The clock was rapidly winding down and Palisades was desperate for a goal in Thursday’s City Section Division I boys soccer quarterfinal at Stadium by the Sea.
Just when it seemed the game was headed for overtime and possibly penalty kicks, Gabriel Palomares received a pass from Jack Hockley in the penalty area and fired a shot into the corner of the net to break the stalemate in the 64th minute and the third-seeded Dolphins hung on to eliminate sixth-seeded Bell 1-0 and advance to the final four.
“Spencer Tidball made a great run up the middle and got it to Jack, who gave me a square pass and I placed it well,” Palomares said. “We’re all very close and we approach every game the same. The strategy today was not to give them too much space and to get up the field fast on counters.”
Beating Bell was especially satisfying for Pali High Coach Dave Suarez, who watched the Eagles eliminate his team from the playoffs four times in the previous seven seasons — all by 1-0 scores — including in overtime in the finals in 2013.
“They’ve been a thorn in our side for sure,” a relieved Suarez said. “It feels good to finally win one against them.”
Palisades (17-2-2) will host Sylmar in the semifinals Tuesday after the Spartans upset second-seeded El Camino Real 2-1 in the quarterfinals. The winner will face either top-seeded Granada Hills or 13th-seeded Poly for the championship next Saturday at Los Angeles Valley College.
— Steve Galluzzo
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