San Pedro Stuns Chatsworth, 2-1 : Girls’ playoff soccer: Chancellors stopped in semifinals, erasing bid for sixth consecutive title.

Losing was inevitable, probably, but when it finally happened to the Chatsworth High girls’ soccer team, it was nonetheless shocking.

After winning all five championships since City Section play began in 1989, Chatsworth’s pressure-filled quest for a sixth was ended by San Pedro in a Wednesday semifinal. Pirate forward Danica Holt scored with six minutes remaining in overtime to hand the Chancellors their first-ever defeat in City play, 2-1.

“It’s been a great few years,” said Jack Sidwell, a Chatsworth assistant who has been a part of four of the team’s championships. “But all good things must come to an end.”

San Pedro’s Holt said that her team--which lost to Chatsworth by six goals in a preseason practice match--knew about the Chancellors’ remarkable streak.

“We thought it was about time they lost,” she said. “We pushed hard and we really wanted it. It feels great.”

Many Chatsworth players were in tears after the match, consoling each other as they disassembled the goals and nets.

“It makes you want to break down and cry,” said sophomore Kim Pickup, who proceeded to do just that. “We should have put more into practice. We didn’t take it seriously enough.”

Said goalkeeper Tawni Takaga: “We weren’t even thinking about the semis. We were just thinking finals.”

Their minds appeared to be elsewhere early in the match. In the 12th minute, San Pedro (12-4) was awarded a free kick six yards from the Chatsworth goal because goalkeeper Takaga picked up a pass from her own player, which is against the rules.

“It was probably a mental mistake on my behalf,” Takaga said. “I could have dribbled it. But there is so much gray area (in the rule’s interpretation). The pass was intended for my sweeper but it went by her.”

San Pedro’s Nicole DeLuca scored on the short kick to make it 1-0.

Chatsworth (14-1-1) tied the match in the second half on a difficult 15-yard shot by sophomore Michele George, but missed several opportunities to go ahead.

And in the fourth minute of the second 10-minute overtime period, Holt ended a dynasty by heading a perfect corner kick from DeLuca into the net.

“There was so much pressure (not to be the first team to lose),” Chancellor sophomore Michele Charles said. “It hurts even more that we lost for the Chatsworth program.”