Park City Soccer Club clinches Arizona tournament title with dramatic sudden death PKs

Tournament Trophy Time for the Park City Soccer Club's B06/07R Team in Arizona's Western Regional Tournament after Penalty Kicks followed by Sudden Death Penalty Kicks resulted in a 1-1 then 5-6 thrilling shootout after the lighting cleared. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona — The Park City Soccer Club (PCSC) 17 and 18 year-old, boys, red-level team won the six-state Rush Cup Tournament in Arizona on Nov. 3 in dramatic fashion. After the back-to-back, halftime, half-hour, lightning holds were finally lifted, the teams played through regulation, then the penalty kicks (pks) weren’t enough to break the 1-1 tie. Park City goalkeeper, Root Roepke, blocked the sixth kick to help the team take the trophy.

Watch this video of the final few PKs followed by the celebration on the field by the Park City players. Video: TownLift // Michele Roepke

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Ia bit of a bracket bobble, the Park City team played the Phoenix Arsenal team twice, including in the Finals.

“Beating a team twice has unique challenges, let alone doing so in the same day. The boys faced just this challenge, to win through a thrilling penalty shootout. Heroes stood tall! What a way to cap off our Fall season, and for the High School Seniors in the group, a fitting conclusion to their time with Park City Soccer Club,” PCSC Coach Nick Magnuson told TownLift at the venue right after the final whistle.

At the tournament, Coach Magnusen’s own daughter was playing simultaneously among the eight other teams traveling there to represent PCSC.

In the video below, the B06/07R’s Adrian Talavera scores a goal in their second game out of three played in the tournament. Video: TownLift // Michele Roepke

Tensions ran high between the two twice-playing teams, manifesting in a short-lived shoving match in the middle of the field in the game before the Finals, which resulted in Yellow Cards being issued to athletes on both teams.

Park City High School (PCHS) and PCSC Coach Anthony Dicicco was at the Tournament, this time in the role of a Referee, however, not for any of this teams’ games.

PCSC in Scottsdale getting guidance from Coach Magnuson. Photo: TownLift // Michele Roepke

Talon Flinders has played soccer with PCSC for more than a decade. The PCHS Senior was there with his mom who’s volunteered as a Team Manager for about as many years. “We had a bit of a rough start to this season, and honestly not many people expected we’d make it this far, but this Tournament was a total blast and I’m super happy to go out this way,” Talon told TownLift, minutes after the winning game

Regarding the heart-pounding, nail-biting PKs, the defensive-position player said, “I was shaking, along everyone on and off the field, I was especially nervous because I was up next in line to kick.”

Flinders discussed how it felt being done with this fun Park City program “It’s bittersweet, I’m sad, but at the same time I’m excited to see what lies ahead.”

Finally, when TownLift asked him if he’s happy about the shiny, new medal hanging around his neck, he said, “Oh yeah, it’ll make the flight home to Park City from Phoenix that much better, I just hope that they let me take it through security.”

Eli Ulvi, PCSC Technical Director’s fist pump seen at the end of this video personified the entire sideline of a dozen Park City parent’s excitement on hand for the goal. In the video of the third of the four games, watch PCSC’s Taylor Garland kick one into the goal. His Co-Captain is Ben Sidlow. Video: TownLift // Michele Roepke