Declan Whitfield helps St. Anthony's advance to state final on penalty kicks

Focus and finish. That was the message St. Anthony’s coach Don Corrao relayed to his team just before penalty kicks began.

Sophomore goalie Declan Whitfield did just that.

He focused on the shooter’s hips, dropped down and made his fifth penalty kick save to finish the game. “Penalty kicks are all mind games,” Whitfield said. “It’s all about being calm and not letting the nerves get to you. Look at their hips, know where they’re going.”

Whitfield’s heroics lifted the St. Anthony’s boys soccer team to a 6-4 win on penalty kicks over Monsignor Farrell in the CHSAA state semifinal game Saturday night at St. John’s University.

Whitfield also netted his own penalty kick in the upper right corner to tie it at 4 in the second round. “We’ve been doing it in training and I’ve been really good with it,” Whitfield said. “I just put it in my spot.”

Monsignor Farrell led the first round of penalty kicks 3-2, with just one shooter left for St. Anthony’s.

Zach Tanner confidently stepped up and drilled it right down the middle to keep the Friars alive. “I wasn’t nervous,” Tanner said. “I knew my teammates believed in me and that’s what got me through it.”

The game was tied at 1 after regulation, thanks to a game-tying goal by Colin Johnston with 24:13 left to play. He took a pass from Chris Thorsen and placed it perfectly with his left foot past Giovanni Gentile and into the lower right corner of the net. “I don’t remember much about it, but Chris gave me a great touch and I was in the right place at the right time,” Johnston said. “There’s no better feeling, except for when Declan won it for us.”

Riley Tait scored the first goal of the game for Monsignor Farrell with 30:42 remaining in the second half.

St. Anthony’s controlled the ball for most of the game, registering 15 shots on goal. Some were just wide of the net, but Gentile made 12 saves, including a spectacular diving save with 6:10 remaining. “We had numerous chances, but we couldn’t finish,” Corrao said. “Some days it goes like that, but I couldn’t be more proud of our kids.”

After a grueling game that took two hours and 45 minutes to complete, St. Anthony’s (17-0-3) faces a 13-hour turnaround. The Friars will play St. Joseph’s Collegiate in the final at 1 p.m. on Sunday at St. John’s.

“I don’t know how we’re going to play at this level tomorrow,” Corrao said. “We’ll figure it out. Next man up.”