Kickers Win Winter Classic

By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor

Every soccer player dreams of scoring the game-winning goal for their team and Diego Zambronna got his chance to be the hero December 30 in the championship match of the South East Winter Classic at Los Angeles City College.

Palisades led Paramount 4-3 heading into the final round of penalty kicks, meaning Zambronna could clinch the win by converting his kick from the penalty spot 12 yards from goal. He did just that, drilling the ball by the Pirates’ diving goalkeeper to set off a wild celebration. Teammates rushed the field to congratulate the star of the night, but the victory was a team effort as the Dolphins’ first four shooters also made their kicks and junior goalkeeper Dodge Drageset lunged to his left to make a critical save in the third round to pave the way for Palisades’ 5-3 shootout victory. It was vindication for returning players who remember being bounced out of the tournament by Fremont in the semifinals  last season at Gahr. This time, they would not be denied.

The Dolphins opened pool play in the 32-team bracket by shutting out Camino Nuevo 6-0 and Bernstein 3-0 on Dec. 26.  The next day saw the Dolphins defeat Jefferson 1-0 and outscore Hawkins 4-1 to advance to the quarterfinals. There, Palisades edged Marshall 1-0 to advance to the semifinals Dec. 28 against tournament host South East. Hudson Weinberger scored late in the first half to tie the game 1-1 and he buried his penalty kick moments before teammate Max Bedolla netted the deciding goal in a 3-1 shootout win that earned the Dolphins a spot in the final against a Pirates side riding a seven-game unbeaten streak and coming off an impressive 2-0 semifinal triumph over Lakewood.

Palisades got on the scoreboard first when it was awarded a penalty kick after a foul in the box and Weinberger blasted home the try early in the first half. Paramount pressed for the equalizer and finaly capitalized with four minutes left in regulation. Neither team could find the net again before the final whistle and the score remained 1-1 going to a shootout.

There was no All-Tournament team but if there had been one, Weinberger surely would have been the Most Valuable Player. He paced the Dolphins with nine goals in seven games, several of them coming at key stages. 

On Monday, the Dolphins returned home to beat Bell 4-1—giving them eight wins in a row since a 5-0 setback at City favorite Birmingham on Dec. 13. Under new head coach Josh Figueroa, who took the reins from Marvin Lemus, Palisades is getting healthy and is ready to make a run at its second City title, having won its only section crown in 2016 under former pilot Dave Suarez, now the school’s boys and girls golf coach.     

Palisades lost its Western League opener to Fairfax 2-0 on Dec. 4 at Stadium by the Sea but rebounded to blank Hamilton 4-0 two days later.

The Dolphins went 8-0-4 in league last season and made it to the City Division I quarterfinals, losing to El Camino Real 2-1 in overtime. The Royals then upset top-seeded Granada Hills before losing to West Valley League rival Birmingham 2-0 in the City Division I final at Valley College.