The Parkland girls soccer team walked off the field last Saturday night at Tulpehocken High School with a 3-2 loss in the PIAA Class 4A state quarterfinals. It was the first and only defeat the Trojans (25-1) suffered in 2016, and it came with just one kick of the ball, a game-winner in overtime.

The program has a lot to look back on this season as a success. The Trojans defended both their Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championship (third straight) and District 11 crown (second consecutive).

“We had a magnificent season,” said head coach Al Haddad. “The girls had to deal with the mentality this year knowing we were going to be the team to beat, and so they had some pressure each game because they didn’t want to fall short of expectations. I thought that at the beginning of the year we wanted to have a healthy season and play the game like we do, by controlling the ball, we would be successful. And we did that.”

But looking past all of the wins, the team was filled with true student-athletes. Under Haddad, who just completed his 11th season with the team, Parkland has been a success both on and off the soccer pitch. Every year the Trojans take part in a team-building project that is designed to build chemistry, but also to help out the community and someone of need.

The Trojans raised $16,000 through different events such as build-a-bike, selling carnations for breast cancer, and an ALS/heroes walk. In the spring, the seniors led a coaching program for youth players, and during the season the team also went to Dieruff High School to help train the Huskies growing program.

The highlight event this year was a pledge drive, which was based upon the team’s performance on the field each game. A total of $15,500 was raised throughout the season, which will help send a child named June and her parents to Walt Disney World for a Dream Come True charity. The Trojans also were there for a classmate suffering from sickness, raising money for her, while also carrying a team GPA of 3.9.

“What these girls do to help out others is truly remarkable,” said Haddad. “Since I’ve been here, we have really been able to contribute to help make some individuals’ lives a little bit better. It is such a great thing to be a part of, and it shows the types of girls that we have in our program.”

Eleven seniors walked off the field Saturday wearing a Parkland soccer jersey for the final time. But they left their marks on a successful four-year run for the program, which started back to when Haddad first saw this class.

“A lot of the seniors came up through the Parkland youth program together,” Haddad added. “I was able to see them play in the 6th grade. I knew they were going to be a special group.”

Rachel Laird, Devyn Anderson, Rachel Medlar, Sarah Young, Maddi Masenheimer, Becca Ventura, Janelle Barna, Olivia Schantz, Emily Piston, Carly Shaffer and Lauren Madeira represented the senior class that helped lead the team to a 2-0 win vs Emmaus in the EPC final and a 3-1 victory over Stroudsburg in the District 11 championship game. The Trojans also gave Haddad his first state playoff win in his sixth trip to the tournament.

“What they’ve accomplished is so great for them because they work so hard,” Haddad said. “They have pressures that maybe some other teams don’t face. They all have such great chemistry, and are well-rounded, unbelievable students. There are three starters that also are basketball players, and we have track athletes. They are a wonderful group and have meant so much to us.”

Many Parkland players were recognized by the league as all-stars this season. Anderson, Schantz, and juniors Darian Brickhouse and Brooke Schutter (27 goals, 3rd all-time career at Parkland) were named to the EPC First-Team. Medlar was named the league’s Most Valuable Player, and voted to the All-State team.

Piston and Shaffer were named to the second team, and Masenheimer and junior Helen Flynn were on the third team.

Many will also continue to play the sport in college. Laird is committed to West Chester. Medlar is going to DeSales. Shaffer will be at Muhlenberg. Schantz will be playing at Bloomsburg. Masenheimer is still undecided between Liberty and Pepperdine, while Anderson is looking at Moravian College and Misericordia.

Next season looks bright once again for Parkland. Juniors Brickhouse, Flynn, and Schutter, along with Jenna Leonzi, Julia Buchman and Michaela Cohick will step into the senior leadership role with plenty of winning experience under their belts. They will be helped out by then-juniors Ava Hanna, Louise Gottwald and Gia Litz, and Gabby Wilby, with underclassmen Taylor Fasnacht and Ava Schaller playing a role.