Field Hockey: Following One Round, Powerhouses on Collision Course in District 3 AA Playoffs

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The first round of the District 3 2A Field Hockey Playoffs kicked off last night, and the slate of eight games provided both predictable and thrilling outcomes. There were perennial powerhouses cruising to victory, several last-second thrillers, and an emerging pattern of dominance emanating from the Mid-Penn.

At the top of the bracket, there were no surprises, as top-seeded Palmyra and Warwick each rolled to easy 9–0 wins over Spring Grove and Greencastle, respectively.

Palmyra will face New Oxford in Saturday’s quarterfinal round after New Oxford edged ELCO 2–1. ELCO had jumped out to an early lead on a goal from junior standout Meredith Noll but came up just short in the end.

Warwick dispatched Greencastle with little resistance, and the Warriors are now lined up to face league-mate Lampeter-Strasburg in the quarterfinals, thanks to LS’s 8–1 victory over Gettysburg.

The real thriller came in Hershey, where the #6 Trojans squared off against #11 Elizabethtown. While Hershey dominated play throughout, neither team could break through, and overtime seemed inevitable. However, Hershey was awarded one final penalty corner as time expired in regulation, and freshman Ellie Aynardi’s rebound tip-in found pay dirt for a dramatic Trojan victory.

Hershey moves on to face Susquehannock, which entered the tournament with a sterling 17–0 record. The Warriors nearly saw that perfect mark end abruptly, needing a goal with just 15 seconds left in regulation to force overtime before finally prevailing in double OT to advance.

While two Lancaster-Lebanon League teams advanced, it was not a great day overall for the LL, as their four other qualifiers all fell—some in convincing fashion. Red Land, the #13 seed and fourth-place team from the Mid-Penn Keystone, faced little resistance from Manheim Central in a lopsided 7–1 victory. They’ll move on to play Keystone rival Northern York on Saturday, as the #5 Polar Bears outlasted Twin Valley.

Seldom do the Mid-Penn and LL meet in crossover games during the regular season, but if last night was any indication, it’s the Mid-Penn earning the early bragging rights, with all four of its teams advancing to Saturday’s quarterfinals. With Palmyra a heavy favorite against New Oxford and red-hot Hershey likely favored on the road against an untested Susquehannock squad, there’s a strong chance the Mid-Penn Keystone will boast three of the final four teams—all looking to dethrone defending champ Warwick.

Playoff field hockey got off to a thrilling start last night, and the action continues as the 1A and 3A tournaments get underway.

Full AA Bracket

Palmyra Game Recap

#1 Palmyra 9, #16 Spring Grove 0 – The Cougars dominated from the start, taking a 5-0 lead after the first quarter and extending it to 8-0 by halftime. Jovie Weaver led the way with three goals, including two in the first half, assisted once by Leigha Kane. Maddie Stahl added two goals, one off an assist from Allie Fink and another from Addy Barger. Avery Mettle (assist Maddie Gingrich), Maddy Waldron, and Kate Driscoll also scored before halftime, with Myka Lechleitner adding a goal in the fourth quarter to complete the Cougars’ balanced offensive attack.

Scoring Summary