LebCo Female Athlete of the Week: Mallory Hudson (Week Ending November 10, 2024)

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Mallory Hudson

On Saturday, November 9th, Palmyra Field Hockey found themselves facing a 2-0 deficit in the 4th quarter of the State Quarterfinals against St. Joseph’s Academy. With the situation looking grim, the Lady Cougars dug deep, led by senior Mallory Hudson who scored twice in the final seven minutes of regulation to force overtime. Once in the extra period, it was Hudson’s freshman teammate Maddie Stahl who scored to send Palmyra into the State Semifinals. This performance followed Hudson’s game-winning goal against Crestwood earlier in the week in the opening round of States. For her heroic efforts, Hudson was chosen as the LebCo Athlete of the Week.

Of those big performances, Hudson shifted the focus to the work of the team by saying: “Last week we played two super hard caught games. We worked really hard in practice to prepare for our tough opponents. We knew going into both games they would be battles, and I am very proud that I had a part in helping my team win.”

Hudson has been a force for Palmyra since joining Palmyra’s varsity program. However, this season was a bit of a struggle for her as she battled shin injuries that kept her out nine games during the early part of the season. That said, Hudson put in the work during her physical therapy sessions and returned to the field to help guide the Lady Cougars to a perfect 10-0 record in the Mid Penn Keystone Division.

Palmyra Head Coach Kent Harshman said of Hudson, “I am very saddened to share that Mallory only got to play in 16 of our 25 games this year due to injury. Fortunately, we had her for most of the latter half of the season, and she had BIG goals vs Northern the second time through our divisional schedule and was also great in the postseason.”

Unfortunately, Palmyra was stopped by Warwick, the eventual champion, in the State Semifinal round. Hudson finished the 2024 season with six goals and four assists.

A reflective Harshman went on to say about Hudson, “I remember Mallory as a freshman – a tall, thin gazelle with exceeding promise. In the last three years, she has blossomed into an incredibly fit, strong, complete hockey player.”

Harshman continued, “I’m extremely proud of her, and I’m very confident she will excel during her collegiate career.”

Speaking of college, Hudson’s next stop is Boston University, where she will join her older sister Maddie (a 2022 graduate of Palmyra) as a member of the Terriers. While playing field hockey, Hudson plans to major in business.

One thing to know about Hudson is that she is fully prepared for the rigors of life as a collegiate student-athlete, given that one of her favorite hobbies is consuming coffee. While her commitment to excellence on the field and in the classroom is key, the caffeine will also come in handy.

For now, Hudson’s high school playing days are over. While she expressed gratitude towards her teammates and coaches at Palmyra, there is consensus that she will thrive as she faces new challenges in her next chapter.

We would like to congratulate Mallory on a fantastic high school career and wish her all of the best as she takes on the future.

Photo Credit: Beverly Hudson

Previous Winners

Alaina Miller (Week of August 19th)

Cameron Blouch (Week of August 26th)

Scarlett Meyer (Week of August 26th)

Avery Lechleitner (Week of September 2nd)

Delaney Miller (Week of September 9th)

Lily Rohrer (Week of September 9th)

Kailen Hibshman (Week of September 16th)

Kenadie Dunsworth (Week of September 23rd)

Chloe Shirk (Week of September 30th)

Susie Hoffman (Week of October 6th)

Kenzie Long (Week of October 13th)

Hadley Hoffsmith (Week of October 21st)

Mackenzie Stellmach (Week of October 21st)

Maddie Stahl (Week of  October 28th)