SOUTH PORTLAND — A free kick just outside the box with six seconds to play put pressure squarely on Cheverus goalie Jake Tomkinson.
The senior keeper turned away a perfect drive from South Portland’s Khalid Suja, then bounced on top of the loose rebound, securing the ball and a 1-0 victory in a Class A South boys’ soccer semifinal Saturday.
“Khalid came up and took the shot, and Khalid is like a free kick maestro, but the whole team, we have great faith in Jake,” said Cheverus captain Mackenzie Hoglund. “He’s made a lot of great saves the last two years and we’re confident with him back there. He did it again at the end of the game.
Added Tomkinson: “After we set up the wall, he kicked it so I couldn’t really see it. It was a great shot. I didn’t have enough time to catch it. I got on top of it as time expired. Our defense did a great job all night, though. They played really well again.”
The win sends the No. 7 Stags (10-3-4) to the regional final Wednesday against undefeated Scarborough, which beat Cheverus 4-2 in the regular season.
But Cheverus is no stranger to being an underdog, winning the state title last year despite starting the playoffs as a No. 6 seed.
Tomkinson had eight saves en route to his ninth shutout.
“There was a lot of pressure coming into the end of the game,” said Cheverus Coach Colin Minte. “They were putting guys forward, but Jake’s been steady for us all playoffs and all year long. He made another big save and was fortunate enough to shut the guy down on the rebound. But he’s been making plays like that for a long time.”
Hoglund’s goal late in the first half proved to be the winner against the sixth-ranked Red Riots (9-4-4). He battled two defenders past midfield before sending a crisp shot to the left side.
“I was just running with the ball, got a glimpse of daylight, and it paid off,” said Hoglund. “I’ve been unlucky on shots like that this season, but it was a good time to have a little luck.”
Added Minte: “That’s a game-winner you want to have. It was a beautiful shot. He took two guys on to the right and put it into the far netting. Just an unbelievable finish.”
Even as well as he played, Tomkinson was glad to not see anything like the shot Hoglund put on net.
“It’s floating, it’s opposite side. It’s pretty much impossible unless you know it’s happening for sure,” said Tomkinson. “It’s hard to stop a shot like that.”
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