In his first season in charge of the Parkland High School boys soccer team, head coach Scott Mang has led his team to plenty of victories. The wins have been benefited by not only the talent of his players, but the health as well. The Trojans have mostly been able to stay away from the injury bug due to their depth. Mang is able to play a whole other lineup besides his starting 11 and that helps keep players fresh.

Parkland (15-1-1 overall, 15-1 EPC) was unbeaten through its first 16 games of the regular season. That fast start was not a surprise to Mang was around the program for many years before taking the head coaching role, as an assistant on staff.

“This season, with the record that we have so far, it’s a credit to the guys,” said Mang. “I don’t think anyone expected us to be undefeated through the first month, but we knew that we had the talent to be there. We’ve been able to play a good amount of the roster, which keeps everyone fresh. They are practicing hard and doing great things on and off the field. We have confidence in our entire roster to be able to help us win. I think at this point we’ve had around 10 different lineups.”

Following 15 wins and one tie in their first 16 games this season, the Trojans fell for the first time, on the road at Nazareth, 2-1 on Monday in an Eastern Pennsylvania Conference game. The Blue Eagles (14-3, 13-3) are in the top four in the conference, one which Mang believes is one of the best in the state.

“It’s a great conference and district that we play in up and down,” Mang said. “You can’t overthink things or be too confident, even when you’re undefeated. We’re taking it one game at a time. It’s all about the seeding and where you fall there. None of our guys have won a conference or district title, so they are hungry for one.”

Parkland concluded the regular season Wednesday against Emmaus (15-1-1, 15-1). The Trojans and Green Hornets were in a tie with Northampton (16-1, 15-1) for first place in the conference before the last night of games. The EPC Tournament begins with the quarterfinal round on Saturday.