LebCo Female Athletes of the Week: Maddie Stahl (Week Ending November 3, 2024)

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Maddie Stahl

With a win over Hershey on November 2nd, Palmyra Field Hockey team finished in third place in the District 3 Playoffs. In the 1-0 victory over their Keystone Division rival, it was freshman Maddie Stahl the only goal that was needed for the Lady Cougars to prevail. For Stahl, it was her third goal in just four playoff games. For her efforts, Stahl was voted by the LebCoSports.com community as the LebCo Female Athlete of the Week.

The District 3 showdown with Hershey was set up by a disappointing 3-1 loss to a solid Warwick squad in the Semifinal round. However, as Stahl described it, the way the team bounced back proved a lot about the tenacity of the 2024 Lady Cougars. The freshman said: “We came back to with a tough game against our rival, Hershey. We had to play hard to the end against a really good team.”

The tenaciousness of Palmyra was on full display again this past Saturday in the PIAA State Championship Quarterfinals, when they battled back from a 2-0 deficit and scored two goals in the final seven minutes to force overtime. Mallory Hudson scored both timely goals, with the first being assisted by Stahl. Once in the golden goal period, it was Stahl who provided the game-winner to send the Lady Cougars through to the State Semifinals.

If it seems odd for a freshman to be playing such heroics, just know that Stahl’s skills have come through years of extremely hard work. She is a member of the U-16 Junior National Team and the Junior Indoor National Team, feats that she considers to be her greatest accomplishments thus far.

While she has been a hero is several games this season, she does not consider that to be one of her goals. Stahl told LebCoSports.com that her goals are: “To be the best teammate that I can be. Work hard, stay positive, support and learn from my teammates, and do whatever I can to help the team.”

Stahl considers her support network to be quite extensive, as she credits both her high school, club, and national team coaches for making her better. She also praised the support of her teammates for pushing her to “be better every day.” Additionally, Stahl knows that she would not be able to play the sport that she loves without the unwavering support of her parents. Her father, John, was a collegiate athlete, having played football at Lockhaven University.

Though field hockey is Stahl’s primary sport, she also ran middle school track and plays lacrosse. When she’s not playing, Stahl helps coach the U10 and U12 teams for the Alleycats Field Hockey Club.

Outside of athletics, Stahl, whose full name is Madelynn, enjoys spending time with her friends and family at Hershey Park or at the beach. At home, she helps take care of the family’s three dogs: Cookie, Rosie, and Henry. She is also active in Palmyra’s Mini-Thon, having served as the co-chair while attending Palmyra Middle School.

As far as future plans go, Stahl would like to one day compete at the Division I level, playing for a school that is also known for excellence in academics. She hopes to parlay her studies into a career in education.

While Stahl has thought about the future, there is only one thing on the horizon for her and her teammates at this point. On Tuesday evening, Palmyra will rematch Warwick in the PIAA State Championship Semifinals. We wish Stahl and her teammates all the best as they battle the Warriors for a chance to return to Saturday’s State Championship.

Photo Credit: Beverly Hudson

Read about this week’s LebCo Male Athlete of the Week: Jack Waranavage (coming soon)

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting: October 28 – November 3rd

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 21ast)