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Republic FC's Newton Keeps on Learning

By CHRIS HOCKMAN - chris.hockman@uslsoccer.com, 10/28/17, 7:40AM EDT

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Experience in shootouts led to success for Sacramento shot-stopper


Photo courtesy Michael Rincon / Phoenix Rising FC

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – It might not become the thing he's synonymous with, but the odds are if you're in the USL Cup Playoffs and goalkeeper Evan Newton is in your squad, you're more than likely to end up seeing a penalty shootout at some point in your postseason future.

After No. 8-seed Sacramento Republic FC's 3-1 shootout victory against No. 1-seed Real Monarchs SLC last Friday night, Newton has now faced a penalty shootout each of the past three seasons. His pair of saves against the Monarchs added to the heroics he pulled off as a part of OKC Energy FC two seasons ago, and gave him a 2-1 record overall in shootouts in the USL Cup Playoffs.

For Newton, that experience and the preparation that can be applied to prepare for the potential of a game being decided from the spot has helped him succeed when the pressure is on. 

“I’ve been in a couple of shootouts in college too, so I guess it comes with a little bit of experience and what you like as a player,” said Newton. “Some goalkeepers like to watch the film and it helps them, and we all have our tendencies as players and for me, I learned the hard way last year. It’s never a negative if you learn from it, I took last year to the chin, and I got better and I learned from it and improved in all areas of my game and worked hard in the offseason and learned from my mistake.”

Last year provided the blemish on his record. On that occasion Sacramento was the No. 1-seed that fell as No. 8-seed Orange County SC claimed the upset at Papa Murphy's Park. The reversal of roles from a season ago in Sacramento's victory against the Monarchs made for an interesting comparison for Newton and his teammates.

“It’s like a 180 from last year which I know for me it was a big part of the emotion after the game and it was kind of funny how things come around and the preparation and the hard work and just trusting it,” said Newton. “It came back around, we were the eighth seed and won on PKs and last year we were the first seed and got knocked out, it was the complete opposite, and luckily we were on the receiving end this year.”

For Newton that disappointment last year led to a different approach ahead of this year's playoffs, and the shootout particularly.

“Last year I did some preparation and watched some film on Orange County and it actually went against me, I was thinking way too much in the penalties and a couple of times I went against my instincts and dove the other way," he said. "I might have had a few more saves there if I went with what I normally do but I watched film beforehand, and made that mistake but I learned from that mistake. We had some film on Salt Lake and I decided to not watch any of it. I wanted to go back to what I normally do when it comes to PKs and fortunately it worked out.”

For Newton that disappointment last year led to a different approach ahead of this year's playoffs, and the shootout particularly.

“Last year I did some preparation and watched some film on Orange County and it actually went against me, I was thinking way too much in the penalties and a couple of times I went against my instincts and dove the other way," he said. "I might have had a few more saves there if I went with what I normally do but I watched film beforehand, and made that mistake but I learned from that mistake. We had some film on Salt Lake and I decided to not watch any of it. I wanted to go back to what I normally do when it comes to PKs and fortunately it worked out.”

That’s not to say that Sacramento, and Newton, didn’t prepare for the potential of a shootout last Friday. Given the manner in which the club's 2016 season ended, the potential for the game to be decided from the spot was taken very seriously.

“We practiced it properly, as properly as we could without having a crowd there and if I could have had a crowd there I would have," said Republic FC Head Coach Paul Buckle. "I’ve had four penalty shootouts as a manager, I remember all of them and whether you win or lose you always reflect as a Head Coach and you think ‘what could I have done better?’ This week honestly, I looked at it, I felt so confident in the players, and in the work that we’d done leading up to it, and I saw good signs against Reno 1868 FC, that we were going to have enough character and quality to go through.”

Should Saturday night's Western Conference Semifinal against the Swope Park Rangers (5 p.m. ET | Preview) again arrive at a shootout, Newton is clearly feeling confident. While the No. 4-seed Rangers went 4 of 4 from the spot in their shootout win against Phoenix Rising FC in the Western Conference Quarterfinals, Newton will be hoping to rise to the occasion one more time.

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