The Parkland High School boys soccer team achieved most of its goals during the 2022 season. All but one. The Trojans finished on top of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference standings following the regular season, won the EPC tournament championship and then captured the District 11 4A title, going 24-2-1 along the way.

But Parkland fell just one game shy of completing the triple, as it fell in the PIAA state semifinals, losing 1-0 to Lower Merion. The Trojans had a lot of help from a large group of seniors last year, 12 to be exact.

Now, entering just his second season at the helm, head coach Scott Mang is looking to recreate the magic of last season, but with a somewhat newer group.

“To say that 2022 was a magical season would be an understatement,” said Mang. “In all of my years involved in athletics, I have never experienced a group of players that embraced our mantra ‘Ubuntu’ the way last year’s team did.”

Ubuntu is a Zulu word that means humanity and is sometimes translated as ‘I am because we are.’ “They were determined,” continued Mang, “selfless, passionate, tough and they were instrumental in helping me to implement my vision for Parkland soccer during my first year as the head coach. I will forever be thankful for their efforts both on and off the field and for making the year so special. That said, we will surely feel the loss of those 12 seniors for some time.”

There is still a solid group of seniors back this season that experienced the run of last year and will look to continue the tradition of winning. This group includes Trevor Grice, Josh Daniels, Luke Blenis, Jack Maier, Logan Thrash, Sam Masenheimer, Zach Ironside and Richard Castillo.

“This season we will have a young and inexperienced roster of players that have trained with some excellent coaches and have played a ton of big games for their club teams throughout the offseason,” Mang said. “I’m hoping that training with the 2022 team puts the players in a better position to meet the demands of playing in the EPC sooner rather than later.

“We are a team that will be very fit, players will have the ability to play in multiple positions and in a variety of tactical formations.”

Even with a somewhat more young and inexperienced team compared years, the standards and expectations are still there to be competing for and winning championships. And 2023 is no different.

“Everyone knows the expectations of playing for and coaching at Parkland,” said Mang. “We will continue to work diligently at being great students, becoming young men with great character, caring for our community and communities around us, building a strong team bond, continuing to create an environment that prepares boys to play at the college level and improving our craft as soccer players and coaches. Our end goal is to always compete for the league, district and state championships.”

Parkland opens its regular season on the road in conference action at Pocono Mountain East on Monday, August 28.