Mills Godwin goalkeeper Sam Hughes nearly saved the penalty kick, prompting Briar Woods goalkeeper Micah Scott to do something unusual. Scott smiled, extended his hand and offered his counterpart a compliment. Mills Godwin and Briar Woods were in the throes of a wrenching shootout in Saturday’s 5A state championship, so was Scott seeking some kind of psychological edge?

“It’s tough to do penalty shootouts,” Scott said. “I don’t think they’re fun, so I knew what was going through the other guy’s head.”

Scott’s subtle display of sportsmanship kept him relaxed enough to deliver Briar Woods its first boys’ soccer state title. The shaggy-haired senior stepped up to convert the Falcons’ sixth spot kick, then retook his position in goal to stone Mills Godwin’s final attempt and incite bedlam from his onrushing teammates.

Briar Woods’s 5-4 shootout victory followed another protracted affair on Westfield High’s steaming turf. Both teams triumphed in the third overtime sessions of their respective semifinals Friday, and both teams slogged through four more overtimes knotted in a scoreless tie before penalty kicks.

For most of the 100 minutes leading to the shootout, Briar Woods executed methodical buildup play while the weary Eagles absorbed pressure. Senior center back Nate Albrecht anchored the Falcons’ impregnable back line, and on the rare occasion a shot slipped through the cracks, Scott was there to corral it. No surprise, then, that Briar Woods secured its third straight shutout.

Perhaps the only surprise was that Albrecht stood back there in the first place. The stout defender underwent surgery on one hip two years ago, then had surgery on the other hip last year. That forced him to miss his sophomore and junior seasons.

His return this spring rallied a depleted roster that embraced a defensive mentality as the playoffs wore on.

“If we did not have Nate, we wouldn’t be here today,” Scott said.

Briar Woods graduated 15 seniors from last year’s unit. The Falcons (14-5-4) finished the regular season with a .500 record, then decided to make some changes. They altered their formation from a 4-3-3 to a 4-1-4-1. They shifted players all over the field. And they trusted Scott and Albrecht to forge a new team identity centered on defense.

“I had to convince them that, ‘Hey, this is what we’re going to do,’ ” said Briar Woods Coach Francois Bernard, whose leading scorer tallied six goals. “I know you’re not going to like it, but that’s the way we’re going to win.”

The Falcons had their chances to end things before the shootout. Freshman striker Wes Anderson lashed a 20-yard blast that was tipped against the crossbar in the 52nd minute. And with seven minutes left in regulation, senior midfielder Aidan Sullivan saw his close-range header cleared off the goal line.

“I had faith we were going to win because I knew there wasn’t any way they were going to score on us,” Scott said. “Our defense has been way too solid.”

After Briar Woods students rushed the field and mobbed the players, Bernard exchanged tearful embraces with Scott and Albrecht near the sideline. He credited those two with bringing together a young group that shook off a tumultuous regular season and found a way to go undefeated in the postseason.

“I couldn’t have done that by myself,” Bernard said, referring to his team’s unshakable chemistry. “They’re the adults on the field.”