The Emmaus ice hockey team is young and inexperienced this year, with a lot of freshmen and sophomores getting significant playing time.

The results so far this season haven’t gone the way the Green Hornets would have hoped.

Emmaus suffered its latest setback to defending league champion and rival Parkland 5-2 last Friday night at the Bethlehem Steel Ice Center in Lehigh Valley Scholastic Ice Hockey action.

The defeat came after the Green Hornets (2-9-1 overall) second win of the season, a 6-2 victory over Easton on November 25th.

“This team is playing so much better this year than I thought we did last year,” said Hornet head coach Keith Hurlburt. “There’s been a lot more passing and teamwork. I’m really proud of the way the guys battled because we have a really young team with a lot of freshmen and sophomores. It’s been a lot more fun to watch them play this year. This game showed it. We were always in the game.”

Emmaus trailed 3-0 after the second period but scored twice in the third, clawing back to just a one-goal deficit and was in striking distance of tying the game. But the Trojans (7-0-1) netted two straight in the final 2:50 to secure the win.

“They’re playing better together as a team,” Hurlburt said. “There’s a lot of newer kids but they’ve bought in and want to play as a team and be competitive. With the way they’re coming together I’m really excited for what the future holds.”

Parkland got onto the scoreboard early, just 2:05 into the game, and then added another with 4:56 left in the opening frame to take a two-goal lead after one. The Trojans doubled the Green Hornets in shots (12-6) in the first period, but Emmaus outshot Parkland in the second period, 7-6. It was just unable to find the back of the net, as the Trojans added another to make it 3-0 after two.

The Green Hornets finally broke through in the third stanza as Nic Hurlburt beat Parkland goalie Colby Rosen midway in. Tyler Adams then scored just 3:49 later to tighten up the score to 3-2 before the Trojans would add two.

Austin Moudy finished with 16 saves on the night for Emmaus.

In the win over Easton, Emmaus’s Liam Porreca scored a pair of goals, while teammates Owen Porreca, Hunter Engelman, Daniel McCabe, Aiden Olsen netted one each. Moudy stopped both shots he faced to earn the win.

Emmaus fell to Southern Lehigh in its next game this past Monday. It will play once more before Christmas, with a game against the Central-Becahi mix on Friday, December 20th, at 9 p.m. at the Steel Ice Center.