ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Bella Boyle, Hazleton Area

Hazleton Area junior field hockey standout Bella Boyle scored a total of nine goals — many of the clutch variety — as the Lady Cougars extended their winning streak to four with one-goal victories over Dallas, Lake-Lehman and Northampton. Following her one-goal, one-assist outing in a 2-1 win at Bethlehem Liberty on Sept. 19, Boyle put in the tying and go-ahead goals in the second half of a 3-2 win over Dallas; added three goals, including the game-winner in overtime, of a 5-4 win over Lake-Lehman; and delivered four more goals, including the tie-breaker in the fourth quarter, of a 5-4 win at Northampton.

Family: Father, Brendan ; mother, Kristin; brother, Jackson, 15; sister, Delilah, 13

Other sports you play or have played: Softball, swimming, baseball, soccer, lacrosse

Favorite team: Boston Red Sox

Favorite athlete: Simone Biles

Favorite school subject: Calculus

Favorite hobbies: Reading, singing, playing piano, listening to music

Favorite TV show: “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”

Favorite movie: “A League of Their Own”

Premeet ritual/superstition: My slick back bun and scrunchie

Best advice you ever received: “Hustle beats talent when talent doesn’t hustle.”

Future plans: “I will attend the College of The Holy Cross to continue my academic and field hockey careers.”

Q: How exciting is it to be involved in so many close games recently?

A: It has been so exciting! I think the best games in sports are the close ones.

Q: What has enabled your team to come out on top in those games?

A: I think that we all played in the moment and stepped up under pressure. We really worked together and supported each other. When one of us lost the ball, we had a teammate right there as backup.

Q: How much pressure do you feel when the score is tight late in games? Is there anything specific that you do to calm down?

A: There is a different kind of pressure in games like this. Obviously, I want to be able to score to help the team, but I know I can’t let the pressure get the best of me. To calm down, I usually remind myself of my faith and the support of my teammates on the field.

Q: Would you rather play in a close game or a blowout? Why?

A: A close game is always more exciting because you get to see everyone’s true talent from both teams. These challenging kind of games give me the opportunity to improve and develop.

Q: As a team leader, how much responsibility do you put on yourself to be a difference-maker?

A: There is naturally a responsibility as a team captain to set an example and give your best. I think that we all have roles on the team. I know I need to generate an offensive attack along with Lauren Harmonosky and Addy Bobrowski just as much as Meadow Pavlick and Alanna Filler have to take care of our backfield.

Q: Is leadership something that comes naturally to you or is it something you’ve had to learn?

A: Being a leader has come pretty naturally to me probably because I have been the oldest of three children since I was 3 years old.

Q: Your team was mired in a three-game losing streak about two weeks ago. What turned it around?

A: Nothing prepares a team better than losses. When you lose, you learn. We took those losses and kept working through what we needed to do in order get better.

Q: How much has the current winning streak instilled confidence within your team?

A: The recent wins have shown everyone, especially the freshman on our team, that we can do hard things. We learned to battle on the field and not let the score affect how we play.

Q: One win in your current streak came against Lake-Lehman, one of the Wyoming Valley Conference’s traditional “powers.” How significant was that victory?

A: It has been many years since we beat Lake-Lehman. They are an impressive team. The win was big for us. The game was physical and the scoring was back and forth. We played hard for the entirety of regular play and almost nine minutes of overtime. Our OT play was a total team effort. In the final moments, Meadow had an incredible play on the ball and passed it to Jacelyn (Pena) who sent it up to me. I had 40 yards of field between me and only their goalie. I knew I couldn’t let them down.

Q: You personally started getting extra attention from opponents as early as your freshman year. What tactics have opponents used to try to “take you out of the game?”

A: Sometimes I feel like they might actually be trying to take me out! I am usually full field marked and double marked in the shooting circle.

Q: How do you, your coaches and your teammates combat opponents constantly marking you?

A: There is not much you can do to change what the other team’s plan is. I just have to find a way to play through multiple players. It has made me a much better ballhandler. I have had to develop many different shots as well.

Q: How much more balanced does your 2026 team seem as the season moves past the halfway point?

A: Honestly, I have never had so much fun playing on a team as I have with this one. We all have a lot of love for each other, and I think that it shows when we play. Our theme is “Together” and that we take seriously.

Q: You’ll get to play with younger sister (Delilah) for one season next year. Have you talked about what that experience will be like?

A: Delilah’s middle school experience for Hazleton has been very similar to mine. She also has a lot of training at always having multiple defenders on her. The combination of the two of us next year will be interesting. I don’t know if our opponents will have enough players to mark us! I am really excited to play with her next season.

Q: We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention your grandmother’s (Hazleton Area head coach Mary Kelly’s) battle against cancer. How much does her constant fight motivate you?

A: For nearly the past three years, I have seen how cancer affects someone daily. Everyday my grandmother chooses to wake up and fight no matter how she feels. She does this entirely through the support of those around her and her faith in God. This has motivated me to face challenges as they come, to never give up, and to trust in the path God has laid out for me.

Q: What will be written about the Lady Cougars at the end of this season?

A: We are a team that plays with heart, a love of the game and a willingness to be there for each other both on and off the field.

Q: What about Bella Boyle?

A: I am a player that works hard to improve every time I am on the field, always believing that the best is yet to come.