Tigers fall in shootout

PAWTUCKET – It’s been a rather rough last four-five days for Tolman High head coach Dan Silva.

First, his wife had a baby, then Sunday night’s storm knocked out electricity in his family’s Cumberland home.

Finally, it appeared his Tigers may have sealed a shootout victory over ninthseeded Classical in a R.I. Division I Tournament preliminary clash on Wednesday

night at the McKinnon-Alves Complex, taking a 3-2 cushion into the final three shots of the penalty-kick phase.

But the Purple made an astounding comeback when senior Ethan Goodman made a terrific diving block of THS senior captain Connor Duhamel’s laser, then junior Edgar Morales tucked inside the left post the clincher.

Senior Rigo Bucio had tied the shootout at 3-3.

With the loss, Tolman is now eliminated from post-season action, closing with a 6-54 overall mark. Classical (7-71) qualified to face North Kingstown in a quarterfinal at Anthony C. Perry Stadium at 5 p.m., Friday.

The visitors took the early lead when junior Alex Burke scored on unassisted goal in the 13th minute. It took a long while, but the Tigers eventually knotted it at 1-1 after Duhamel heaved a lengthy, floating throw-in from the left sideline toward the goalie box. Senior Elton Carvalho leaped and headed it past Goodman (12 saves) with eight minutes remaining in regulation.

With three ticks left in the first, five-minute OT stanza, Burke drilled a 27-yard direct kick from the field’s center at the cage, yet junior Jason DeAmaral (seven saves) came out of the net and made a sprawling stop.