Parkland the top seed for the league playoffs. The Hornets will be the No. 3 seed and take on No. 2 Central Catholic Thursday at Northampton. Parkland will face No.4 Easton.

The Trojans grabbed the early lead Monday on Luke Summers’ first of four goals in the game. Emmaus’ Corbin Carraghan answered to make it 1-1 moments later.

Parkland went ahead 3-1 on goals by James Cipolla and Gavin Saylor before the Hornets Konnor Haldeman cut the lead to 3-2. Parkland’s Alex Albertson and Emmaus’ Jared Baker each scored late in the first quarter to make 4-3 after one period.

The Hornets’ Josh Babbitt tied the game in the second quarter, but Summers responded with another tally for the Trojans and a 5-4 lead.

Tyler Corpora scored the 97th goal of his career to knot the game at 5-5 with 5:20 left before halftime, but Summers got free again for a strike and a 6-5 lead less than a minute later.

A goal Emmaus’ Brent Meilinger sent the game to halftime at 6-6.

Parkland’s Ian O’Neill put his team back in front with 4:50 left in the third quarter, but Corpora scored again to make it 7-7 before Parkland’s Andrew Albertson put his team back ahead with 2:17 left before halftime.

The Trojans stayed in front the entire fourth quarter. Summers and Saylor added goals early in the period, but Corpora wouldn’t let his team go down without a fight. The University of Hartford-bound senior scored two goals, including the 100th of his career, to get his team within a goal of tying the game with 1:42 left. But Parkland found the back of the net two more times in the final minute of the game to seal the win.

Corpora’s milestone put a bright spot on an otherwise tough night for the Hornets.

“Tyler gets three or four guys on him all the time,” said Ketcham. “He’s doubled, tripled and he still got to 100 goals. It’s an amazing accomplishment, especially for a midfielder that gets beat on literally every time he steps on the field. Four goals tonight in a game against rival, that’s impressive. He’s an impressive young man.

”He leads through play. He leads in the locker room. Other guys get motivated by him and it’s a pleasure to have him.”

The veteran coach would like to coach Corpora and the rest of this senior class for as long as he can as they look to make a playoff run starting with Thursday’s Eastern Pennsylvania Conference semifinals and into the district tournament the following week.

“Some of our younger guys really have to step up,” said Ketcham. “We’re running out of time. We’re into playoff season now. We saw some things we can adjust on and we’ll go from there on Thursday.”