Gold rush: Palmyra captures district field hockey championship
The District 3 Class AA field hockey world belongs to Palmyra. Everybody else is just a squirrel trying to get a nut.
On an overcast Saturday afternoon at Central Dauphin Middle School’s Landis Field, the Cougars once again re-asserted themselves as a dominant Class AA power with a 2-0 triumph over Hershey in the championship game.
With the victory, top-seeded Palmyra improved to 17-2-2 on the season. Second-seeded Hershey, the reigning Mid-Penn Conference Keystone Division titleholders, fell to 16-3-1 on the fall.
Off an assist from Keely Bowers, sophomore Hadley Hoffsmith gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead just 2:05 into the title bout. With the Palmyra defense and midfield limiting Trojan scoring chances, the score stayed that way until late in the third quarter.
Then with 1:59 left in the period, Avery Russell accepted a pass from teammate Morgan Lantz and turned it into a 2-0 Palmyra lead.
“There’s no magic to it,” said Palmyra veteran head coach Kent Harshman of his program’s success in district championship games. “When you line up against great teams it comes down to who’s the greatest team that day. It’s a credit to all of those kids we’ve had over the last 21 years (Harshman's time with the team). They know how to prepare, and they know what we’re playing for.”
Hershey did not record its first shot of the game until late in the second period. Cougar goalie Haleigh Lambert was called upon to make two saves in order to log the shutout.
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What it means
The Cougars and Trojans met twice during regular season play in the Keystone Division of the Mid-Penn Conference, with Palmyra scoring a 6-2 home triumph on September 12 and Hershey returning the favor 2-1 on September 29.
Key play
Stationed on the right post of the Hershey cage, Hoffsmith was at the right place at the right time. Her early goal allowed Palmyra to dictate the flow of the play over the rest of the way.
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By the numbers
Palmyra out shot Hershey, 15-2. The Cougars enjoyed a 12-7 advantage in penalty corners, eight of which were inserted in the first quarter.
The Cougars now have a 88-24 record in the district playoffs, spanning back to 1984, the first year they made the postseason.
This is the 14th district championship for the program. Palmyra is 14-2 in title games.
They said it
“Our main focus in this game was just to have fun,” Russell said, “and just do what we know we’re good at. It went really well. We were really communicating well and connecting our passes.”
What’s next
As the District 3 champion, Palmyra will open play in the PIAA Class AA postseason tournament on Tuesday, presumably at home, against the fifth-place finisher from District One.
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: District 3 playoffs: Palmyra field hockey beats Hershey for 2A title
