Sports
Pali Blues Rally Past Highlanders, 3-2
Local soccer club, Pali Blues, starts its road trip with a comeback over Victoria.
Winning on the road is rarely easy and the Pali Blues women's club soccer team experienced that again Wednesday night at Bear Mountain Stadium in Langford, British Columbia.
The Blues trailed the winless Victoria Highlanders 2-1 midway through the second half but scored twice in a five-minute span to take the lead and then held on for a 3-2 victory that moved them into third place in the W-League Western Conference standings.
Forward got the Blues on the scoreboard just five minutes into the contest when she calmly placed the ball into the net from the edge of the 6-yard box off a corner kick, assisted by .
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It took the home team two minutes to respond when forward Liz Hansen controlled a through pass by Amelie Mercier and tapped the ball off the far post, making it 1-1. The Highlanders struck again in the 15th minute when Hansen slid to re-direct a well-placed crossing pass off the foot of midfielder Mariel Solsberg into a wide open goal.
It was still 2-1 at halftime, but the Blues looked like a different team when they took the field for the second 45 minutes of action. After sustained pressure at Victoria's end, Pali was finally rewarded as the clock ticked under 20 minutes. Fittingly, it was captain who netted the equalizer off an assist from on a disputed corner kick in the 73rd minute.
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The Blues had not only tied the game 2-2, they had stolen the momentum. Five minutes later, sent a cross into the penalty area and was there to finish for the go-ahead goal. It was an especially satisfying triumph for Canadian international , a native of Edmonton, Alberta, who played 41 games for Whitecaps FC from 2003-06.
“The wind was a huge factor out there tonight but we pulled it together, hung together, and pulled it out at the end,” Andrews told the Victoria Times Colonist. “They were ahead and it wasn’t decided until late. Like any day, it comes down to who wants it more. Victoria certainly gave us a good run for our money."
Hansen probably wishes every game was against the Pacific Palisades club. She scored the first W-League goal in Victoria franchise history in the teams' first meeting, a 2-1 Blues victory May 20 at Palisades High. With Wednesday's defeat the Highlanders (0-9-1) remain in last place out of eight teams.
The Blues (5-0-3) have 18 points and moved to within one point of second-place Santa Clarita. Pali continues its road trip at frontrunning Vancouver on Friday and a win over the Whitecaps would vault the Blues into first place. The teams drew 1-1 in their first meeting June 1 at Palisades High.
The Blues-Whitecaps game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Newton Athletic Park in Vancouver.
2011 Pali Blues Schedule
Saturday, May 14 -- Pali Blues 1, Los Angeles Strikers 0
Friday, May 20 -- Pali Blues 2, Victoria Highlanders 1
Thursday, May 26 -- Pali Blues 0, Santa Clarita Blue Heat 0
Wednesday, June 1 -- Pali Blues 1, Vancouver Whitecaps 1
Sunday, June 5 -- Pali Blues 2, Seattle Sounders 0
Thursday, June 9 -- Pali Blues 0, Colorado Force 0
Saturday, June 11 -- Pali Blues 2, Colorado Rush 1
Wednesday, June 22 -- Pali Blues 3, Victoria Highlanders 2
Friday, June 24 -- at Vancouver Whitecaps, Newton Athletic Park, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 26 -- at Seattle Sounders, Starfire Sports Complex, 3 p.m.
Thursday, June 30 -- vs. Colorado Force at Palisades High, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 2 -- vs. Colorado Rush at Palisades High, 4 p.m.
Saturday, July 9 -- at Los Angeles Strikers, Pasadena City College, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 17 -- at Santa Clarita Blue Heat, Canyon High, 7 p.m.
* All times Pacific
