Girls’ soccer: Can San Pedro end Valley’s streak?

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Since the sport was sanctioned in 1988, no team outside the San Fernando Valley has won the City Section’s upper division girls’ soccer championship.

San Pedro, however, is two wins away from becoming the first.

The fourth-seeded Pirates advanced to the Division I semifinals with a 3-1 victory over fifth-seeded Palisades on Thursday, leaving them the sole City-side team remaining in the field of 16. It’s hardly unfamiliar territory for San Pedro, which reached the finals in 2008 and the semifinals last winter.

Rio Pace scored off a pass from Amenaide Brown in the 8th minute and Courtney Bradford scored twice--on a turnaround shot from 18 yards out in the 49th minute and on a penalty kick in the 54th. Palisades avoided the shutout on Kathryn Gaskin’s 27th goal of the year in the 78th minute.

San Pedro (16-6-1) is on an 11-game winning streak in which it has outscored the opposition 43-3, but the Marine League champions face the ultimate test Tuesday: top-seeded Woodland Hills El Camino Real. The Conquistadores (12-5-5) are hungry to regain the title after their pursuit of a ninth straight section crown ended with a 1-0 semifinal loss to West Valley League rival Granada Hills last season.

Second-seeded Granada Hills (11-4-10) hosts No. 6 Sylmar (17-5-5) in Tuesday’s other semifinal. The winners advance to the championship game March 6 at Contreras High in Los Angeles.

-- Steve Galluzzo