The strategy the Chatsworth High girls soccer team used against Palisades in Friday’s City Section quarterfinal playoff game wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t tricky. At times, it bordered on illegal. But in the end, it worked. The Orange-clad Chancellors employed rough and aggressive tactics to throw the Dolphins off their game and just when it appeared the contest was headed for overtime, Shawna Williams scored on a turnaround shot and Chatsworth held on for a 1-0 victory. As the scoreboard clock at Stadium by the Sea ticked under three minutes left, Williams slipped into the penalty area with her back to the goal, corraled a pass from Lindsey Noah, warded off a defender, whirled, and booted a shot into the lower left corner of the net, just beyond the reach of Dolphins’ senior goalkeeper Laura Bailey. Although third-seeded Palisades (14-3-1) had several quality chances on corner kicks in the final two minutes of regulation and three minutes of ensuing injury time, it was unable to net the equalizer and suffered elimination at the hands of a West Valley League team for the third straight year. “It was a good shot,” Bailey said, describing the goal that brought her high school career to an end. “She put it in the spot that’s hardest for a goalie to get to. I saw the ball coming and I got half an inch or so of my fingers on it, but not enough to stop it.” Palisades hung tough with eventual City champion El Camino Real for a half before succumbing 6-0 two years ago and gave City runner-up Granada Hills fits last year despite losing 2-0. This time, the Dolphins generated the better chances against a less-skilled team. Seniors Kirsten Schluter and Nicole Angrisani and junior Alex Michael used nifty one-touch passing to keep the ball on Chatsworth’s half of the field and freshman sweeper Madison Glantz thwarted every Chancellors’ rush. The same teams had battled to a 1-1 tie in Pali’s season opener, with sophomore Lucy Miller scoring the Dolphins’ goal. Friday’s game was far more physical. And this time, the sixth-seeded Chancellors (11-7-4) had no intention of letting Palisades’ leading scorer do her damage. Miller was marked closely from the first whistle. She appeared to be fouled repeatedly and once was thrown to the ground in clear view of the referee, but he gave the motion to “play on.” Miller had to leave the game for 10 minutes to bandage several bleeding wounds she suffered on the play. “It’s sad, we’re like a family,” Bailey said. “I have no complaints. We all fought. We all tried. The goal was depressing but I give Chatsworth credit. They were more physical than us and they wanted to win. They had a few dirty players but every team does.” Palisades had plenty of momentum heading into its rematch with Chatsworth, having beaten 19th-seeded Banning 5-1 in the second round last Wednesday. Freshman Sara Newman scored two goals, including a one-timer inside the far post off of a pinpoint cross from Lucy Miller in the 19th minute. An own-goal following a corner kick in the 26th minute gave the Dolphins a 2-0 lead. Banning (10-5), which upset 14th-seeded Kennedy 1-0 in the first round, pulled to within a goal one minute later when Maria Estrada was left unguarded to the right of Pali’s goal and tucked a low shot behind Bailey. Implored by head coach Kim Smith to pick up the pace, the Dolphins broke the game open early in the second half on goals two minutes apart by Kirsten Schluter and Miller. With time winding down, Newman closed out the scoring with her second goal of the game and third of the playoffs.
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