Heartbreak at Upper Jackson: Girls Soccer Loses in Shootout

A back-and-forth girls varsity soccer tournament game between Swampscott and Triton ended in a shootout as the sun was going down Saturday.

Triton emerged as the sudden-death victor in the 6-5 shootout.

The teams played to a regulation-time tie, and remained tied through two 10-minute overtime periods.

The game was to be decided by shots from the penalty-shot mark, 12 yards from the goal line.

Players gathered in a line midfield and faced the far goal, watching the drama unfold.

A white-clad Swampscott player would step forth for a shot; a blue-clad Triton player would trot forth for a shot.

Absolute silence descended on the field before each shot, the silence pierced by the ref's whistle signalling the start of the shootout.

Then came joy or disappointment.

In the end, Triton had the final celebration, scoring on a shootout try Swampscott was unable to answer.

It was a tough loss but both teams gave their all leaving the players physically and emotionally drained.