When preparing for the upcoming Eastern Pennsylvania Conference playoff game against Parkland, Freedom boys soccer coach Michael O’Connell expected a hard-fought game against the Trojans, but not such a high-scoring affair.

Justin Evans was the last one to score in a game featuring seven goals, but Evans’ breakthrough came with 11:18 to go, and Parkland kept the Patriots from finding the back of the net again in a 4-3 win last Saturday afternoon at Bethlehem Area School District stadium in the EPC quarterfinals.

“It was a very exciting game,” O’Connell said. “We knew what to expect from a good team like Parkland. We went up early, but they came right back. The kids played really well. They just had one more of their shots go in for them. We had our opportunities too.”

In the opening 30 minutes it looked as if Freedom was going to win this one rather easily.

AJ Elkadousi and Steven Riad put the Patriots in front by a 2-0 score with goals less than five minutes apart.

But Parkland scored the next three to take the lead back, and Evans’ broke another tie with his late winner to send the Trojans to the semifinals Tuesday night against Emmaus.

For Freedom, they will train toward the District 11 playoffs that begin next week, with another potential home game.

“I told the guys after the game that they played their hearts out and I was proud of them,” noted O’Connell. “But there is more soccer to be played this year, and I want to keep coaching them. This program hasn’t won a playoff game of any kind in a while. So with a potential home game in districts next week, we’ll be looking to give them their first win.”

Elkadousi ripped a shot just outside of the eighteen that took a deflection off the leg of a Trojans defender and left goalkeeper Jacob Varrato clueless.

Varrato’s misfortunes continued just five minutes later. The sophomore misplaced a kick, that landed at the feet of Michael Silva. Silva passed to Riad, who faked a shot and waited for his defender to slide by, then slotted it home for a 2-0 Freedom lead.

But just as everyone thought the 4th seeded Patriots would cruise to a big win, the 5th seeded Trojans struck back with two of their own just before halftime.

A ball played from Parkland’s side of the field, came off the head of Evans onto the path of Josh Kiser. Kiser waited for the ball to come down off a skip and placed his shot passed John Eltringham (5 saves).

A minute and a half later, Parkland set up a play from a free kick from about 30 yards away. Peter Kwakye-Ackah sent the ball in, and Kiser once again was there for his second goal in less than two minutes to tie the game at two.

In the second half, it was once again Parkland that saw itself celebrating a goal.

Just as they missed an opportunity in front of net, an ensuing corner kick from Kwakye-Ackah was met by the foot of Ben Jago for three unanswered goals.

With all of the momentum back in Parkland’s favor, Freedom wouldn’t go down quietly and once again found the scoring touch.

This time it was Adam Capuano, who clinically passed it into the net on his side foot. Capuano was a pain to deal with for the Trojans defense all game long.

“We like to try and run our offense through Adam,” added O’Connell. “We’ll send balls his way and then he’ll play them out wide, and then we want to try and work it back into him for a good shot. He’s the motor.”

With the game going the way it was, it didn’t look as if overtime was a possibility. And it wasn’t.

With 11 and a half minutes to go, a Trojans corner kick was headed away right to the waiting Evans, who chest-trapped it to his volley, and secured the victory.