SOUTHERN SECTION SOCCER PLAYOFFS : Girls’ Roundup : Edison Does Homework, Defeats University on Penalty Kicks, 4-2

Colleen Silva, co-coach of the Edison High School girls’ soccer team, had planned her penalty-kick strategy. On Wednesday, when the Chargers needed it, they were ready.

University (17-5-2) played fourth-seeded Edison to a scoreless tie through regulation and two 10-minute overtimes, but Edison advanced to the 4-A semifinals on penalty kicks, 4-2.

“I’d been preparing for this,” said Silva, who said she knew which players would take the kicks and the order in which they would take them.

Edison (18-3-4) made four straight penalty kicks. University missed its first, and Charger goalkeeper Julie Worden made a save on the fourth Trojan kick. So Edison advanced to a semifinal match Tuesday against top-seeded and undefeated Mission Viejo.

The meeting will be a rematch of the 1986 championship game, which ended in a tie. Because, under Southern Section rules, the title game does not go to penalty kicks, Edison and Mission Viejo were declared co-champions.

It seemed as if University would have an edge when the match went to penalty kicks. The Trojans won their first-round match against St. Lucy’s on penalty kicks, and Trojan goalie Michele McIntyre played a fine match Wednesday, stifling Edison’s 31-shot attack with help from defender Julie Pitchess. But she didn’t come very close to saving any of the four Edison kicks.

“Sometimes when (a goalie) plays hard and plays a very good game, it’s hard to get into the penalty kick situation,” said Joanne Knox, University coach.

Edison’s Debbie Bantraegar, whom Silva picked because she is “as cold as ice,” took the first penalty kick, putting it just to the right of McIntyre for a 1-0 lead. University’s Sharon Littlefield took the Trojans’ first kick but missed wide to the left.

Donna Robertson lofted a kick above McIntyre’s head and to the right, putting the Chargers up by 2-0 before Ingrid Carlson angled a shot past Worden into the left corner of the net. Mitch Nedon’s kick into the left corner put Edison ahead by 3-1, but Katie Spencer made it 3-2 when she put a high kick into the left corner that Worden touched but couldn’t stop.

Michelle Hamilton’s kick made it 4-2, Edison, before Worden made a save on Julie Simpson’s kick.

“Everybody wants a shot at Mission,” Edison co-Coach Renee Nadon said. “We’ve been there--undefeated and No. 1--and all along we’ve wanted a shot at Mission. They’re a great, great team, but we’re not going to lie down for them.”

Nadon and Silva, who have coached Edison for six seasons, said this will be their final season.

Mission Viejo 1, West Torrance 0--Tammy Van OpDorp scored with 30 seconds remaining, leading the Diablos (25-0-1) at home. West Torrance (15-4-5) held Mission Viejo to its only tie early this season in the South Torrance tournament, but Mission Viejo defeated the Warriors in a second meeting and again Wednesday.

Torrance 1, Capistrano Valley 0--Shannon Maddock scored on a header off a free kick midway through the first half, leading the second-seeded Tartars to a quarterfinal victory at home. Torrance (21-2-4) was awarded the free kick from about five yards beyond the box after a foul midway through the second half. Capistrano Valley, which outshot Torrance by 8-3, finished 15-6-1.

Upland 3, Fountain Valley 0--Annette DeVolld, Bridget Ragle and Kristi Smith scored as No. 3 Upland (18-3-4) shut out the Barons at Fountain Valley. Upland plays Torrance in a semifinal match Tuesday.

In a 3-A second-round game:

San Gorgonio 4, Canyon 1--Jackie Powers, a freshman forward, scored all four goals as the second-seeded Spartans (27-0-1) defeated Canyon (14-7-2) at San Gorgonio.