CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. -- As he made the long walk from the center circle to the penalty area, East Meadow Arsenal's Eric Soto had one thought in his mind: "Don't miss." He was about to take the deciding penalty kick in the shootout against Central Susquehanna United that would determine the winner of the Boys Under-13 championship game of the Region I President's Cup.

Soto placed the ball down and fired his shot to the wrong corner . . . and it went in as East Meadow won its first major tournament title at Clifton Commons Monday.

It turned out to be the best the best mistake of Soto's soccer career.

"Yeah," he said with a smile after East Meadow recorded a 6-5 shootout win after playing to a 1-1 draw in regulation and extratime on a beautiful Memorial Day morning.

Soto had targeted the bottom right corner, but somehow placed his shot to the lower left.

"I was kind of nervous," Soto said. "I didn't hit the corner i was going for. But it went in so I'm happy."

So happy that he ran to his teammates, who tackled Soto.

"It's great," he said. "It's awesome."

Soto used to take penalty kicks, but stopped for a while.

"I was good, but then I missed one and i got scared of the rest," he said.

Arsenal coach James Walsh was proud of his team, which played several close games during the three-day tournament.

"They've never been in a final for a major tournament before," he said. "They were even saying how nervous they were. It's a stepping stone for these young kids growing up in the game of soccer. You get that accomplishment out of the way and you move on and you strive for other goals."

One of those goals won't be playing for the President's Cup national championship. That tournament is open for players from U-14 through U-17, Murfreesboro, Tenn. July 8-11, Tenn.

"They were really looking forward to Tennessee," Walsh said. "Even after the game they said, 'Are we going to Tennessee?' Sorry guys."

But the Arsenal did get championship medals, back packs and shirts from Region I.

The game was a fairly event encounter in regulation and extratime between East Meadow and its Eastern Pennsylvania rivals.

"They were a hard nosed, grind out in your face, knock you over, scratch your eyes out to win the ball," Walsh said. "I thought we were more technical. I think my kids understand the game a little bit better and let the ball do the work a lot. We do knock the ball around very well."

Central Susquehanna United scored early in the second half, and East Meadow countered about a minute later as Ryan Lao won the ball and scored off a quick shot.

"That's the key," Walsh said. "The turnaround, the never let them die attitude. Just come back and score right after they score."

The score remained that way until the shootout.

Whether it is professional, amateur or youth soccer, sometimes it is not easy to find the right player to convert penalty kicks. It is mano-a-mano with the opposing goalkeeper, with pressure on a player's shoulders.

And sometimes the most obvious candidates are not the right ones to attempt them.

"One of our best goal-scorers we have on the team refuses to take penalty shots," Walsh said. "He just can't take penalty shots and he's arguably the strongest forward we have."

After the teams traded penalties, the eyes of East Meadow were on Soto, who did not disappoint.

"He's pretty new to the team," Walsh said. "He's been on the team for one year. The kid has been steadily getting better every game. Now I see him stepping up and taking penalty shots. It's unbelievable the growth these kids have had in one year.

"I'm so happy for these kids. That's what its all about. It's about the kids. They work so hard. They practice two, three times a week and the culmination of all their practices, finally sticking it out for five games and going to overtime and a shootout and you have only one sub. It's really great."

end it