Bill Koch|The Providence Journal
NORTH KINGSTOWN — Itrequires one of the most special goals you’ll ever see to overshadow an occasion like this, but Connor Froberg might just have done it Wednesday night.
North Kingstown’s junior attacking midfielder found the net with a strike for the ages, and he did it withthe state’seyes trained on Perry Athletic Complex. This was an Interscholastic League Division I semifinal against a defending champion in South Kingstown,and Froberg’smagic should be remembered far longer than the result.
Not that the Skippers will mind thateither. North Kingstown booked its latest date in atitle roundwith a 3-0 shutout, doing all of its scoring in the opening 40 minutes. The third goal – a backbreaker for a group of Rebels pressing to cut their deficit in half – was the clear headliner.
South Kingstown was carrying the play after conceding twice in the first 15 minutes, looking likely to crack open the door heading into halftime. Thenthe Skippers countered, with Dan Goba attracting some attentiononthe left and Noah Santos slipping a ball through the middle. Froberg was making arunfrom deepat the heart of the Rebels defense.
South Kingstown keeper Colin O’Grady charged out, leaving Froberg with a seemingly impossible option – a flick over the top. The ball sailed some15feet in the air and15yardsforward, with Froberg continuing to steam towardthe Rebels net. He gathered himself and calmly slotted home with his next touch, an audacious passage of play executed to perfection.
“I saw the keeper come out, and I couldn’t really kick it by him,” Froberg said. “SoI flicked it over him, and it worked out. I had to have a lot of composure to tap it in at the end.
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“There were a lot of nerves going through, but I finished it and it felt great. Celebrated in front of the fans.”
Easy for him to say. North Kingstown coach Paul Fanning came up with a couple of past program greats – future University of Rhode Island standouts Zach Cook and Evan Gaudreau – who might have even thought of attempting such a thing.This was brilliance from a player who’s become a star throughout this 2021 season, and his pair of strikes put the Skippers one win away from their first title since 2014.
“The way he collected himself while it was in the air – everyone else in the whole stadium was panicking, and he was really calm,” Fanning said. “Great goal, and I think it just reflects his confidence. He feels like he belongs in these kinds of games.”
Froberg’s opener in the 15thminute was rendered routine by comparison. Jack Watson found his feet with a pass off the right wing and Froberg required twoprecisetouches – one tocreate a few yards of space, the other to fire home at the near post. It was a dream start for the Skippers(15-2-1), who were well on their way to a14thconsecutive victory.
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“SK at home in the semifinals – you can’t really beat that,” Froberg said. “We had a lot of fans out. They had a lot of fans. It was fun to play.”
North Kingstown took command after just five minutes, cashing in on a second corner kick. Senior midfielder John Schultz attacked Watson’s ball off the right, rising above the crowd for a towering header. The Skippers looked like a well-oiled machine, not the club that staggered to a 1-2-1 start this season.
“Coach always says first 10 minutes – let's get through that,” Schultz said. “That’s usually because we struggle at the start of the first half. But today we came firing, and we put our chances away.”
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South Kingstown (14-4-0) fell for just the second time since Oct. 2. The Rebels give way to North Kingstown and La Salle for Sunday’s noon meeting at Cranston Stadium.The Rams ousted Barrington in the bracket’s other half.
North Kingstown 3, South Kingstown 0
SOUTH KINGSTOWN (0): No scoring.
NORTH KINGSTOWN (3): Connor Froberg 2, John Schultz; assists – Jack Watson 2, Noah Santos.
Saves – Colin O’Grady, SK, 7; Pedro Barajas, NK, 5.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On Twitter: @BillKoch25