Field Hockey: Palmyra Powers Past Hershey in Rivalry Showdown, Advances to State Semifinals

Written by Tommy Steelman

Steelman is a senior at Palmyra & a member of the Cougars Football team.

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When people think of a great rivalry, the first thing that comes to mind is two groups that hate each other. Legendary basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski once said, “Great rivalries don’t have to be built on hatred. They’re built on respect—on a respect for excellence.”

The Field Hockey 2A State Quarterfinal matchup featured a major cross-town rivalry, with the upset-minded Hershey Trojans facing off against the powerhouse Cougars of Palmyra at Lower Dauphin High School on Saturday morning. In recent years, both schools have been at the top of their conference and have gone deep into the playoffs, making this rivalry matchup a little extra special.

The Trojans started the game hot, earning a corner within the first minute. Palmyra’s defense quickly stepped up and shut down the early spark. The rest of the quarter was controlled by the Cougars, with the ball constantly in front of Hershey’s goal. Palmyra’s Mid Penn Keystone Player of the Year, Maddie Stahl, opened the scoring with a putback off a corner. The Cougars kept up the pressure, earning five more corners in the half. Hershey’s defense held its ground, though, stopping all five. Palmyra’s offense slowed until senior forward Avery Mettle scored a tip-in, giving the Cougars a 2-0 lead going into halftime.

The third quarter played out much like the first half, with Palmyra controlling possession and applying steady pressure to the Trojan defense. The Cougars earned multiple corners until senior defender AJ Walker found the back of the net to make it 3-0 Cougs. Hershey’s star goalie, Kylie Mullen, came up clutch—two of her 16 saves came on Cougar strokes—as she did everything she could to keep the game within reach. Palmyra added a second goal in the quarter when Maddie Witt received a beautiful pass in transition, stretching the lead to 4-0.

The Cougars didn’t let up in the fourth, staying aggressive on offense. Senior forward Jovie Weaver capped off Palmyra’s dominant performance with a beautiful forehand drive, sending the Cougars to the Final Four with a commanding 5-0 win.

One thing to consider with this game: Palmyra did not allow a single shot from Hershey, keeping up the defensive pressure through all four quarters.

With a spot in the State Championship on the line, Palmyra will take on Mt. Saint Joseph’s on Tuesday night. That game will take place at Liberty High School.

On the other side of the bracket, Warwick faces District 4 champion Unionville—meaning that if both the Warriors and Cougars win, we could see a rematch of the District 3 Championship for the State Title on Saturday afternoon.

Scoring Summary