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Emily Sullivan, shown above, scored a goal in the Lady Comets’ 5-0 victory over West Scranton.

Photo/Stephanie Walkowski

CLARKS SUMMIT- Emily Sullivan, a junior midfielder, is a vital member of the Abington Heights High School girls’ soccer team.

“She is one of our very important players at setting the whole entire tempo of the game through our midfield,” said Coach E.T. Hunter. “She has great possession, great vision and distributing skills that lead into a lot of our tempo. She is constantly working hard and giving it all she can. She is a really good asset to our midfield.”

Sullivan credits the team’s unity as a big reason for their success.

“Our team is really close, we’re all a family,” she said. “When we’re on our game, we always do well and encourage each other.”

The challenge of competition and the camaraderie with her teammates are two main reasons why Sullivan enjoys playing soccer.

“I like competing against the other girls, but also you make really good friendships and a lot of friends on the team,” she said.

The junior has had to adapt to a new coaching style this season with Hunter taking over for longtime coach Chris Davis.

“It’s a huge change,” Sullivan said. “E.T. is a great coach, but so was (Coach) Davis. They just have different ideals and different skills, but overall, it’s a good change.”

Hunter is aware of the responsibilities that come with taking over the reigns at a successful program. The Lady Comets have won three district titles in the last four seasons.

“There was a lot of pressure building up to a successful program,” he said. “Chris Davis did a really good job with all of his past years and players. I hope to continue his lead as well as bring my own interpretation. I had my own sight of what direction we could go in, and toward the end of the season, it’s coming together quite nice.”

The Lady Comets (9-3) are the top seed in the District II Class AAA playoffs, and Sullivan said they have picked up their intensity gearing up for the postseason.

“We’ve all kind of picked up our game,” she said. “We’re a lot more focused and we’re doing better drills. We practice like we would play in a game.”

Coach Hunter is confident the team can be a factor deep into the playoffs.

“When they are mentally prepared and come out strong, there are not too many teams that can compete with them,” he said. “It all comes down to the first 10 minutes of the game. If they are happy and playing well, then we won’t have a problem, and if they get angry, it might be a stronger second half. They react a lot to their own playing levels.”

Sullivan scored a goal in Abington Heights 5-0 win over West Scranton in a District II Class AAA semifinal. The Lady Comets will face Wallenpaupack in the district final on Thursday, Nov. 4, at Scranton Memorial Stadium. Abington defeated the Lady Buckhorns in both regular season meetings.

“Emily scored the goal on a header after a nice run down the outside from Abbey Cadden,” Hunter said. “We haven’t had many goals off headers this season, so it was nice to see her get more aggressive in the zone.

“We definitely had a nice team victory,” he added. “We controlled the game from every spot on the field.”

Sullivan, 16, is the daughter of Mike and Lisa Sullivan and resides in Clarks Summit.