Gabino Talisayon didn’t even watch Lorenzo Grimaldi attempt the winning penalty kick in Tuesday’s MIAA Division 1 state semifinal.
The Newton North goalkeeper stood near the far sideline with his back turned and eyes closed.
Anything to calm the nerves during the biggest moment of the season.
Those tense feelings soon turned into jubilation. Needing one more successful penalty to win, Grimaldi moseyed to the spot and buried the kick into the bottom left corner, lifting 31st-seeded Newton North to a thrilling 2-1 triumph over No. 15 Xaverian at Woburn High.
After the ball nestled in the back of the net, Grimaldi threw his hands up and ran toward Talisayon. Then, the rest of the Tigers streamed from midfield to meet the pair for an exuberant celebration, joining the hundreds of fans who packed the bleachers to cheer on Newton North all night.
Newton North will play St. John’s Shrewsbury, 3-2 winners over St. John’s in the other semifinal, on Saturday (5:30 p.m.) at Worcester State for the Divison 1 state title.
That statement would have been hard to comprehend within the Tigers' program just a few weeks ago.
