TAMPA — Seeing Largo’s dream season ready to end, coach Dan Flynn needed a couple of extraordinary things to happen.
They did.
Robinson missed potential back-to-back clinching penalty kicks, and Largo nailed its final four attempts — including Hannah Gould’s winner in the eighth round — to give the Packers a 2-1 (6-5 PKs) victory Tuesday night in the Class 5A region semifinals.
Largo (15-6-5) advances to its first region final since 1997, when it lost to eventual state champion St. Thomas Aquinas. The Packers face Merritt Island on Friday.
Trailing 3-2 after missing two of its first four penalty kicks, Largo saw Robinson (14-6) hit the right post and send a ball over the crossbar on its next two shots to give the Packers hope. Toni Kamensky’s successful kick tied the score at 3 in the fifth round. The match ended when Robinson’s Laura Osorio pulled her shot left. Osorio scored for the Knights in regulation.
“I actually took out my scratch pad out (trailing 3-2) and crossed off thinking I was done,” Flynn said. “It’s always stressful to go to the PK shoot. They’re always good when you win them, but it’s the worst way to lose a game …and Robinson is an excellent team.”
Largo tied the score at 1 with a Robinson own goal in the 73rd minute. Kamensky launched a free kick toward Kennedy Flynn in front of the Knights goal, and Rian Tellis headed the ball past goalie Mackenzie Johnson.
“I was going to head it, and (Tellis) hit it on the side of her head and (the ball) skimmed in,” said Kennedy Flynn, who missed the penalty kick session after receiving a red card with 20 seconds left in the second overtime.
Dan Flynn said junior Morgan Power’s status is “not looking good” after she was carried off the field with an ankle injury.
“It’s unfortunate (the match) went down that way,” Robinson coach Billy Helms said. “We’ve been going this past three years with this karma curse of can’t get past this regional semifinals or quarterfinals. I thought this was the year we could finally break it.”