Lebanon Federal Credit Union Presents Athlete of the Week, Ending Nov. 19

Alicia Battistelli brings a lot to the table. Her intensity, her unrelenting hustle, her hard, accurate shot.

And of course, her leadership abilities.

Battistelli enjoyed a fantastic senior season, as did the Palmyra field hockey team.

On Saturday at Cumberland Valley High School, Battistelli’s stellar career came to an end during the Cougars’ 1-0 overtime loss to Mechanicsburg, in the PIAA Class AA championship game. In no way could the loss detract from anything that the senior forward and Palmyra accomplished during the fall campaign.

On Wednesday at Governor Mifflin, Battistelli had netted a goal in the Cougars’ 3-1 semifinal triumph over Gwynedd Mercy that propelled them to the ninth state championship appearance in program history. Two weeks earlier, Battistelli’s Cougars had claimed the District Three Class AA championship with a 2-0 victory over Hershey.

During the recently completed season, Battistelli paced Palmyra in scoring with 21 goals and nine assists, for 51 points. Battistelli also created 57 penalty corner opportunities for Palmyra this year.

Battistelli has committed to continuing her athletic and academic playing careers at the University of Vermont.

– Jeff Falk