OBETZ, Ohio –Michael Parkhurst has reached this level three times before, but each and every time, the central defender has settled for dejection, despair and heartbreak. Now, the Columbus Crew captain is determined not to experience those feelings again.

As an integral part of the New England Revolution backline, Parkhurst reached the MLS Cup final every season between 2005-07. In his first final, it was an extra time defeat to the LA Galaxy, with a 107th minute finish from Guillermo Ramirez proving to be the game’s lone tally. The next season, it was a lead vanquished, as Taylor Twellman’s 113th minute finish was undone by Brian Ching just one minute later before the Houston Dynamo claimed the league crown on penalty kicks. Finally, 2007 presented yet another squandered lead, with goals from Joseph Ngwenya and Dwayne De Rosario sealing Parkhurst and the Revs’ fates as second best for a third straight season.

Now older, wiser and more experienced, the 31-year-old Parkhurst is no longer the youngster patrolling the Revs backline. Rather, Parkhurst is now the captain and unquestioned defensive leader for a team that has presented him with another chance at MLS Cup glory.

“I haven’t spoken (to teammates) yet about it. Maybe I will at the right time, but I haven’t yet,” Parkhurst said. “I think a lot of guys know how close I’ve been. I was seven minutes away in one Cup and had the lead in two Cups. It’s definitely a driving factor personally: to know what it feels like to walk off the field and go into that locker room and hear the celebrations going on next door when the season’s over.

“Being dejected, it’s not a feeling I want any of these guys to endure, especially this year. It’s definitely a driving factor. I still remember all three games vividly and everyone in this locker room will remember this game for the rest of their life, win or lose, so hopefully it’s a happy memory.”

Parkhurst and the Crew will be looking to put a dream cap on a playoff run that has helped erase the disappointment of last year’s playoff failure.

Thrashed by the New England Revolution in last season’s playoffs, Parkhurst is the first to admit that the 2014 Crew were a bit naive. This season’s team has been anything but, pushing past the surging Didier Drogba and the Montreal Impact before upsetting the Supporters’ Shield-winning New York Red Bulls to earn the right to host the MLS Cup final.

Throughout his 11-year career, Parkhurst has seen much of what the professional game has to offer, preparing him for this 2015 run. After spending four seasons with the Revs, stops in Denmark and Germany followed, giving Parkhurst a global experience with the game. Upon his return to MLS with the Crew, Parkhurst found a different league than the one he left behind, one that has presented unique challenges that weren’t apparent in his early seasons.

“It’s definitely different. I think it’s tougher now. I really do,” Parkhurst said. “It’s tougher to make the playoffs. It’s tougher to make a run in the playoffs because there’s more playoff games, the play-in game. The conference final is now two games, where back then it was just one game.

“It’s a longer journey to get to the final, which obviously makes it tougher and the team that we have is obviously a little younger than those New England teams that I was on. We had a lot of veteran guys and a lot of guys who had played in MLS Cup prior to me making it. This is different, but it’s sweet, definitely.”

Part of the difference comes in the role Parkhurst is expected to play. As a young buck on those Revolution teams, Parkhurst learned on the fly alongside veteran Avery John and current Revs head coach Jay Heaps in a three-man Revs backline.

Now cast in that role of leader, Parkhurst has become the key to the Crew defense. Playing alongside newcomers Gaston Sauro and Harrison Afful, Parkhurst has helped make the transition seamless while helping to provide veteran leadership to a squad that has had no other player play in an MLS Cup.

“Mike leads by example. He’s been doing that all year,” said goalkeeper Steve Clark. “He’s important for us. He’s our leader and a real calming presence because he’s been in big games.”

“He’s a great player and he has a lot of experience in games like this,” added Sauro, who has played alongside Parkhurst since being acquired by the Crew in August. “We’re expecting him to have a great game, and we’re definitely looking forward to it.”

For one, Parkhurst is glad to be given the opportunity to look forward rather than look behind at defeats past. Having suffered heartbreak three times before, Parkhurst knows better than most just how difficult it is to climb the mountain that is MLS Cup time and time again.

Because of that knowledge, Sunday’s game, at least for Parkhurst, feels just a bit more important. Yet it’s not the idea of legacy or respect that drives the Crew captain; rather it’s the belief that his teammates should never have to suffer through the emotions that came to define his initial experiences with MLS Cup.

“I’ve had my opportunities and I’m glad I did when I was young,” Parkhurst said. “I didn’t take it for granted back then, but of course you never know when you’ll get another shot and if you’ll get another shot. Now that I’m a little bit older, who knows? Maybe this is my last shot. Hopefully not, and hopefully we make a thing of it and are here for the next few years, but soccer is weird.

“You never know, so I definitely want to make the most of it and I think all of the guys understand that. There are no givens. No one knows what the future holds. This could be everyone’s only MLS Cup chance, so we definitely want to take advantage of it and win it.”