Co-captain Mechal Green takes a shot versus Venice. She scored both of the Dolphins’ goals in the first half of the game played at Birmingham. The Dolphins are still without a home field.
Photo: STEVE GALLUZZO
By STEVE GALLUZZO
CTN Contributor
When it comes to sustained excellence, few coaches in the City Section can match what Christian Chambers has done over the last dozen years at Palisades High.
Since taking over the girls soccer program prior to the 2014-15 season Chambers has piloted the Dolphins to 12 consecutive Western League titles and a remarkable league record of 126 wins, zero losses and seven draws. The last of those draws occurred last Wednesday at Birmingham, where archival Venice rallied to score two goals in the last 20 minutes to salvage a 2-2 tie and a share of the crown.
“This is the best team Venice has had since I’ve been at Pali,” Chambers said. “We got off to a great start, but a couple of lapses in the second half cost us.”
Palisades has made the upper division playoffs every year in Chambers’ tenure and the only thing he would like to add to his resume is a City title. He has coached the Dolphins into the semifinals six times and the finals twice but has yet to raise the trophy.
Coach Christian Chambers
Photo: STEVE GALLUZZO
“This isn’t my most talented team, but it might be the grittiest,” Chambers said. “We haven’t had a home field, so every game has been on the road and we’ve been hobbling our way through the season. We lost one of our best defenders [Alina Evans] to an ACL injury against Santa Monica, so she only played six games.
“Ava Loos has been our spiritual leader but it’s been a scrappy group with sophomore defenders Paige Song and Jordan Advul and [midfielder] Maya Hively has been a warrior,” Chambers said.
Arizona State-bound Mechal Green scored on a well-placed strike from 20 yards out in the 28th minute and again on a shot from the right wing just inside the penalty area two minutes later to give the Dolphins a seemingly safe 2-0 lead, but instead of staying aggressive they let Venice dictate play after halftime.
“Their ‘100 percent’ mentality outshines us,” Green admitted afterwards. “When they’re behind, they’re still pushing and our reaction is to slack off. It’s not okay. Every time we’ve lost doin that and it’s getting in our heads. If you want to win, it’s all about taking risks.”
Julissa Pacas got the Gondoliers on the scoreboard with a booming kick from 25 yards out that soared just over the outstretched arms of goalie Maria Knierim and under the crossbar in the 60th minute and five minutes later Khalia Rodriguez headed in a rebound to pull Venice even.
“We’ve had to play on some really bad fields all season, but we got lucky with Birmingham letting us play here today,” added Green, who assisted on Harper Givens’ goal in the first half of a 1-1 stalemate in the teams’ first league meeting Jan. 16. “This year has been a scramble just finding places to practice.”
Green, one of four senior captains, is pacing the Dolphins in scoring with 73 points (26 goals, 21 assists). She and Loos led Paul Revere Middle School to two Junior Delphic League titles before coming to Pali High and Green plays for the LA Breakers FC ECNL 08/07 squad with Evans and Venice defender Somer Staley.
Green tallied three goals and three assists and Hively also netted three in Palisades’ 12-0 rout of Fairfax on Senior Night last Friday at Crossroads. Venice edged Hamilton 1-0 that afternoon to clinch a share of first place.
Palisades’ only City title came in 2007 when it beat University 2- 1 in the finals of the Invitational (lower) Division in 2007 under coach Kim Smith.
City playoff seedings were released Monday and Palisades (13-3-4) and Venice (17-1-3) are both in the eight-team Open bracket.
The Dolphins are seeded fifth and will travel to No. 4 San Pedro for the second time in nine days, having tied the Pirates 3-3 in nonleague action Feb. 2. Venice is seeded second behind West Valley League champion Cleveland.
“We’ve been in this situation before… it’s nothing new,” Chambers said.
On the boys’ side, Palisades tied Venice atop the Western League and got seeded fourth in the Open Division. In the quarterfinals Thursday the Dolphins host Eastern League runner-up Bell at a site to be determined.
The teams’ last playoff meeting was in the Division I quarterfinals in 2016. Palisades prevailed 1-0 and went on to capture its only section title.
Harper Given dribbles through the Venice defense during last Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at Birmingham.
Photo: STEVE GALLUZZO
CITY SECTION PLAYOFFS
GIRLS – OPEN DIVISION
Quarterfinals – Wednesday at 3 p.m.
#8 GALA (15-7-2) at #1 Cleveland (14-2-3)
#5 Palisades (13-3-4) at #4 San Pedro (19-7-2)
#6 New West Charter (14-2-2) at #3 El Camino Real (12-5-1)
#7 Granada Hills (10-5-2) at #2 Venice (17-1-3)
Note: Semifinals Feb. 18 at higher seeds; Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.
BOYS – OPEN DIVISION
Quarterfinals- Thursday at 3 p.m.
#8 Banning (11-5-1) at #1 El Camino Real (16-3-1)
#5 Bell (18-3-5) at #4 Palisades (16-4-2)
#6 Marquez (18-3-2) at #3 Birmingham (18-6-2)
#7 Venice (12-6-3) at #2 South East (19-1-5)
Note: Semifinals Feb. 19 at higher seeds; Finals Feb. 27 or 28 at TBA.