NORTHAMPTON — There was no panic from Pleasant Valley when Monday night’s District 11 Class 3A girls lacrosse semifinal tightened early.

The Bears had been there before.

And once Pleasant Valley found its rhythm, the defending district champions looked every bit like a team determined to keep playing for another title, pulling away from Parkland for a 13-6 victory.

The win sends second-seeded Pleasant Valley back to the district championship game as the Bears continue their pursuit of a third consecutive District 11 Class 3A title.

“I don’t think words can express how proud I am,” Pleasant Valley head coach Hanna Doerner said. “They’re bouncing back. They’re doing everything they need to do. They’re hungry. They want to keep winning and winning and winning.”

For much of the first half, the third-seeded Trojans matched Pleasant Valley goal for goal.

Sam Miller opened the scoring for the Bears before Parkland answered on a goal from Sam Schippell to tie the game at 1-1. Brielle Halamar gave Pleasant Valley another lead midway through the opening quarter, but Jade Caravello responded with just under five minutes remaining to even the score at 2-2.

Rylee Rath scored in the opening minute of the second quarter to put Pleasant Valley back in front, but Sydney Sensinger answered midway through the frame to tie the contest once again at 3-3.

That was when the Bears began to seize control.

Miller sparked a five-goal run with 3:30 left before halftime, and scored again less than a minute later to help PV build a 5-3 lead entering the break.

The Bears carried that momentum directly into the second half.

Miller scored just 32 seconds into the third quarter before Rath added another goal less than two minutes later to extend the lead to 7-3. Miller struck again with 8:32 remaining in the period as Pleasant Valley stretched the advantage to five goals.

“Definitely scary in the first quarter when we were tied up,” Miller said. “But we’ve been through that and we know how to work through it now. We just needed to keep our foot on the gas and continue going and work together as a team.”

Parkland briefly stopped the run when Caravello scored late in the third quarter, but Rath answered in the closing minute to send Pleasant Valley into the fourth with a 9-4 lead.

The Trojans made one final push early in the final period.

Back-to-back goals from Schippell and Laura Volpe cut the deficit to 9-6 with 6:06 remaining, giving Parkland life late in the contest.

But Rath answered less than 15 seconds later with her fourth goal of the night to halt the momentum and ignite another closing run for the Bears.

Miller added her sixth goal of the contest with 3:07 left before both Peyton Knecht and Gabby Kutzler added late goals to cap the victory.

“It’s always getting that opportunity and having trust in your teammates,” Miller said. “They definitely had their trust in me tonight, and I’m thankful for that. But we just needed to continue working together and doing that extra pass for that nice goal.”

Miller finished with six goals to lead Pleasant Valley, while Rath added four goals. Halamar, Knecht and Kutzler also scored for the Bears.

Goalkeeper Emilynn Stipeck made several key saves throughout the night, especially during stretches when Parkland threatened to cut into the lead and created pressure around the net.

Doerner credited Pleasant Valley’s balance and willingness to play for one another throughout the postseason.

“We’ve got plenty of weapons out there, and different girls step up on different days,” said Doerner. “In the playoffs, they’re willing to do whatever it takes to win. Tonight, it was Sam Miller. She came out ready to go.”

Schippell and Caravello each scored twice for Parkland, while Sensinger and Volpe also found the back of the net.

Despite the loss, Parkland coach Brittaney Costigan praised her team’s effort and growth throughout the season.

“They’re a strong team,” Costigan said of Pleasant Valley. “We knew we were going to have to play a tight game. Unfortunately today, they took advantage of our mistakes and I don’t think we took advantage of theirs as much as we should have.”

Still, Costigan was proud of the way her team continued to battle after falling behind.

“I’m very, very proud of them,” she said. “I definitely think they showed that they do want it. It’s just getting to that next level of owning it.”

Pleasant Valley, which improved to 20-1 overall, previously defeated Parkland 9-8 during the regular season on April 16.

Parkland finished its season 14-6.

LOOKING AHEAD ... The Bears now advance to face top-seeded Nazareth in the district title game Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Lehigh University. The matchup will be a rematch of the EPC championship game, won by Nazareth 10-8, as PV attempts to capture its third consecutive District 11 Class 3A championship.