After a 2-0 loss to league champion Emmaus on September 20, the Parkland field hockey team went on a 10-game unbeaten streak to finish off the regular season at 11-6-1.

The Trojans rode that momentum into the District 11 tournament, and defeated East Stroudsburg South 1-0 on home soil in the first round.

The magical ride came to an end, however, three days later with a 2-0 loss at Stroudsburg.

The top seeded Mounties (17-1) tallied a goal in the first 10 minutes of each half, and scrambled to keep away some Trojans attacks on net to advance to the District 11 semifinals against Northampton.

"It's tough because sometimes defensively we broke down and let those breakaway opportunities get through," said head coach Michelle Steele. "But we need to get some goals and be able to break through their defense, and unfortunately that didn't happen today. I'm proud of them though for the way they played all season."

Kat Leiberg netted the first goal under four minutes in off a rebound from a save by senior goalkeeper Anna Ostrander.

Ostrander (three saves) stopped a breakaway in the first half, but the one that gave the Mounties a two-goal cushion just snuck underneath her left leg seven minutes into the second half on a shot by Taylor Ross.

Steele, in her first year as head coach, couldn't have been happier with the way her team bounced back after a slow start to the season, and after losing two players to the Division I level.

"About a month ago is when we had a nice turnaround," said Steele. "The team really came together and started working together as a unit. I think they started trusting one another. It was a new group of girls with a lot of younger girls in there, which is good for the future. They just had the never say die attitude. They just took what they learned in practice and implemented it into games."

With a new influx of underclassmen coming in next year, Steele feels that the field hockey program will be bright once again next year.