During their field hockey ride together that began long ago in elementary school, and came to a stop this month at the NCAA final four, Lehighton's Jordyn Homyak and Echo Bretz certainly earned their share of victories along the way.

"We became friends back in the first grade at East Penn," said Homyak."And when I was six years old, Jordyn and I watched my sister, Brittany, and her sister, Jill, play field hockey," said Bretz. "I guess you could say that in Lehighton, the game is passed down through the generations."While in the fifth grade, Jordyn and Echo played together in Kutztown for the Red Fury, coached by Joanne Schonenberger. Notable victories, with so many more to come, started there."We were the first team ever to defeat Emmaus, which was a known hockey power, even at this young level," said Homyak.A few years later, the two friends entered Lehighton High School. Though field hockey was Bretz's first love, Homyak's sport of choice was basketball and she achieved a high mark of success, having played on an undefeated team in middle school. They were reunited, however, on the hockey field again and as freshmen, both earned starting positions for Shawn Hindy's Lady Indians. During their four-year journey through the Mountain Valley Conference, the girls made many sports memories in what became a top level Lehighton field hockey program."Even in our first year, we made States, but we lost to Crestwood," said Bretz.In their sophomore year with Homyak playing forward and midfield and Bretz on defense, the Indians finished as runners-up in the MVC and lost in the District title game. Then came their junior year, and what a ride it was. Undefeated at 26-0, Lehighton went all the way to win the state championship."In the championship game, the score was tied after overtime. We beat Selinsgrove on a stroke when a player shoots one on one against the goalie," said Homyak.Individual honors were bestowed upon both girls that year. They were named All-Conference and All-District. Homyak was the MVP of the MVC. Bretz was selected as Times News Player of the Year, chosen for the All -Regional team, as well as named to the High School All American Field Hockey Team.After their senior year was completed which fell just short of another state title, Bretz and Homyak accepted scholarships to the University at Albany, nicknamed the Lehighton to Albany pipeline because of the six Indian field hockey players that went on to play for the Great Danes. Such marquee names included Kristi Troch, Chelsea Neff, and Alycia Hough and Corrine McConville."Echo had no reservations about choosing us," said Albany coach, Phil Sykes. "But Jordyn nearly chose Bloomsburg to play basketball. We were fortunate that she changed her mind and came to Albany."The ride, which had already produced a high school state championship for the pair, picked up new steam at Albany. As a freshman, both Bretz and Homyak played in all 20 games and received America East Rookie team honors, Echo for her play at defensive midfielder, and Jordyn for her outstanding performance as defender."College field hockey was a real eye opener," said Bretz, a business major who would like to coach someday. "The game is much more physical and it plays much faster on the artificial turf."Coach Sykes remarked that the girls not only made the transition very well, they became significant contributors to what would become a nationally ranked Albany team."Jordyn was rock solid for us," said Sykes. "She played with a mental toughness on defense that helped us win a lot of low scoring games."He boasted about Bretz's "threatening" offensive attacks that were vital to the Danes' top four national rank at the end of the season."Echo brought us that Lehighton toughness that helped take us to new levels. She played with that 'we don't care who you are' attitude against bigger schools."When asked to reflect about their favorite games at Albany, the girls gave different answers."In the NCAA tournament this year, we beat the fifth seed, Wake Forest, and then the second seed, Maryland, the ACC champs, both by the scores of 2-1," said Homyak, who graduates this month. She will interview for a federal criminal justice position early next year."Against Maryland, with us leading by a goal late in the game, they took a point blank shot on our net that was tipped by our goalie," said Sykes," but Jordyn  raised her stick into the air to deflect the ball from going in to save the win for us.""My favorite game was when we traveled to California in September and we beat Stanford who was ranked seventh in the country," said Bretz. 'With one second to go in the first half, I tipped in a shot to score the only goal of the game."The Great Danes (20-3) rode through the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament this season and earned a spot in the Final Four for the first time in school history. Albany then lost to UConn, 1-0 in the semifinal, on what both girls said was a goal that should have been disallowed."In the first half, their player appeared to hit the ball out of bounds," said Homyak. "Everyone stopped playing except for her. She continued toward the net, shot the ball and it went in off our defender's toe, Our defender was standing still like the rest of the players from both teams believing that the play had been stopped.""It was reviewed on video replay," said Bretz. "The ball looked clearly out of bounds, but the official said it was inconclusive so the goal was allowed."So their long ride had ended one game short of playing for a national championship, but in retrospect, Jordyn Homyak and Echo Bretz were glad they got on board for the journey to start playing field hockey together back in the fifth grade. Now wherever their lives may lead them after graduation, the passing of time will put a different feel to their sports stories.Someday, somewhere, whenever these two close friends should find each other again, their accomplishments may seem even more remarkable to them then than they do now.