Quinn Tanner buries clinching PK to give Pierson/Bridgehampton the Suffolk Class C boys soccer title

Quinn Tanner wasn’t thrilled.

It was time for his penalty kick.

Make it and Pierson/Bridgehampton would clinch the Suffolk Class C boys soccer championship. Miss it and the match would continue, maybe even swing Greenport’s way Saturday at Diamond in the Pines Park in Coram.

“I’m not a big fan of penalties at all,” Tanner said. “In tournaments, I’ve missed them numerous times.”

This time, he didn’t miss, sending his shot past goalkeeper Kal-El Marine and into the right side of the net. 

Now, Tanner was thrilled.

The final score technically was 3-3. The two sides technically were co-champs. But top-seeded Pierson/Bridgehampton edged No. 2 Greenport, 5-4, on penalty kicks to move on to the Long Island C championship match.

That match will be at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at Mitchel Field against Evergreen Charter.

“At the end of every game, the better team wins and luckily today we were the better team,” coach Luis Aguilar said.

But Greenport could have been the better team.

“It’s the worst way to lose, especially when we completely dominated,” coach Gary Dlhopolsky said. “We had a million chances.”

Dlhopolsky had stated before the season that anything less than the title would be a disappointment.

“We’re feeling that right now,” he said.

After two OT sessions didn’t settle this, the winners converted all of their chances in the PK phase. Jose Gomez, Ryder Esposito, Wilmer Reyes, Helio Pacuar and Tanner all scored.

Ricky Campos, Nery Cano, Gilson Veliz and Milton Veliz scored for the Porters (8-9) against George Ingolia, but another shot sailed high.

“A whole lot of pressure,” said Ingolia, a senior and first-year starter who returned a few weeks ago after suffering a fractured knee in the opener. “I’ve never been in that situation before.”

Pacuar scored the game’s first goal. But Cano countered with one on a corner kick, and it was tied at 1 at halftime.

Andrew Wayne gave Pierson/Bridgehampton (9-8) the lead early in the second half. But Cano tied it at 2. 

Milton Veliz untied it on a penalty kick with 16:56 left in regulation. But Tanner rocketed in a goal 26 seconds later — 3-3.

“Nervous,” Tanner said about being down 3-2. “I’m not going to lie. They’re a strong team, outplaying us in the first half. But I know my job, trying to get us back into that tied position so that we can have a chance at making it further.”