DIVISION II GIRLS’ SOCCER : Top-Seeded Team Knocks Out Canyon, 2-1

Canyon took a one-goal lead into the second half, but couldn’t hang on and fell, 2-1, to visiting Torrance Bishop Montgomery in a Southern Section Division II girls’ soccer semifinal Tuesday.

The Comanches (17-6-3), who reached the Division II final last season, entered the game as heavy underdogs to the top-seeded Knights (20-2-2).

Midway through the first half, Canyon struck first, when Kim Nelson passed to Kerry Anderson leading a three-on-none break. Anderson pushed the ball to the left of goalkeeper Celeste Adams for the early advantage.

The lead held until the Knights scored with about 20 minutes left to play.

Canyon goalkeeper Robin Schmidt came out of the box trying to cut off the angle on a Bishop Montgomery corner kick. The ball slid past her in front of the goal and right to Bishop Montgomery’s Bridgett Arnett, who kicked it in. The referee ruled that the ball cleared the goal line just before two Canyon defenders cleared it.

Less than two minutes later, Schmidt left the box again and Michelle Kallas kicked it into the upper left corner.

“It was (Schmidt’s) call to go out and try to mess up the play,” Canyon Coach John Williams said. “Their girl had no angle at all. I thought the first goal was cleared, but the referee had a much better angle than I did.”

Adams snuffed out Canyon’s chances late in the second half, recording three of her seven saves in the last 10 minutes. Schmidt had eight saves for Canyon.