The Orono Red Riots showcased a slew of standout individual performances to survive two overtimes and two rounds of penalty kicks in their thrilling boys Class C North championship win over Mount View on Tuesday night. Among those many strong showings, the one that ultimately sealed the deal came from senior goalkeeper Matthew Allen.

Allen stood tall between the posts, facing 10 shots from the Mustangs during the intense penalty shootout. After the two teams had kept pace throughout, they entered the ninth kick tied. At that critical moment, Allen’s teammate Dominic Madore converted his penalty, putting Orono ahead. Then Allen delivered the game-changing save, giving his team a one-goal advantage with just one kick remaining for each side.

Freshman Maxximus Pillsbury matched Allen’s heroics by sending the 10th and final kick into the net, sealing a dramatic come-from-behind victory. Orono had battled back from a 2-0 deficit earlier in the contest to claim the win.

“For me, and I think most of the team agreed, we felt like we had the momentum,” Allen said after the dramatic victory. “So when it came down to PKs, we’ve obviously been practicing them, preparing for this situation. We knew this team was competitive, they were very good. But for me and the others, I think we were confident. We knew our abilities, we knew what we could do in the PKs. And I think it was just a matter of staying calm and converting, and that’s what we did.”

It’s not uncommon for a goalkeeper like Allen to provide the game-defining save in a penalty shootout. What’s much less common, however, is for a goalie to step up and score one of the penalties for their team. That’s exactly what Allen did in the first round of the shootout, delivering a crucial fourth goal for Orono that kept their hopes alive.

“So I actually always pride myself as the best PK taker on the team,” Allen said with a laugh. “And yesterday I may have skied a few in practice, so my teammates maybe weren’t exactly excited that I was in the top five.” But when he stepped up for the kick, Allen knew his team needed it—and he was confident he could deliver.

Even with that preparation and confidence, handling the dual role of playing in goal and taking a penalty kick came with its share of pressure. “Saving the ball and kicking, it’s definitely stressful,” Allen admitted. “But after I got my kick out of the way, I was like, ‘OK time to focus on just saving, doing what I can do.’”

Thanks to Allen and his teammates’ determination and skill, Orono earned a trip to the Class C state title game on Saturday against the returning champions, Hall-Dale.
https://www.bangordailynews.com/2025/11/05/sports/high-school-soccer/orono-goalkeeper-heroics/