DeOrsey’s penalty save lifts Oxbridge to victory
WEST PALM BEACH — This season’s soccer playoffs have provided a hotbed of top-shelf goalie action, and Oxbridge’s sophomore keeper added his name to a growing list of Palm Beach County stars on Tuesday.
Remi DeOrsey capped off an impressive regional quarterfinal performance with a game-winning penalty save, helping Oxbridge advance to the regional semifinals with a 3-2 win over St. John Paul II.
Although the ThunderWolves made the most of their opportunities on the counterattack, the Eagles had their fair share of possessions in the final third, peppering DeOrsey with shot attempts.
“I just kept it cool in the back and did what I could to be the best version of myself,” DeOrsey said. “My players in front of me did an awesome job just keeping the space open and making sure I could see what I had to see so I could get done what I had to do.”
Oxbridge’s defense has struggled at times this season, but like DeOrsey, the defense came through when it mattered most on Tuesday.
“I’ve been saying it since the start of the season,” head coach Jonathan Hernandez said. “He’s only a sophomore and he’s got so, so much space ahead of him to grow. Tonight, specifically, he came up big time.”
The Eagles had the first chance of the game — a corner kick that led to a subsequent shot straight at the keeper, which DeOrsey saved.
They also had the last chance, the final opportunity coming with the referee pointing to the spot — much to the dismay of Julien Dorsey, who had scored the first goal, but now stared in disbelief as his contact drew the referee’s ire in the waning minutes.
It was a judgment call, but not an incorrect one. Contact occurred in the box as Julien Dorsey attempted to turn the corner and clear the ball.
But his goalkeeper says that wasn’t the full story.
“He actually fouled him,” said DeOrsey, who watched the play happen from a unique vantage point. “But then he fell and made the kid fall over, so they saw that and quickly blew the whistle.”
Either way, it set up a golden opportunity for St. John Paul to tie the match. According to The Athletic, penalty kicks are converted on 78% of tries. If you believe the number, Tuesday’s game was destined to go to extra time.
The Eagles sent their kicker to the spot as DeOrsey took position. The kicker approached and took a stutter-step, but the Oxbridge keeper steeled himself, not giving up which side he was going toward.
In the end, he didn’t choose a side. He stayed put right in the middle.
And like the first chance of the game, the ball came straight at the welcoming arms of the keeper.
Dorsey, nearly akin in name, was there almost immediately, perhaps with a whisper of thanks for the coverage.
“Foul or whatever, I come up clutch for him,” DeOrsey said. “Because that’s what we do.”
DeOrsey will have to be in top form once more when they travel Friday to face Benjamin in the regional semifinals, a rematch of the district championship that sent the ThunderWolves into an at-large bid.
“I don’t think that anybody’s ever felt anything better than revenge,” Dorsey said of the match to come. “So that’s what we’re seeking.”