LebCo Athlete of the Week: Susie Hoffman (Week Ending January 19, 2025)

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Susie Hoffman

On Thursday, January 16th, Cedar Crest Girls Basketball earned a 54-33 home win over McCaskey. In the victory, Susie Hoffman provided 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Making this performance even more impressive is that the senior is playing with a torn ACL in her left knee, yet logging meaningful minutes each game since returning to the line-up during the holiday break. For her outstanding (and gutsy) performance, Hoffman was rewarded by our voters, who selected her as a LebCo Athlete of the Week.

Hoffman was a starter for the Lady Falcons during her sophomore and junior seasons. She was also a key member of the Cedar Crest Girls Soccer Team that finished as the Lancaster Lebanon League runner-up this past season. It was in the closing minutes of October’s LL Girls Soccer Championship that Hoffman sustained the injury to her left knee that put her basketball season in jeopardy. However, she was given an option by her surgeon, Dr. Gallo, to rehab the knee in an attempt to allow her to get back on the court. With the aid of her physical therapists from Penn State Hershey, Bob Kelly and Shawn Hutchinson, the determined Hoffman took full advantage of the opportunity.

Of the roller coaster she experienced, Hoffman said, “I really thought my sports career was over. I thought I was going to miss out on my senior year of basketball and track. When my parents and I started discussing the possibility of playing through the injury, I tried not to get my hopes up too much. But, when Dr. Gallo examined me and agreed it was a possibility, I started to get a little excited. I really threw myself into the rehab process and pushed hard.”

Missing the first couple weeks of the season, Hoffman was cleared to play in the Lower Dauphin Holiday Tournament. Still not 100%, she has taken on a new role as a rotation player. That said, the senior has also focused on being a leader for the young Lady Falcons.

In reflecting upon how she can help the team, Hoffman said, “Obviously, the main goal of any team is to win games. I’ve tried to contribute on the court whenever I can, but as a captain, I tried to find other ways to support the team. We have a lot of freshmen starting and playing significant minutes. I tried to help them adjust to the speed of the game and feel comfortable on the team. I know it was intimidating for me, as a freshman, so I’ve tried to really help them feel comfortable so they can play their best games.”

Coach Ashli Shay spoke highly of her senior leader, stating, “Athletically, Susie is probably the most explosive and dynamic player I have ever coached. She has had to learn to adapt to a new body and limitations with her injury, and she has done it all with a great attitude and work ethic.”

Shay went on to say, “Susie is a significant contributor and a leader for our team, and since being cleared to play, she has not missed a single game or practice, which is incredible. As proud of her as I am for her physical achievements through this injury, I’m more proud of her mental achievements, as playing through a significant injury like this takes a great deal of mental strength and focus. I have seen a few players try to pull off what she is doing, but none with this degree of success.”

Hoffman also recognizes that without the unconditional support of her coaches and teammates, she would not have been able to make it back into action.

In the first eight games since her return to the court, Hoffman has averaged 12 minutes per contest, totaling 11 points, 17 rebounds, 15 assists, and 4 steals.

All things considered, these stats are nothing less than impressive. However, Hoffman’s impact goes well beyond any numbers she can amass while she’s on the court.

Speaking to her character, Shay said, “Susie is one of the most selfless student athletes we know as she is sacrificing her body for her teammates and the success of our team.”

This lesson in leadership will serve her teammates well, long after she walks across the stage in Earl Boltz Stadium this June.

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Over the course of her time at Cedar Crest, Hoffman has carved quite a path for herself, earning ten varsity letters in five different sports (soccer, softball, basketball, lacrosse, track & field). In soccer, she was named a Section 1 First Team All-Star in 2024. She was also named to the Section 1 First Team All-Defensive Team in her junior season.

Hoffman grew up around athletics and spends a lot of her free time supporting her fellow student-athletes as a member of Falcon Nation. Her father played baseball and football in high school, while her mother played volleyball and basketball collegiately at Dickinson.

Being involved in so many different sports over the years, Hoffman considers herself lucky that this was her first major injury, especially considering her family’s history with ACL tears. Her mom, sister, three cousins, aunt, and uncle have all sustained knee injuries.

While being “lucky” is relative, Hoffman does wish that she could have finished out her high school career unscathed. Though, given Hoffman’s competitive nature, this injury will only make her stronger in the other aspects of her life as she attends college to major in computer science.

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We wish Hoffman and her Lady Falcon teammates all the best as they finish out the season and make a push toward the postseason. We also wish a successful long-term recovery to Hoffman and look forward to what other obstacles she will be able to overcome.

For more on Hoffman, see what we wrote about her when she was awarded Athlete of the Week in the Fall: Susie Hoffman

Photos for this article were provided courtesy of the Hoffman Family

Be on the lookout for a features about fellow LebCo Athletes of the Week: Danny Speaks & Elisha Slabach

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting: January 13 – 19

Previous Winners

Mya Doster (Week of December 2nd)

Olivia Shutter (Week of December 2nd)

Kaila Francis (Week of December 9th)

Liliana Harrison (Week of December 9th)

Lily Harchuska (Holidays)

Maddie Stout (Holidays)

Qynne Demler (Week of January 6th)

Hayley Sheroky (Week of January 6th)