The Robinson boys’ soccer team defeated Mount Vernon in the regional quarterfinals on May 24. Photo by Louise Krafft.
Mount Vernon — The Robinson boys’ soccer team had taken control of a penalty-kick shootout to decide its region quarterfinal match-up with Mount Vernon. Now the Rams just needed someone to make a play.
Thanks to memories from practices with his club team, goalkeeper Josh Penn stepped up and sent Robinson to the semifinals.
Penn made diving save to end the shootout and give the Rams a 1-1 (6-5) victory on May 24 at Mount Vernon High School. Robinson’s Kyle Groth connected on a PK to give the Rams a 6-5 advantage. Mount Vernon’s Damaro Dacosta, who was successful with an earlier attempt during the shootout, needed to answer Groth’s PK to keep the Majors alive. That’s when Penn’s memory gave the goalkeeper an edge.
"We talked at length after we made it into the regional tournament about what it means to be an impact player. An impact player can be anybody on the team that steps up and makes a difference in the game and Josh had to be that impact player on that PK."
— Robinson boys’ soccer coach Jac Cicala about goalkeeper Josh Penn
"Damaro used to be on my club team and every day before practice on our club team, we’d kick PKs," Penn said. "I kind of memorized where they’d [kick] and it came back to me. He went that way the first time so I just immediately guessed that way."
Penn dove to his left and made the save, sending the Rams into a celebration.
"We talked at length after we made it into the regional tournament about what it means to be an impact player," Robinson head coach Jac Cicala said. "An impact player can be anybody on the team that steps up and makes a difference in the game and Josh had to be that impact player on that PK."
Sam Yardley (twice), Ben Gomez, Alex Streitmater, Baris Safoglu and Groth each converted PK attempts during the shootout.
"You feel sorry. No game should end like this, but it’s the nature of the beast," Cicala said, "and thank God we were on the right side of it this time."
Robinson faced Langley in the semifinals on May 30. Results were not available prior to The Connection’s deadline.