It's not the way the Parkland boys soccer team envisioned the state title game to end.

It wasn't the way any player or coach ever wants any game to end.

Deep into the second of two overtimes in Saturday's state title game, a ball went into Parkland's goal off one of the Trojans' feet, giving Cumberland Valley a 2-1 win and this year's state title.

Making the result even more heartbreaking is that the player who inadvertently tapped the ball in is one of the Trojans' most responsible for his team's success this season.

Senior Caleb Daniels played a remarkable game Saturday. He stopped and slowed Cumberland Valley players in the attacking third for 114 minutes. He cleared several dangerous balls before he tried to clear one with 5:54 left in the second overtime and had it bounce the wrong way.

"Caleb is an animal in the back," said Parkland head coach Scott Mang. "We couldn't go three backs if Caleb wasn't back there. He saves opportunity after opportunity.

"Caleb is the reason we could do what we want to do all year. For it to end on that, it's unfortunate. Caleb's a tough kid. He's going to go on to play in college. He'll look at the overall body of work this season and he'll be pleased."

The game was back and forth the entire way.

Cumberland Valley and prolific scorer Chayse Snyder tried to solve the Parkland defense and goalie Dan Sipling, but came up empty for the first 73 minutes of the game.

With 15:24 left in the second half, Snyder slipped a pass to teammate Zac Slavin, who got it past Sipling on the right side for a 1-0 lead.

Parkland wasted little time getting the equalizer.

Alex Hurwitz drew a penalty in the box with 14:50 left in the game and teammate Jacob Silman knocked it in to tie the game.

"We were trying to build up into the final third," said Mang. "Alex Hurwitz drew the penalty. And Jacob Silman, that kid doesn't miss. He's got some kind of rhythm. He buried it."

Parkland had a few opportunities late in regulation and in overtime, but couldn't get it past CV keeper Connor Lindsay.

The Trojans best chance came off the foot of Lincoln Fritz with just over five minutes left in the first overtime. His shot was inches from crossing into the cage when Eagles defender Lex Radosavijevic got in the way.

Had the game lasted another six minutes and went to a penalty kick shootout, Parkland felt confident as it already won two games that way in the postseason.

"Basically keep clawing and scratching and fighting and if we get to PKs I like our chances," said Mang. "We were five minutes away."

While the season ended with a loss, it was certainly a success by any measure.

"I couldn't be happier," said Mang. "We've gone as far as any Parkland team has ever gone. We won 25 games. We won the EPC regular season. We were in the EPC championship game. We won districts and got to states. About five minutes away we were going to PKs. If we would have got there with Danny I would have loved to gamble on that."

Mang also managed to keep 14 seniors on this year's team, a large number in any sport.

"It has to be the right 14," he said. "They're friends. They believe in each other. They're really good friends off the field. A lot of them didn't play a lot. They did in the beginning then they got weaned out. They still push for their buddies and they're great on the bench, great team guys. We're going to miss them a lot."

Unlike many fans and followers of high school soccer, Mang didn't mind playing the state title game on his opponent's home field. State finals are scheduled years in advance and Cumberland Valley is the site for many of them, including soccer. So if an Eagles team makes it all the way, it will have a home-field advantage.

"Everyone wanted to complain, but this facility is unbelievable," he said. "It felt neutral to me. All of our fans got in. I'd play here again any day of the week."