After seeing the boys squad win its third straight City title in the fall the Palisades High girls water polo team began the season determined to win its first.
The Dolphins will try to start their own dynasty by ending another when they meet defending champion Eagle Rock tonight at 6 at Los Angeles Valley College in Valley Glen.
Rich Schmitt/Staff Photographer
Palisades has lost to the Eagles in the finals two of the last three years, including a 14-7 defeat last season, but the second-seeded Dolphins are confident after last Friday’s 12-5 victory over third-seeded Birmingham at Maggie Gilbert Aquatic Center.
“It was nice playing a really good team because we’re at a different level than the rest of our league,”said goalie Nicole Poursalimi, who made six saves against the Patriots. “At halftime they got tired and we got stronger. We have a lot of stamina and that should help us in the finals too.”
Goals by Mardell Ramirez, Jackie Au and Yasmin Ansari gave Palisades (18-5) a quick 3-0 lead and Roya Visconti scored on a rebound to make it 4-2 at intermission.
Twenty seconds into the second half, Ramirez scored off a pass from Genesis Carballo and she scored again on a breakaway one minute later. Visconti buried a shot from in close and Carballo scored off a feed from Ramirez to make it 8-2 with 3:25 left in the third quarter. Ramirez scored her fifth goal on a skip shot from 12 meters out and finished with five goals, three assists and five steals.
“Pali matches up well with Eagle Rock,” said Birmingham Coach Vincent Kezman. “Pali has more depth and I think is stronger on defense.”
Two days earlier, Palisades eliminated Marquez 20-5 in the quarterfinals. Ramirez scored seven goals, Au had five, Visconti had three, Carballo had two and Clara Saab, Erika Siao and Sarah Martinez all added one goal.
“[The final] should be a good game,” predicted Marquez Coach David Lopez, whose team lost twice to Eagle Rock in league play. “Pali has good arms and three fast sprinters.”
Top-seeded Eagle Rock (25-4) is chasing a fourth straight section title and has won 67 consecutive games versus City opponents.
“I didn’t get to play at all in the final last year so I;m looking forward to it,” Poursalimi said.
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