THE PREPS : Boys’ Soccer Playoffs : Palos Verdes Tested, but Beats Mater Dei

Going into Friday’s game, Palos Verdes High School, the undefeated, untied and apparently unstoppable soccer power, by all accounts had a lock on the Southern Section 4-A boys’ soccer title.

But for much of the afternoon, Mater Dei looked as if it had the tools to pick that lock as the host Monarchs gave the top-seeded Sea Kings their toughest game all season.

Mater Dei tied the score twice, sending the match into sudden death overtime before falling, 3-2.

“They gave us a scare,” Palos Verdes Coach Alan King said.

“Mater Dei deserves a lot of credit,” King told his team. “They are the first team to score two goals on you all season.”

Going into the game, Palos Verdes had scored 87 goals. It had allowed eight goals in 30 games, never giving up more than one goal in any match.

Mater Dei did it by playing aggressive soccer. The Monarchs were whistled for 20 fouls, Palos Verdes 8.

“I haven’t seen that much hugging at any level--peewee, AYSO or international,” King screamed at the referees.

Palos Verdes scored the match’s first goal 28 minutes into the first half. Midfielder Alfonso Lindsay was about 28 yards out, looking very much like he was out for a stroll when he suddenly blasted a thigh-high drive to the right corner of the goal that caught goalie Chip Packard off guard.

Mater Dei tied it 28 minutes into the second half when Ryan Robitaille took the ball as it bounced off the right goal post and directed it past goalie Mark Antrobius.

Palos Verdes took a 2-1 lead 2 minutes into the first overtime on Jeff Bower’s follow shot. Teammate Doug Kay’s shot bounced off Packard’s hands and Bower was waiting to chip it in.

The Monarchs got their second goal off a Mike Ammann penalty kick that bounced off the left goal post and into the net 8 minutes into the first overtime.

The game-winning goal came in the first sudden-death overtime period when Bower streaked up the left side of the field to draw the defense then passed off in the center to Kay, who kicked a grounder into the right corner of the net.

In another 4-A quarterfinal match:

Edison 1, Chino 0 (sudden-death overtime)--At Chino, Edison won the match when a Chino player deflected the ball into his team’s goal.

In the 1-A quarterfinals:

Agoura 2, Troy 1--The Chargers scored twice in the final 8 minutes for the victory at Agoura. Dominic Zapata scored with 8 minutes left to tie the score, 1-1. Nelson Townes thens cored the match-winner with 3 minutes left.