Pleasant Valley not only defeated Liberty on Thursday in the quarterfinal round of the District 11 Class 3A girls lacrosse playoffs, but the host Bears also proved a couple points.

First, PV showed that it can bounce back from a devastating loss — having fallen to Nazareth in the EPC final two days earlier.

Second, the team also demonstrated that they’re more than just a one or two-player team, as the Bears received contributions up and down the lineup during a 16-9 victory.

“That EPC loss was a big one, but sometimes you have to take a loss like that to regroup and to remind yourselves what you’re capable of, and that’s what we did tonight,” said Pleasant Valley first-year head coach Hanna Doerner.

“I think they felt the feelings (of the loss) right away on the field. On the bus we talked about some things, and I think on the bus they were ready to get right back on the field and play again. They know the mistakes that they made. They definitely fixed them up today. We had a really awesome practice yesterday, and I’m really proud of them in the way that they so far have bounced back.”

The way they bounced back was by getting everybody involved.

PV jumped out to a 7-4 first-quarter lead, with five different players producing goals. While Rylee Rath and Brielle Halamar — the Bears’ top offensive weapons — did score twice in the opening period, Pleasant Valley also received tallies from Sam Miller, Gabby Kutzler and Peyton Knecht.

“It’s great to prove people wrong,” said Doerner. “Everyone thinks that we’re just the Rylee show or the Rylee and Brielle show, but we’re not. I think tonight was another way of showing that. You could see how much fun they all had tonight.”

Another member of PV’s roster added her name to the scoring list in the second period when Evelyn Vanderheyden netted a pair of goals, as the Bears extended the advantage to 10-5 at the break.

“It definitely showed that, while Rylee and I are strong on offense, we have so many more threats, and you’re going to have to watch out for all of them,” said Halamar, who finished the contest with four goals.

“(The loss in the EPC final) was really disappointing, obviously. It was not the outcome we wanted. But there’s bigger things than that, and we couldn’t dwell on it. We had to move forward and go for the district (title) now.”

Pleasant Valley maintained the five-goal margin after three periods thanks to goals from both Rath and Knecht, and pulled away in the fourth as Halamar tallied twice — including the 100th of her career.

“A big thing we talked about was to keep the foot on the gas the whole game,” said Doerner. “They were big on that today, and we made sure we didn’t let them back in it.

“(Brielle’s) a great kid. I’m super proud of her. She’s worked extremely hard this season. I know she got her feet wet a little bit last season, and I think she put in a ton of work in the summer, in the fall, all of the offseason. She knew she was going to have to step it up this year ... and I think she’s doing a phenomenal job. We’re going to need her to keep it going.”

CENTURY MARK ... Halamar, a sophomore, has recorded 100 goals by posting 23 as a freshman, and now has 77 this year. “It’s great,” she said. “It’s definitely a milestone I wanted to hit this year. But it is just a number, and I think it better reflects all the hard work and time I put into this sport. I couldn’t have done it without all the people around me.

NET PRESENCE ... PV keeper Emi Stipeck made a number of saves in the second half to allow her team to keep a comfortable lead. “Emi’s got her head back on her shoulders since I broke her stick (before the EPC semifinal game),” said Doerner. “She’s definitely feeling back to normal ... I’m proud of the way she handled herself. When you’re in cage, it’s extremely tough mentally already. So, when something like that happens like your stick breaking before a playoff game it can definitely be more tough, but I think we have her back.”

SEMIFINAL MATCHUP ... The Bears will meet the winner of today’s Easton-Parkland game on Monday in the semifinals. That game is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. in Northampton.

Liberty 4 1 2 2 - 9

Pleasant Valley 7 3 2 4 - 16

Goals: Liberty - Christina Bozakis 4, Lily Medaska 2, Elizabeth McClarin 2, Julianna Zumas 1; Pleasant Valley - Rylee Rath 5, Brielle Halamar 4, Peyton Knecht 3, Evelyn Vanderheyden 2, Sam Miller 1, Gabby Kutzler 1; Assists: Liberty - Lily Medaska 2, Christina Bozakis 2; Pleasant Valley - Rylee Rath 3, Sam Miller 3, Gabby Kutzler 2, Evelyn Vanderheyden 2; Saves: Liberty - Erika Broesicke 9; Pleasant Valley - Emi Stipeck 7.

Records: Liberty (10-10); Pleasant Valley (19-2).