Maxwell’s Game-Winner, Bruno’s Hat Trick Earn Weekly Spotlight

One of the main goals of mattsportsmedia.com is to shine a light on the athletes that are making an impact in Wyoming Seminary athletics. Each week, I’ll be selecting — with the help of the school —one male and one female athlete who stood out, not just for their stats, but for their leadership, effort, and the way they represent Sem.

This week’s athletes of the week are…

Boys: Rorry Maxwell (Soccer, Sophomore)

Sometimes, you just have to be in the right place at the right time.

Rorry Maxwell found himself in this exact scenario last Monday evening at Nesbitt Memorial Stadium in a conference matchup against Hanover Area.

The Blue Knights entered the contest with an overall record of 5-2, having conceded their past two games against Holy Redeemer and Tunkhannock Area.

Needless to say, Sem boys soccer needed to pick up a win to right the ship. The first half remained scoreless, and the opening 15 minutes of the second half saw no change.

In the 55th minute, a penalty couresty of senior Artur Zelenko gave Sem a 1-0 lead — but Hanover equalized just 14 seconds later.

With just under 24 minutes remaining in the game, senior captain Ash Kornfeld intercepted a pass from the Hawkeyes to start the counter attack.

The ball quickly wound up at the feet of senior captain Owen Stretanski who dribbled with intent into the final fourth of the field.

Stretanski sent a through ball to junior Louis-David Jolin, whose shot was denied by the goalkeeper.

Fortunately for the Blue Knights, Rorry Maxwell pounced on the rebound — showing hustle and awareness — sprinting inside the box to put it past the Hawkeye keeper.

Maxwell credits his siblings with preparing him for the clutch.

“My brother and sister were both great athletes and taught me how to keep my composure,” Maxwell said. “I always work hard, and in that moment, the hard work paid off.”

While the sophomore midfielder received little varsity minutes last season, his emergence gives head coach Aaron Littzi another strong piece to add to the championship core.

For Maxwell, the goal wasn’t just timely — it was a statement that he’s ready to be a difference maker in big moments.

After a brutal giveaway loss to Lake-Lehman this past Friday, Maxwell and the Blue Knights will look to regroup and push for a strong second half of the season.

Sem boys soccer takes on the MMI Preppers tomorrow at Nesbitt Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:00 PM.

Girls: Apollonia Bruno (Field Hockey, Junior)

Scoring once in a varsity game is impressive. Scoring twice is exceptional. Scoring three times? That’s extraordinary.

That’s exactly what Apollonia Bruno pulled off last Tuesday, recording a hat trick that powered the Blue Knights to a must-needed win.

Bruno has been a key piece of Sem’s offense since her sophomore year.

She totaled nine goals and one assist last season across nineteen games for Sem. Her impressive numbers were strong enough to place her 18th on MaxPrep’s Pennsylvannia sophomore goal leaderboard.

While she had notched a pair of two-goal games last before, last week’s performance marked the first hat trick of her career.

The Blue Knights entered their September 15th matchup at Hazzleton Area with a 2-4 record, eager to bounce back after dropping two straight contests.

Bruno wasted no time in flipping the script for the Blue Knights. Within the opening 30 seconds, the junior forward broke thrrough the Lady Cougars’ defense and found the back of the cage to give Sem an early 1-0 lead.

Her relentless effort didn’t stop there, though. Bruno went on to score twice more, putting the game away from the Lady Cougars — securing a 6-2 win for the Blue Knights.

Senior defender Izzy Shoemaker praised her teammate’s work ethics and mentality.

“Apollonia is one of our strongest and most motivated forwards,” Shoemaker said. “She comes in determined and sets high goals for herself.”

For Bruno, the performance wasn’t just about her own scoring, but about the team’s chemistry.

“When we have confidence in each other and work as a team, we are truly unstoppable,” said Bruno. “We had a lot of fun, and the score reflected that.”

Bruno is currently tied with junior Ella Plummer for the team lead in goals and sits tied for second in points (as of 9/21).

With her first career hat trick now under her belt, the junior forward has proven that she is a game-changer capable of carrying Sem in big stretches.

Performances like this go far beyond the box score — they set the tone for the remainder of the season.

Bruno and the Blue Knights look to build off of the momentum this Wednesday, September 24th, as they play host to Crestwood. Start time is scheduled for 4:15 PM at Klassner Field.

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