Cosmos B just survived another marathon playoff game as several more heroes emerged, but Jonathan Borrajo knew which teammate who stood out the most:

 

Goalkeeper Kevin Tenjo.

 

He made two vital stops late in the North Atlantic Conference Final against the Brooklyn Italians Saturday night before saving his best for last. That was when he denied a Brooklyn player during the shootout that boosted Cosmos B into the Northeast Region bracket of the National Premier Soccer League playoffs.

 

"Kevin was the team MVP," said Borrajo, who converted the game-winning penalty that lifted Cosmos B to a 5-3 win in the tie-breaker after playing to a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes of regulation and extra time at Commisso Stadium

 

"He won the game for us in the second overtime," Borrajo added. "You never get credit as a defender when you stop a goal or you're a goalkeeper and you stop a goal. That was like him scoring a hat-trick, him stopping that goal was unbelievable for us. He was man of the match for doing that. Then obviously stopping the penalty for us. He won the game for us tonight."

 

Tenjo, who started the season as a backup keeper, took a rather humble approach to his heroics.

 

"Thank God for those saves," he said.

 

As well as he played, the 23-year-old goalkeeper was not perfect as James Thristino scored the opening goal of the match in the 68th minute. Tenjo came out of the net and the Brooklyn forward powered a 22-yard shot past him.

 

Tenjo said it was miscommunication with his defense.

 

"It was a difficult play, a difficult ball for them and for me," he said. "We kept going and we tied."

 

Cosmos B tied on second-half substitute Zaire Bartley's tally in the 75th minute.

 

Tenjo made up for the goal not once, not twice, but three times.

 

"That's what you want from your players, especially the goalkeeper," head coach Carlos Mendes said, adding whether it was "a mistake or a miscommunication, he gives up a goal and then he comes up huge for us and makes one or two big saves and a save in the PKs. The response, that's what you have to ask for. He was great and came up big when he needed to."

 

His first key save came in second-half stoppage time, denying an onrushing Shavon John Brown. He knocked his shot away before pouncing on the loose ball in the penalty area.

 

In the 104th minute, Tenjo made a one-handed save on Giuseppe Barone.

 

That set up the shootout.

 

"It's really difficult because we don't try to go to PKs," Tenjo said, "but that's football."

 

The Cosmos B goalkeeper hadn't made a save in four attempts when Thomas Suchecki stepped up to take his attempt.

 

Tenjo said he made a decision on which way he was going to dive just before Suchecki shot.

 

"That was a really fast decision," he said. "It was just seconds, two seconds you had to react."

 

He dove to his left to knock away the attempt, leaving it up to Borrajo to seal the deal.

 

As Borrajo approached the penalty spot, Tenjo said his teammate praised him for his save.

 

"The game is for us," Tenjo said the right back told him.

 

Mendes said he picked Borrajo to take a PK because of his experience and calmness on the field.

 

"It's funny. I haven't taken a penalty since i was a sophomore in college," the 31-year-old Borrajo said. "But Carlos asked me if I wanted to take one and I said, 'Of course.' I'm really happy Kevin took some of the pressure off by stopping the one before. The guys were really great. As I was stepping up, they said hit it with confidence and I just went on and put it into the back of the net."

 

The finish set up a Wednesday meeting with FC Frederick, which surprised favored FC Baltimore Saturday night to capture the Mid-Atlantic Conference crown. The game is set for the Hofstra Soccer Stadium in Hempstead, N.Y. on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.