Since 1975, the best high school hockey teams from the eastern and western parts of the state have battled for the Pennsylvania Cup.

Not once in that 38-year span had the Lehigh Valley been represented - until last Saturday.

That Parkland's hockey team was even competing for the PA Cup at the Aston IceWorks is in itself one of the best underdog stories in Lehigh Valley history.

Unfortunately for the Trojans, they couldn't put a cherry on top of their history-making season, falling to powerhouse Greater Latrobe 4-1 in the state final.

"It means a lot," Trojan captain Jay Swartz said. "It stinks that we couldn't win, but there's hope now. It's bringing more attention to the Valley because for a long time, hockey's been overlooked. It's always football and basketball, but we're on the map now."

In the Wildcats, Parkland faced a team that has a hockey tradition. Greater Latrobe won three straight state titles from 2008-10.

For the first period and half, Parkland proved that while they didn't have the historic credentials, they belonged with the state's best.

Senior Robbie Stock played the kind of lights out goaltending that his team and Trojan fans have come to expect, facing a barrage of shots from various angles and turning them all away. While Greater Latrobe held an 18-2 edge in shots after a scoreless first period, it looked like Parkland's defense would be good enough.

Then over six minutes into the second, the Trojans caught a break.

Facing their third shorthanded situation of the game, Ryan Dumbach slipped past the defense and flipped a wrister over the left shoulder of Shane Brudnok for a 1-0 lead.

But it wouldn't hold up as the Cats continued to pepper Stock with shots. Two and a half minutes later Chris Johnson tied the game by knocking one in from in front of the goal and with 2:30 left in the second, Dalton Hunter scored the first of two goals to make it 2-1.

Parkland upped the pressure in the third, but couldn't find an equalizer. Hunter assisted on an Adam Ferguson goal and then scored his second to put the game away.

"We came out with some hustle in the third," head coach Gerry Chandik said. "The first few shifts I think we were winning the battle and getting the puck in deep. If we could have popped one there, who knows. But they got the next one and that did it."

Someday, maybe in the not too distant future, it may be the Trojans that are the ones that other teams are chasing. They needed only to look across the ice on Saturday to see where they'd like to get their program.

Greater Latrobe features over 100 players in the feeder system and is built for yearly success, building off their dynasty from a few years ago.

The pipeline is there for Parkland, as the youth, middle school and JV teams all won championships this year.

"I think the success of this year will breed even more success in the future," Chandik said. "People will want to get back involved and young kids that don't play may want to start playing. It's something to get here, so I'm hoping its going to kickstart us for the future as well."

The Trojans lose eight seniors off this year's team in Swartz, Stock, Zach Zager, Matt Doe, Colin Pratt, Nick Chandik, Matt Knotek and Keven Siroka.

But like so many of their past teammates and friends that came out to support them during this 20-2-1 season, they'll be back to cheer on the future generations.

"I'll definitely be back to see how Parkland's doing," Swartz said. "I know there's a lot of talent below us and they all won championships. Hopefully we can be even more dominant in the future."