No individual likes to be compared to another person, especially an elder sibling. But while Jess Dembrowski is certainly her own person, the similarities between her and older sister Katie are striking.

Her leadership traits. Her playing skills. Her instincts for the game.

This week, the Palmyra field hockey team’s maturation as a unit continued, in the early rounds of the PIAA Class AAA postseason. And J. Dembrowski played a prominent role in that success.

Dembrowski had her hand – and stick – in three of the four playoff goals that the Cougars scored, including a pair of game-winners, as Palmyra netted two wins to advance to the state semifinals for the third straight fall.

Dembrowski tallied the decisive goal in Saturday’s 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Unionville, at Exeter Township High School. With time running down in the second half, Dembrowski stuck with a play she initiated and knocked home a rebound.

Earlier in the game, Dembrowski had assisted on teammate Kylie Bomgardner’s goal that knotted the score at one.

On Tuesday at Milton Hershey School’s Henry Hershey Field, during the opening round of the state tournament, Dembrowski notched the initial tally of a 2-0 triumph over Council Rock South.

Dembrowski now has a team-leading 23 goals on the season.

– Jeff Falk