Written by Tommy Steelman
Steelman is a senior at Palmyra & a member of the Cougars Football team.
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Monday, September 9th, set the stage for a huge night in field hockey, as the Hershey Trojans traveled to take on cross-town rival, the undefeated Palmyra Cougars.
Palmyra has dominated the series in recent years, winning nine games in a row. Last season, the teams played three times, with the Cougars coming out victorious in all three, including the District Playoff quarterfinals. In the first matchup of the new season, Palmyra picked up right where they left off with a thrilling 3-2 win.
The Cougars started the first quarter off hot, with freshman Allie Fink scoring less than two minutes into the game. The rest of the quarter was controlled by Palmyra. They were constantly in attack mode but couldn’t capitalize on their corners. After the first quarter the scoreboard read Palmyra 1, Hershey 0.
Both teams started the second quarter strong, with Palmyra playing aggressively but the Trojan defense standing firm. Halfway through the quarter, the Cougars earned another corner. The insert went to junior Leigha Kane, who passed it to sophomore Addy Barger, who found the back of the net. 2-0 Palmyra.
The Trojans quickly responded, earning themselves a stroke only 1:30 later. Senior Larkin Tweet stepped up and buried the shot. 2-1 Cougars heading into halftime.
The third quarter was similar to the first half, with the ball on the Trojans’ side the whole time, but the defense held its ground. The game was locked at 2-1 heading into the fourth.
With under seven minutes left, Hershey had a crucial corner, possibly their last chance to even the game… and that’s exactly what they did. Senior Kendall Pavone had a tip-in goal to even the score at 2.
The game was tied for less than two minutes before sophomore Maddie Stahl wove her way through the defense for the go-ahead goal. The Cougar defense held strong for the final five minutes to secure the win.
Palmyra 3, Hershey 2
See below for box score.
Scoring Summary
Scoring by Quarter
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmyra | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Hershey | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Goals / Assists
Allie Fink #1 (Palmyra) – 1st Quarter 13:25, Field Goal
Addy Barger #6 (Palmyra) – 2nd Quarter 7:13, Assist #17 Leigha Kane – Corner
Larkin Tweet #11 (Hershey) – 2nd Quarter 6:01, Penalty Stroke
Kendall Pavone #24 (Hershey) – 4th Quarter 3:38, Assist #17 Taryn Valoczki – Corner
Maddie Stahl #10 (Palmyra) – 4th Quarter 2:27, Field Goal
Team Stats
Shots on Goal: Hershey 3; Palmyra 14
Corners: Hershey 4; Palmyra 7
Defensive Saves: Hershey 1 (#10 Laurel Sheppard); Palmyra 0
Saves
Hershey – #98 Kylie Mullen 10
Palmyra – #80 Abby Bennett 1
ProSeal
Penn Realty
