In Friday's edition, the Hartford Courant only reports that the "Hartford men's soccer team couldn't convert its final three penalty kicks and lost at Stony Brook in the America East semifinals Wednesday after a scoreless tie through overtime." But for those in attendance it was much more than that. Penalty kick shootouts may not be the best way to decide a tournament game, partly because after 90 minutes of actual soccer, it seems kinda odd that the outcome would come down to 10 uncontested shots from 12 yards out. But also because the whole experience can be anticlimactic.
That wasn't the case Thursday thanks mostly to the Hartford goalkeeper's predilection for between-shots gymnastics. Specifically, as the Stony Brook player lined up for the kick, the goalie would do cartwheels across the mouth of the goal, presumably as a warm-up, or maybe as part of some misguided attempt at psychological warfare.
That became clear after the Stony Brook player converted the kick and promptly cartwheeled his way around the goalkeeper on his way back to the bench. Undeterred, the goalie continued his pre-shot routine all the way to defeat.
Too bad you don't get points for vigilance. Hartford would have won going away.
via Deadspin
