PITTSFIELD – Kyle Berwick was on top of the world. As the Gorham goalkeeper jogged back down towards his post in front of the net after scoring on an unusual penalty kick for the equalizer Tuesday afternoon against Pittsfield, the crowd and the Huskies’ bench were on their feet.
The moment, though, didn’t last more than a few minutes.
Before the 10th-seeded Huskies could even register the game-tying goal, Pittsfield forward Cameron Darrah was on the attack, quickly working his way down the field and lofting one over the head of Berwick into the left corner of the net to give the Panthers a lead they would not relinquish. Darrah would go on to add an insurance score in the 67th minute and No. 7 Pittsfield survived the opening round of the Division IV boys soccer tournament with a 3-1 victory at Drake Field.
“The second one we scored, within two minutes of them getting the equalizer was a big piece for us,” Pittsfield Coach Derek Hamilton said. “Gorham really seemed like they had taken some momentum back there and I thought they controlled play at the close of the first half and again at the beginning of the second.
“So for them to get that PK equalizer and then for (Darrah) to turn around two minutes later and find the back of the net, it really swung momentum quickly.”
The immediate response by the Panthers (10-5-2) was the spark they needed to keep the season alive as they prepare for No. 2 Epping in the quarterfinals on Friday.
“To have that quick response and be able to swing momentum and lift our guys back up I thought was really key,” Hamilton said. “He made a heck of a move and a good finish there with his left foot.”
The penalty kick for Berwick in the second half was the second of the contest for Gorham, which had a chance to tie the score at 1-1 in the closing minutes of the first with a PK after a handball penalty in the box. Gorham’s Aidan Fox stepped up to the line and stung one low and to the left side of Pittsfield keeper Gavin Knight, but Knight guessed correctly and left his feet for the diving save.
That was after Pittsfield’s Matt St. George had already put the Panthers on top by a goal with a score on a beautiful header off a corner kick in the 10th minute.
“We just couldn’t quite get that good, quick combination inside the box to create that really quality scoring chance,” Gorham Coach Bill Goodrich said. “This team has worked hard all year long. They’ve been playing pretty well lately and we kind of thought we would get by this one, but Pittsfield is a good team with good, skilled players and they worked hard today, too.”
When Pittsfield was called for another penalty in the box on hard collision involving Knight in the second half, Berwick was the one called upon to take the shot.
His first attempt was turned back by another diving stop from Knight, but Berwick didn’t head back towards his goal, instead staying with the play and getting a foot on the rebound for the score.
“This has been a tough season for penalty kicks for us,” Goodrich said. “Berwick’s been practicing and he can hit the ball hard, but he wasn’t supposed to make the second one, you’re supposed to make the first one and the thought is you shoot it and run back, but he didn’t run back.”
The penalty kicks were a tough blow for the Pittsfield defense, which struggled slowing down the Huskies’ attack in the first half despite keeping them off the scoreboard. The next 40 minutes were a different story as the Panthers, despite the penalty kick, limited Gorham to just a handful of scoring chances after settling in.
Pittsfield has now allowed just one goal in its last three games, a trend that could carry the Panthers deep into the tournament if it stays true.
“I thought we were a little overaggressive and we played a little bit without composure in the first half,” Hamilton said. “I thought as the game went on, we settled in and did a better job of keeping players in front of us as the on-ball pressure and support defending in the second half was really good.
“We really limited their scoring opportunities, and they had some quality chances in the first half, so defensively to settle in and close the game out was big for us.”
No. 5 Ports. Christian 3, No .12 Concord Christian 0
Highlights/key moments: Concord Christian failed to find the back of the net as its season came to an end in the first round.
Records: Portsmouth Christian 12-4-1; Concord Christian 8-8-1