Pali Blues Soccer Suffers First Defeat

First place in the W-League Western Conference standings was on the line Friday night when the Pali Blues women's soccer squad took on the Vancouver Whitecaps at Newton Athletic Park in Surrey, British Columbia.

Vancouver entered the contest with a one-point lead over Santa Clarita and a two-point lead over Pali, but a Blues victory would have vaulted them into sole possession of first place.

Instead, the Whitecaps widened their lead to four points with a 1-0 victory--their fourth consecutive shutout. Despite being defeated for the first time this season the Blues (5-1-3) remain in third place with five games left.

Hometown girl Jenna Richardson tallied the game's only goal in the 19th minute and goalkeeper Jaclyn Dunnett did the rest, thwarting several Blues chances late in the game.

Richardson, an 18-year-old rookie from Surrey, broke into the penalty area and tapped a bouncing through ball from striker Sydney Laroux into the bottom right corner of the net for the only goal the home side would need.

Tiffany Weimer appeared to give Vancouver a two-goal advantage late in the final  minute of the first half when she re-directed a shot from winger Jen Stoltenberg past Blues goalkeeper , but Weimer was ruled offside--one of four times Vancouver was caught for that infraction.

Trailing at the break for the second time in as many games, the Blues again opened the second half strong and nearly netted the equalizer in the 53rd minute when 's chip shot from the right wing sailed just over the crossbar. In the 56th minute, slipped behind the Vancouver defense, only to be thwarted by Dunnett at point-blank range.

Picarelli, the Italian international, made a huge save on Stoltenberg's one-timer in the 65th minute, Richardson shot inches over the crossbar from 15 yards away at the 69-minute mark and Picarelli saved Shannon Woeller's shot off a corner kick one minute later.

McCarty almost leveled it with 18 minutes remaining but her blast from inside the crowded box was blocked by Whitecaps defender Lexi Marton before reaching goal.

Vancouver (7-1-2) won six corner kicks to the Blues' one and had 13 shots to Pali's nine. The teams had played to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting June 1 at Palisades High, with Guajardo tallying the Blues' goal in the first half and Tina Romagnuolo answering for the visitors on a penalty shot in the second half.

"Every time we play Pali it's a hard fought battle," Vancouver Coach Hubert Busby, Jr. told whitecapsf.com afterwards. "I'm very proud of the ladies this evening."

It was a physical game, as Vancouver was whistled for 15 fouls and the Blues 11. Whitecaps Weimer and Keshia Wallin and Blues captain were all issued yellow cards. Vancouver ended Pali's hopes of a third straight W-League championship with a 2-1 victory in the Western Conference playoffs last July.

The Blues wrap up their three-game road trip in the Pacific Northwest on Sunday when they face the fifth-place Seattle Sounders (3-5-1) at Starfire Sports Complex Stadium.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. and Seattle will atempt to avenge its 2-0 loss to the Blues on June 5 at Palisades High. The Blues will be back in Pacific Palisades on June 30 to host the Colorado Force at 7 p.m. at Stadium by the Sea.

For tickets to Pali Blues home games, click here or call 310-264-4649.

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 -- Vancouver Whitecaps 1, Pali Blues 0

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