Sometimes you shoot. Sometimes you pass. And sometimes you simply put the ball on goal.

And sometimes if you do enough well, good things happen.

Katie Dembrowski’s ability to simply get the ball on net paid huge dividends for the Palmyra field hockey team, Saturday at Henry Hershey Field on the campus of Milton Hershey school. One a shot and one a pass, but both turned into goals, as Palmyra nudged Oley Valley 2-1 in the District Three Class AA title tilt.

Dembrowski’s shot attempt off a corner play in the middle of overtime turned out to be the game-winner when freshman sister Jess was there to tip the drive home. Earlier, 7:46 into the second half to be exact, a diving Erin Huffman had converted a long Dembrowski pass, after the star junior midfielder controlled the ball up the field and into the center of action.

The district championship was Palmyra’s seventh in the last 14 seasons. And it was Dembrowski who had helped put the Cougars in that position.

On Tuesday at Lower Dauphin Middle school, Dembrowski had assisted on a pair of Cougar goals, as Palmyra was defeating Lancaster Mennonite 4-1 in a semifinal match of the tournament. Dembrowski set up Kiley Gallagher and Megan Miller for the goals that gave Palmyra a 2-0 lead.

Through the district final, Dembrowski, who is also an accomplished basketball player and track-and-field athlete, has recorded 12 goals and 17 assists.

Jeff Falk