LOUISVILLE, Ky. – As New York Red Bulls II goalkeeper Evan Louro dived to save from Louisville City FC’s Paolo DelPiccolo to give his side the edge after the second round of the penalty shootout, the second in as many years needed to separate the two teams in the USL Cup Playoffs after an enthralling 120 minutes of action in front of 10,047 fans at Slugger Field, it seemed the visitors and defending champions were going to upset the odds again.

This time, though, it wasn’t to be.

Louisville goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh turned the tables on the Red Bulls II, saving from both Ben Mines to open the fourth round and Evan Kutler to open the fifth as New York’s championship defense came to an end in deflating fashion after a stellar display that saw the Red Bulls II almost pull off its third consecutive road win of the postseason.

“The message was before was just to believe, have confidence, have no fear and we did that,” said Red Bulls II Head Coach John Wolyniec. “None of our guys came up short in that sense. You have to give credit to the goalkeeper in his two saves, one by inches. … I missed some in my career, I still remember them very clearly. My message is that even in missing, there can be more value in that then scoring. It doesn’t seem like it now, but it may carry immense weight in the future as long as it’s used and approached in the proper way.”

The Red Bulls II had been flawless from the spot in two shootouts a season ago in defeating first the Rochester Rhinos and then Louisville on the way to claiming the USL Cup. There were similarities to the side’s clash with Louisville a season ago on Saturday night, from the early concession of the lead on Brian Ownby’s 12th-minute tally for the hosts to a strong second-half comeback that saw Junior Flemmings notch a fine goal just before the hour-mark to level.

The Jamaican international showed speed and awareness as New York hit on a lightning-quick counterattack in the 57th minute, latching onto Stefano Bonomo’s flicked header before earning a slice of luck via a deflection that sent his finish from the left side of the penalty area into the net.

“In the first start, what I got to realize was that I was giving my back too much,” said Flemmings. “That allows him to get up my back end and start to attack really aggressive from behind. I started opening my hips and started going at him and realized he was backing up. Then I looked up I saw the goalkeeper started advancing to his near post, so I hit it across and got lucky it went to the back of the net.”