Dolphins Win Holiday Soccer Showcase

Redemption was the goal of the home team before the opening game of last weekend’s Palisades Holiday Soccer Showcase. Many of the Dolphins’ players still felt the sting from a loss to Cleveland in the playoffs two years ago, so just call Friday night’s win payback. “I was really focused for that game because they knocked us out my freshman year,” Palisades co-captain Kathryn Gaskin said. “Last year we tied them so this time we had to beat them.” Palisades played well in its own tournament last year but had only three draws to show for its efforts. This time, the Dolphins won every game, starting with a 3-0 victory over the Cavaliers in which Gaskin, Lily McGuire and Jacklyn Bamberger scored. On Saturday afternoon Gaskin booted home the only goal off of a cross from McGuire for a 1-0 victory over Stockdale of Bakersfield. Gaskin then assisted on Yasmine Tabatabai’s first-half goal in a 1-0 victory over Sylmar. Palisades goalkeeper Kiki Bailey did not allow a ball to get by her the entire tournament. “I didn’t have to make too many saves,” Bailey said. “The closest a team came to scoring was with about four minutes left in the Sylmar game when a ball bounced high and I had to tip it over the crossbar.” The Dolphins have rebounded nicely from nonleague defeats to West Valley League opponents Granada Hills and Taft. Palisades began defense of its Western League crown Wednesday against Venice and travels to Fairfax for a 2:30 kickoff Friday. Boys’ Soccer Palisades got goals from Shane Centkowski, Nathan Cutler and Alex Anastasi to beat San Pedro, 3-0, in its season opener. The Dolphins began Western League play at Venice on Wednesday and host Fairfax at Stadium by the Sea this Friday at 2:30 p.m.