Rebound goal propels Hoover girls’ soccer past archrival Glendale

GLENDALE — Despite a deluge of shots against them and threatening skies above, the Hoover High girls’ soccer team found a way to overcome the elements.

The host Tornadoes scored the match-winning goal in the 69th minute by junior defender Melanie Palermo to defeat crosstown archrival Glendale, 2-1, in a thrilling Pacific League contest on a rainy Friday afternoon.

“I couldn’t be more excited because the girls played so well today,” Hoover Coach Sarah Strange said. “There were moments where Glendale definitely dominated parts of the game, but our girls did not stop fighting.”

Just about every stat was in favor of the Nitros (5-6-1, 3-4-1 in league) as Glendale out shot Hoover (5-8, 3-5) by a 20-7 margin with 11 corner kicks attempted versus one allowed.

All that offense finally translated into a score when a corner kick from Glendale’s Rita Grigorian in the 65th minute turned into a goal on a shot tapped in by junior Sophia Noriega from two yards out.

The goal knotted the score at 1 and appeared to shift momentum squarely onto the Nitros’ sideline.

Yet, Hoover showed some moxie and answered the challenge when senior striker Remi Miller, who tallied Hoover’s first goal, led an attack that resulted with a 20-yard shot on goal that bounced off the chest of Glendale’s goalie.

A streaking Palermo was in perfect position to one-time a rebound in the 69th minute that gave Hoover a 2-1 lead.

“I saw a perfect ball straight in the middle,” Palermo said. “I think the goalie dropped it and then I just sprinted and connected.”

Hoover dropped back on defense after the score over the final 11 minutes, while the Nitros pushed forward.

Glendale had its chances, particularly on a pair of tries from sophomore Giselle Navarro.

In the 71st minute, Navarro had a rebound try stopped by Hoover junior goalie Jazmine Martinez, while Navarro just shot over the crossbar in the 73rd minute.

Perhaps Glendale’s most maddening shot was its final one, when a 25-yard blast hit at the corner of the goal, where the crossbar and post meet, and deflected out of play.

“It just felt like we were playing keep away and not soccer,” Glendale Coach Victor Aquino said. “I asked them at halftime, ‘Are you going to pass the ball 20 times before you take a shot?’ It’s frustrating. I think they wanted to win this game so badly that they didn’t want to lose possession of the ball and just didn’t take good shots.”

Glendale out shot Hoover, 11-3, in the first half, but the Tornadoes drew first blood when Miller took an outlet pass from Lena Valenzuela near mid-field and charged into the attacking third.

Miller out sprinted the Glendale defense and deked a fullback just before entering the 18-yard box, as she peppered a 15-yard goal in the 34th minute to put the home team up, 1-0.

As for Martinez, the Hoover goalie was under siege the entire contest, but finished with eight saves.

Martinez’ best stop may have been on a point-blank shot from Navarro off a corner kick from Grigorian in the 15th minute.

Martinez also denied Glendale junior Ani Krikorian in the 32nd minute of a 12-yard shot created on a cross from Noriega.

“It was a very stressful, physical game,” Miller said, “but we wanted to win it.”