2023 US Open Cup Qualifying Round 1 Review

Ruggles Pro FC (Eastern Premier Soccer League / USASA)
0:0
Boston Street FC (UPSL)
Boston Street advances 13-12 in penalty kicks
Fore Kicks II; Marlborough, MA
MATCH VIDEO

By: JOSH HAKALA

A pair of Massachusetts-based US Open Cup qualifying debutants met in Marlborough, Mass. on Sunday afternoon. While the match went 120 minutes without a goal, the two teams made up for it in the penalty kick shootout.

In the end, Boston Street FC advanced to the next round in the longest PK shootout in the tournament’s modern qualifying format (which began in 2015). Boston Street defeated Ruggles Pro FC 13-12 in a shootout that lasted 16 rounds.  

The first five rounds of the shootout ended in a 3-3 tie and rounds 3 through 11 resulted in mirrored results. Boston Street’s Eddie Yepes was able to bury his shot, which placed all of the tournament hopes and pressure on his teammate, goalkeeper PJ Mundis.  When Ruggles’ Michelle Lorran took his penalty kick, Mundis dove to his right, but was able to kick-save the ball away from the goal line. The tournament dreams of Boston Street FC were kept alive with that kick save. While the club redirects their focus back on the UPSL season, they can rest assured that they aren’t finished in their hopes to qualify for next year’s edition of the US Open Cup.