Photo: Steve Galluzzo
Pali High Girls Soccer Drops Nonleague Showdown to El Camino Real
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
Palisades High girls soccer coach Christian Chambers considered his team’s midseason clash with perennial City power El Camino Real as a test not only of where the Dolphins are but also where they hope to be by the end of the season. The Royals, 14-time section champions, have long been the benchmark against which other programs are measured and despite a 2-0 loss the Dolphins came away from Saturday’s home game feeling positive after a strong second half against the team that knocked them out of the Division I playoffs last winter.
The first strike came in the ninth minute on a free kick from 25 yards out that was accidentally headed in by a Palisades player for an own goal. The Royals doubled their lead 20 minutes later when Erin Lee scored off a corner kick, one-timing the ball past goalie Jacinda Hevesy-Rodriguez.
“This is the result of four weeks off and not having enough practices under our belts,” Chambers said. “It was the story of two halves really. In the first half they were beating us to the ball and dictating play. I told the girls at halftime we aren’t going to win if we don’t compete. I was much happier with how we played the second half. We generated some quality chances and kept the ball in their end most of the time. Potentially, this could be one of the best teams we’ve had. but time wll tell.
The loss followed a scoreless draw with New West Charter two days earlier, the Dolphins showing rust from Winter Break. They resume league action this week.
El Camino Real, which fell to West Valley League rival Cleveland in the finals last year, improved to 7-1-2 against Palisades since Chambers took over the Dolphins’ program in 2014. The Royals won by the same score on their home field in last year’s regular season meeting six weeks before eliminating Palisades 3-1 in the City semifinals.
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