The Parkland High School field hockey team and fourth-year head coach Julie Nelson would have loved to hoist a trophy and don a gold medal in 2023. But even without winning any hardware this year, the 2023 season was one of the better ones for the program in recent memory.

The Trojans finished with an 18-6-1 overall record and 10-2-1 mark in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. They advanced to the semifinal round of the conference tournament and played for the District 11 3A title, falling to rival Emmaus. And then in the state tournament, Parkland took down Central Bucks West 2-1 in the PIAA 3A First Round, winning their first state game since 2009.

“Overall, I believe this season was a success,” said Nelson. “I think we showed progress as the season moved forward and we played strong against exceptional teams. We of course would have loved to beat Emmaus this year, but this year proved to us it’s a reachable goal for our future.”

The run for a state championship lasted one more game as the Trojans, albeit short-handed minus two starters due to injuries, lost to Manheim Township 6-0 in the quarterfinals.

“Manheim was able to capitalize on players we had in new positions,” Nelson said. “We were out two of our key starters due to concussions. We found out we lost Aurora (Gery) about 20 minutes before the game. I had to play several players in positions they are not used to against a high-caliber team. Manheim executes their corners effectively and utilizes their speed to catch their opponents on their heels.”

There are five seniors that will graduate this year in their final season, including Maya Zaun, Aimee Kundek, Elaina Fragassi, Lizzie Williams and Aurora Gery.

“For me this group is really special,” said Nelson. “They are the first class I have ever coached from freshman year to senior year. I’ve watched each of them grow as players and women. They are an exceptional group with a very close bond.

“Their friendships and several years of play together showed on and off the field. Their positivity and outlook on the game trickled down to all classes and I think that was a big contributing factor to our success this season. This class will be missed very much and hard to replace.”

The Trojans look to build on this year’s success when they return to the field next fall.

“We have several players returning to the varsity level and some younger players who proved to us in the postseason they are ready for the varsity level,” Nelson said. “We have a successful future ahead of us with our positive team mentality and endless talent. I look forward to what we can accomplish next year, hopefully entailing a championship win and another step further in states.”