Goalkeeper’s clutch saves propel Pines Charter boys to upset in state semis

Any soccer goalkeeper will tell you that the ultimate pressure cooker is when an elimination playoff game goes to penalty kicks. It can be a lonely place in front of that net as your teammates rely on you to try and make a play or two to save their season.

Pembroke Pines Charter goalkeeper Mateo Vasquez is that rare breed who not only welcomes and embraces the pressure but practically craves it.

With the Jaguars trying to pull off the biggest upset of the week on Friday night at the 4A-7A state playoff tournament, Vasquez stood in front of the net during the penalty kick round yelling out to nobody in particular, “I’ve got this. This is what I do. I want it all. I’ve got you guys.”

And he sure did.

With the confidence and swagger of Muhammed Ali, Vasquez backed up his words. Diving to his right the first two times, he made back-to-back saves which paved the way for a 4-1 penalty kick victory as Pines Charter stunned No. 1 seed and No. 5 nationally-ranked Tampa Jesuit in a Class 5A state semifinal at Spec Martin Stadium after the two teams battled to a 1-1 regulation/overtime tie.

With the win Pines Charter, a team that struggled early in the regular season and came out of its own region as the No. 4 seed, moves on to a place nobody thought it would be a month ago – the state championship game. It also avenged a 1-0 loss to Jesuit in last year’s state semifinal.

The Jaguars (12-5-3) are in the state title game for the second time in program history. They lost to Tampa Jesuit 5-4 in 2020. This season, Pines Charter will take on St. Johns Beachside on Saturday at 7. Beachside, which is making its final four debut, shut out New Port Richey River Ridge 4-0 in the other semifinal.

“This kid has been unbelievable,” Pines Charter coach Marc Lue Young said. “We’ve always known very quietly around here that he’s the best goalkeeper in South Florida and now he has stepped up and demonstrated that in the playoffs, especially tonight when there was a berth in the state final on the line.

“He talks in front of the net all the time, and it’s not an act. He’s just a positive, confident, very special young man who wants to lift his teammates up on his shoulders and is willing to talk the talk and walk the walk. He deserved this night.”

It wasn’t just Friday night where Vasquez emerged the hero either. He also recorded two saves in a regional final penalty kick win over Lake Worth Dr. Joaquin Garcia and the same in a regional semi victory over Archbishop McCarthy.

“It’s not all about talk but backing it up as well,” said Vasquez while being mobbed by his grateful teammates. “All the talk is not only my own self-confidence, but at the same time, I’m trying to get inside the heads of the shooters as well. Tonight I made two saves but against McCarthy their shooters missed twice. It’s all about motivation and determination and being there for my teammates. I support them, they support me. That’s how it works around here.”

Playing in a game-long steady rain, both teams spent the first 20 minutes trying to adapt to a wet field before Pines Charter struck first. It came right after the first half water break when the Jaguars got a direct kick from the right side just outside the penalty box.

But Aiden Toledo didn’t shoot at the net. He one-touched it to teammate Gabriel Calderon who then touched it back to Toledo who dribbled toward the middle, found some open space and rocketed a shot from 20 yards out into the top right corner of the net.

“I usually take the free kick on the right side with my left foot, but we changed it up tonight,” Toledo said. “Gabe led me perfectly with a one touch and when nobody was at the top of the box once I had the ball and ran with me, I worked to clear some space, saw a nice opening and drilled it.”

With Vasquez making some quality saves along the way, the Jaguars protected their one goal lead for most of the game. But then Jesuit, which was making its eighth consecutive appearance in the state final four, having lost in the state championship game in penalty kicks the last two years, finally struck to tie the game.

It came with 15:45 left when the Tigers (16-3-3) executed a perfect set play off a direct kick from just outside the box. Jay Dayani managed to penetrate and turn the corner on the right side getting a centering pass in front of the net that Lucas Book knocked in for the equalizer.

Then in PKs, it was Vasquez’s time to shine.

While he stoned the first two Jesuit shots, Calderon and Lewis both made their kicks to give PC a huge 2-0 advantage after two frames. When each team made their shots in the third frame, Renzo Vicencio stepped up and drilled a shot into the top right corner of the net and the Jaguar celebration was under way.

“I have one word – wow!,” Calderon said. “We’ve gone through so much adversity throughout the whole season especially early on when we lost our first couple of games. Heads down, spirits low, everyone thought this wasn’t going to be the season for us. But we kept our faith in each other, fought for one another and that’s why we’re standing here tonight. We all put hours, months and even years into this and we’re finally going to a state final.”