There isn’t a single girls soccer program in the Lehigh Valley with as much history and success as Parkland in recent memory. The 2024 season was the first time in 11 years that the Trojans failed to win a league or district championship and not qualify for the PIAA tournament.
Although last week’s EPC championship ensured they could start another long streak, there was still unfinished business after last season’s semifinal loss prevented them from reaching the district championship for the first time since 2019.
An early own goal and two outstanding plays by EPC MVP Isabella Hallal helped the top-seeded Trojans race past No. 4 Easton 5-1 in Tuesday night’s District 11 4A quarterfinal at Emmaus High School. The win continued Parkland’s bounceback season and punched its ticket to the PIAA 4A tournament.
“Winning the leagues again this year was better than any of the other ones because of what we did last year. And nothing away from [Allentown] Central [Catholic]. They were by far the better team last year in the league, but we just felt that we should have done better,” Haddad said. “One week after that season was over last year, the seven seniors got together and said this is what we have to do to fix it, and I held them to their word. They’re just a great bunch of leaders.”
It took just over five minutes for his group to assert control over the semifinal contest.
Mackenzie McNeeley took possession down the right sideline and found space to deliver a cross to the middle, which forced Easton senior defender Taylor Harper into a difficult clearance that ended up deflecting into her own goal.
“I think the girls are very comfortable getting services into the box. We’ll head the ball. We’ll challenge for it. They understand that if it’s on frame, good things can happen,” Haddad said. “That first one…it’s unfortunate for Easton to go down on a goal like that, but the fact the ball was in the box, it can cause some problems.”
Those crosses became a consistent theme for Parkland’s success throughout the night.
Sophomore midfielder Maia Rojas-Ondra picked a perfect time for her first goal of the season as she got on the end of a low cross by Hallal and fired it past Easton goalkeeper Miley Moyer on one of her first touches of the game after subbing on.
“I think it helped build confidence not only for myself, but for the rest of the team that was able to help get us through the rest of the game,” Rojas-Ondra said. “It coming at this time, for this game, was very motivational for myself at least.”
After Hallal and Easton sophomore Bianca Yetta exchanged similar goals – cutting into the middle and scoring with their weaker left foot – at the end of the first half, the Trojans used their width to their advantage once again to cushion an already sizable lead.
Hallal completed a dominant performance with another blistering shot from outside the box before Delilah Zaiter entered in a cross from a similar angle that trickled to the far post and into the net. Hallal’s aerial presence did just enough to make the goalkeeper hesitate as Zaiter provided a 5-1 lead for the district’s top seed with just over 27 minutes remaining.
It’s that presence, whether she gets a flick on the cross or not, that continues to be a challenge for opponents to stop.
“She has a high soccer IQ. She’s a leader off the ball. She’ll withdraw from the center forward position if she’s not getting it or she recognized when she’s not getting it,” Haddad said. “She’s skillful, both right and left footed – you can’t take one of her feet away because the other one’s going to bury it.
“How she goes is how the team goes.”
Easton coach Tim Hall was beyond impressed with the Parkland senior who put together a performance that lived up to the nomination as the league’s most valuable player.
“That’s probably the most unfortunate goal I’ve seen in districts, and then probably one of the best individual performances that I’ve seen,” Hall said. “I’ve seen some great players through the area, but she was the difference.”
The 18-year leader of the Trojans saw out the victory from there to create a rematch of the EPC championship against No. 2 Nazareth who knocked off No. 3 Emmaus 3-1 on Tuesday night at J. Birney Crum Stadium.
Parkland defeated the Blue Eagles 3-0 in that league championship after battling to a 2-2 draw in the regular season.
Rojas-Ondra is excited for the opportunity to complete the double for the first time in her career and for the fifth time in six years for the program.
“I definitely think it’s going to be a challenge, because I think they’re a very good soccer team, and it’s not easy to play them,” she said. “But, I think if we continue playing the way we have been, I think we’ll be able to pull through a couple goals and hopefully win.”
Derek Bast is a freelance sports writer who can be found on Twitter/X at @derek_bast or reached by email at derekbast11@gmail.com.
