It was a historic season for the Palmerton field hockey team.

The Bombers were able to capture a District 11 1A championship and earn a berth into the state tournament.

Unfortunately, their outstanding season came to an end on Tuesday when Line Mountain, the runner-up out of District 4, defeated Palmerton, 2-1, in the opening round of the PIAA Class 1A state tournament.

In what was a back-and-forth match, the Eagles showcased early on that they weren’t going to be an easy out, as they used their speed and quickness to apply offensive pressure.

Teague Hoffman got Line Mountain on the board early at the 12:45 mark in the first quarter with a quick shot inside the circle off a nice look from Taylor Rothermel.

On the road at Palmerton, it was certainly a momentum-capturing goal by Hoffman.

“It was a good start for us to get out 1-0, but I think what helped us tonight was that we’ve played in a lot of close games this season. We’ve played in a lot of overtime and double overtime games, and some shootouts,” said Line Mountain head coach Maggie Fessler. “So, in those high intensity moments and games, our girls always show up, and they never give up.”

After the Line Mountain goal, Palmerton was able to control possession for the remainder of both the first and second periods, looking more comfortable offensively. The result was a score from Erin Kistler at the 7:20 mark in the second that knotted the game at 1-1.

“You have all that momentum and energy coming into a match, and then we score that first goal and I think we just got a little comfortable,” said Fessler. “But in the second half, we stressed urgency and attacking again offensively, and we were able to get another goal.”

The Eagles did come out attacking in the third, and it was the connection of Hoffman and Rothermel again that gave Line Mountain a 2-1 lead. Rothermel once again found Hoffman, who fired a shot into the right corner of the goal around the seven minute mark of the third.

Palmerton didn’t go away, however, and kept the pressure on the Eagles throughout the remainder of the third and fourth periods. The Bombers had their best chance to even up the match with seven minutes to go in the final period when they had three solid looks at cashing in, but couldn’t find the back of the goal.

“I think our winning recipe this year was our balance, and our ability to move the ball together and play great team field hockey, but we just fell a little short there tonight,” said Palmerton head coach Lauren Salerno. “But this is a fantastic group of girls, and they’ve put their hearts out there on the field all season long and even tonight.

“I’m just so proud of them. Getting into districts was our goal, and winning a district championship was our dream, and we were able to accomplish that. I’m just so proud of this group.”

STATS ... Line Mountain edged Palmerton in shots on goal, 7-6. The Eagles were able to get an impressive six saves from their goalie, who was especially impressive down the stretch.

NEXT UP ... Line Mountain (10-10-1) will play Greenwood in the second round of the state tournament.

FINAL MARK ... Palmerton ends its season with an 18-5-1 record.