HAZLETON – Bella Boyle and the Hazleton Area field hockey team couldn’t have scripted a better start to their season.

The junior standout scored five goals, including the 100th of her career, in a 7-2 win over Whitehall on Saturday. She then made a verbal commitment to continue her academic and athletic careers at Division I Holy Cross early Monday, before capping her whirlwind three days with a nine-goal performance in the Lady Cougars’ 11-1, non-league victory over Holy Redeemer on Monday evening at Harman-Geist Stadium.

Boyle didn’t let her college decision impact her play in the slightest, though she admittedly was ecstatic with her choice of the school in Worcester, Mass.

“It’s easy to say I picked Holy Cross because it checks all my boxes: It’s an amazing school academically and has great Division 1 field hockey,” she said. “But so much more than that was how it felt like home the minute I stepped on campus along with the incredible support I felt from the field hockey staff. It’s where I see myself for four years of my life as a home away from home.”

Boyle’s teammate Lauren Harmonosky and the Royals’ Addison Vavrek swapped goals to start the scoring on Monday, before Boyle connected off a Meadow Pavlick penalty corner and added an unassisted tally late in the first half to give Hazleton Area a 3-1 halftime edge.

The floodgates began to open in the third quarter as Boyle scored twice in a one-minute span, the second on a successful penalty stroke. She later assisted on a Jacelyn Pena goal for a 6-1 lead for her team.

Hazleton Area’s all-time leading goal scorer continued her barrage in the final period, scoring twice off Addison Bobrowski assists, knocking in two more unassisted goals and putting in another goal off a Harmonosky helper to cap the scoring.

In addition to her own goal, Pena assisted on Harmonosky’s score.

The Lady Cougars outshot Redeemer by a 28-3 margin and their consistent pressure led to a 13-2 advantage in penalty corners.

Winning goalie Jas Pena made two saves.

Hazleton Area will play host to Tunkhannock on Thursday.