Field Hockey: In Mid-Penn Showdown, Cougars Outlast Polar Bears to Earn Road Win

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The Palmyra field hockey team traveled to Northern York on Monday night, eager to return to action after a nine-day layoff since defeating Mechanicsburg in their season opener. Northern entered the matchup with a 3-0 record, having piled up an eye-popping 37 goals in its first three games. Both teams came in with high expectations, each coming off deep playoff runs a year ago. Palmyra finished third in the state, while Northern York was the 2A runner-up after falling to Warwick in the championship game. Notably, Northern’s only two regular-season losses last year came against Palmyra. The stage was set for another epic Mid-Penn clash, and the game lived up to the billing, with the Cougars grinding out a 5-3 victory.

The Polar Bears struck first when Courtney Heltzel converted a corner with five minutes left in the opening quarter to give Northern a 1-0 lead. The Cougars wasted little time responding, as sophomore Maddie Stahl answered with a goal off one of Palmyra’s several first-quarter penalty corners.

Palmyra pulled ahead midway through the second quarter when Stahl tallied her second goal, taking the insert and weaving through multiple defenders before burying the shot with eight minutes left in the half. Despite several blistering drives from senior Jovie Weaver and additional strong attacks by Stahl, the Cougars carried only a 2-1 advantage into halftime.

The third quarter began with a burst of Cougar offense. Just two minutes in, sophomore Addy Barger extended the lead to 3-1 with a highlight-reel goal, plucking a deflection out of midair and slamming it home. Three minutes later, Weaver made it 4-1 with a powerful run from the top of the circle, pulling right to wrap her shot around the goalie.

With a three-goal cushion and all the momentum, Palmyra looked poised to put the game away, but Northern battled back. Heltzel notched her second goal late in the third to cut the deficit to 4-2, and an early fourth-quarter tally brought the Polar Bears within one. The tension grew as Northern pressed for the equalizer, but senior defenders Bree Aughenbaugh and AJ Walker stood tall, turning away multiple threats. Finally, with 4:25 remaining, a drive from Stahl ricocheted off the goalie’s pads, and sophomore Ella Detweiler pounced on the rebound, sealing the 5-3 victory.

It was an impressive all-around performance for the undefeated Cougars and a glimpse into the program’s promising future, with four of the five goals coming from sophomores. Palmyra’s mix of veteran leadership and youthful talent will be back on display Thursday night when they travel to face Mifflin County.

LebCo Athlete of the Week: Leigha Kane

Scoring Summary

Scoring by Quarter

Goals / Assists

• Courtney Heltzel #1 (Northern) – 1st Quarter 5:13, Assist #2 MJ Simpson – Corner

• Maddie Stahl #10 (Palmyra) – 1st Quarter 1:02, Assist #6 Addy Barger – Corner

• Leigha Kane #17 (Palmyra) – 2nd Quarter 8:03, Assist #10 Maddie Stahl – Corner

• Addy Barger #6 (Palmyra) – 3rd Quarter 10:12, Assist #25 AJ Walker – Corner

• Jovie Weaver #13 (Palmyra) – 3rd Quarter 6:44, Assist #1 Allie Fink – Field Goal

• Courtney Heltzel #1 (Northern) – 3rd Quarter 3:21, Assist #2 MJ Simpson – Corner

• Maria Puccino #24 (Northern) – 4th Quarter 9:22, Assist Keairah Dykes – Field Goal

• Ella Detweiler #21 (Palmyra) – 4th Quarter 4:25, Assist #10 Maddie Stahl – Field Goal

Team Stats

• Shots on Goal: Northern 4; Palmyra 22

• Corners: Northern 3; Palmyra 17

• Defensive Saves: Northern 0; Palmyra 0

Saves

• Northern – #00 Lauryn Hose 17

• Palmyra – #80 Abby Bennett 1