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All of the top eight seeds -- El Camino Real of Woodland Hills, San Pedro, Chatsworth, Palisades, Granada Hills, Sylmar, Taft of Woodland Hills and Cleveland of Reseda -- advanced to the City Section girls' soccer quarterfinals.

The matchups Wednesday are as follows:

No. 8 Cleveland at No. 1 El Camino Real -- ECR won season series 2-0
No. 5 Granada Hills at No. 4 Palisades -- Didn't meet during regular season, Granada Hills won last meeting 1-0 in 2006 quarterfinals
No. 6 Sylmar at No. 3 Chatsworth -- Chatsworth won season opener 3-0
No. 7 Taft at No. 2 San Pedro -- first playoff meeting between the teams

For an in-depth recap of Friday's action, check back here Saturday afternoon for more information.

And then there were 19 local girls' soccer teams remaining in the Southern Section playoffs, highlighted by four in Div. II from the Mission League, which confirmed its status as the area's top league. Canyon and Saugus also looked dominant, while Foothill League co-champion Valencia was knocked off by Arcadia, leading a group of three Pacific League teams that advanced, including Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta and Burbank. Thousand Oaks was the only Marmonte League team to survive, as was Lancaster in the Golden League. And Oaks Christian of Westlake Village took the first impressive step toward a sixth Div. V title in seven years. If your team's result doesn't appear on this report, it's likely that no one affiliated with the team reported it to the Daily News.

So, without further delay, here's a recap of what transpired during the matches of Feb. 19:

Match of the night: Notre Dame 2, St. Lucy's 0: Aside from its victory Feb. 4 over Harvard-Westlake of Studio City, this might go down as the biggest win in Sarah Farnham's coaching career at Notre Dame. Despite needing an at-large entry to get in the Div. II playoffs, the visiting Knights demonstrated their toughness from surviving a daunting Mission League schedule by scoring twice in the second half to knock off No. 4 St. Lucy's of Glendora. Morgan Ritter, who scored twice in Tuesday's 5-2 wild-card victory over Eastside of Lancaster, contributed both goals to increase her team-leading total to 18 for the Knights, who benefited from an inspiring halftime speech from Farnham to dominate the Sierra League champs in the final 40 minutes. Notre Dame, which had one postseason win in Farnham's tenure prior to this season, is on the verge of making the quarterfinals for the first time since 1998, when Farnham -- then Sarah Morgan -- led the Knights to the Div. III quarterfinals. Robyn Weatherby was instrumental in the victory, setting up Ritter's first goal, then serving as a decoy on her second goal in the final 20 seconds, as Weatherby appeared like she was going to redirect a free kick, only to let the ball roll by her untouched inside the post. Cynthia Tafoya made five saves for Notre Dame, which plays Redlands -- a 1-0 winner over El Modena -- in Tuesday's second round.

Goal of the day: Anabell Gonzalez wasn't fazed by playing in her first career playoff game on the road against Mt. Baldy League champion Don Lugo of Chino. The Burbank sophomore forward received a pass from Stephanie Alcaraz in the second half and scored the biggest of her 16 goals this year and one of the most important in Bulldogs' program history, as Burbank held on for a 1-0 win to advance to the second round of the Div. II playoffs. The assist was the 11th for Alcaraz, who is tied for the team lead with Kristina Amela. Also worthy of mentioning is Katie Speidel's goal in the 72nd minute in Harvard-Westlake's 3-1 victory over Quartz Hill in the Div. II first-round contest. After the Rebels' Carla Hager scored to cut the deficit to 2-1 in the 71st minute, Haley Boysen needed less than a minute to maneuver through Quartz Hill's defense and set up Speidel for the insurance goal for the Wolverines, who also received goals from Boysen and Maddie Lenard.

Unsung hero of the day: With so much attention being paid to Erin Ortega and Jamie Molacek in the attacking third for Saugus, the efforts of Brittanie Sakajian, Shannon Suarez, Nicole Penick and even Shasta Fisher often go unnoticed for the Centurions. But the supporting cast stepped front and center in Saugus' 8-1 victory over Highland in its Div. II opener, causing problems all over the field for the Bulldogs. Penick scored twice, Suarez had a goal and two assists, Fisher recorded a goal and an assist and Sakajian added a goal for the Centurions, who rebounded from a frustrating final week of the regular season to build momentum entering Tuesday's second-round game at top-seed Flintridge Sacred Heart. Not to be outdone, Molacek contributed a goal and Ortega had two assists for Saugus, which held Highland scoreless until the 68th minute when USC signee Samantha Johnson recorded her 104th career goal.

Top performance by a freshman: It's a bad sign for the rest of Div. V not only this season, but for the next few years, when all but one of Oaks Christian of Westlake Village's goals come from a ninth-grader in a 7-1 opening-round victory over Windward. Mandi Duncan had two goals and two assists, Nicole Kawamoto scored twice, and Kaycee Buckley and Rachel Burrow also scored in their postseason debuts for the Lions, who also received a goal and an assist from sophomore Ally Courtnall and three assists from junior Kelly Johnson. Also worthy of recognition is Flintridge Prep of La Canada Flintridge freshman goalkeeper Stephanie Bathke, who was credited with 20 saves in the Rebels' 2-1 overtime loss at Martin Luther King of Riverside in the Div. III playoffs. Bathke made three diving saves for Flintridge Prep, which led 1-0 in the 43rd minute on a goal by Alina Okamoto, which was set up by Brooke Elby.

Top goalkeeping performance: It isn't a surprise to see Viewpoint of Calabasas' Kelsey Kaplan recognized in this category, as the junior started the year in goal for the Patriots. But it was the most unlikely of circumstances that had Viewpoint's forward return to the net for emergency duty late in the Patriots' 2-1 first-round triumph over Grace Brethren of Simi Valley in the Div. VI playoffs. With Viewpoint leading 2-0 on a pair of goals by Jenny Kim, starting goalkeeper Michelle Lesser went up to make a save and the senior landed awkwardly and heard her hamstring pop, causing her to collapse in front of the net. While the trainer attended to Lesser, Kaplan made a quick change, with barely enough time to put on a goalkeeper's jersey and gloves. Only adding to the pressure of the situation, moments after play was restarted, there was a loose ball in the penalty area that Kaplan jumped to take away from a Grace Brethren player. Kaplan landed right on the goal line, but had the presence of mind in mid-air to hold the ball well in front of her to prevent it from breaking the plane of the goal. Without hesitation, Kaplan then rose to her feet after traffic had cleared and punted the ball out of the box, just before the final whistle blew, much to the relief of her coaches and teammates, who witnessed arguably the biggest save of Viewpoint's season. Special mention also goes to Chaminade of West Hills' Kacey McCormack, who recorded three stops in the shootout in the Eagles' 3-1 victory on penalty kicks against Laguna Hills after the teams played to a 0-0 tie.

Top defensive performance: Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge has been one of the area's top defensive teams all season, surrendering 16 goals in 23 regular-season matches. But special mention goes to sophomore Natalie Zeenni, who successfully neutralized U.S. Under-17 national team member Tawni Martino in the Tologs' 2-0 victory over Beckman in the Div. II first-round contest for the team's 14th shutout of the season. With Zeenni holding Martino, a junior who scored 20 regular-season goals, in check, it enabled Pip Harragin, Tera Trujillo and Alexa Montgomery to minimize the efforts of USC-bound junior Autumn Altamirano in front of goalkeeper Dominique Oro, who recorded six saves. Only one team all season scored three goals against Flintridge Sacred Heart and that was Saugus, which plays host to the Tologs in a rematch of their Dec. 6 showdown in Tuesday's second round.

Corner kicks: Valencia saw its bid to win the first postseason match in coach Sean O'Connell's four-year tenure slip away in the second half, as Emily Rueter scored in the 76th minute to lift Arcadia to a 2-1 victory. Aly Drake tied the score in the 57th minute for the Foothill League co-champion Vikings, but missed opportunities by Tiffany Geer and Alyssa Morse in the final 10 minutes hurt Valencia. "We didn't test this keeper enough," O'Connell said. "I think we took them lightly. We saw they lost to C.V. twice and we beat C.V. and we didn't come out ready to play and ready to dominate. Anytime you overlook anybody, that's going to happen." .......... Kati Dillon and Kaylee Kirk each had two goals and Malaya Cabrera, Elvia Contreras, Devon Goff and Kathryn Hanson also scored for Canyon, which defeated former Foothill League counterpart Burroughs of Burbank 8-0 in its Div. II opener. Contreras assisted on two goals and Milan Cabrera, Goff and Jessica Luevano added assists for Foothill co-champion Canyon, which recorded its sixth consecutive shutout. .......... Allison Lods and Cassandra Rodriguez recorded first-half goals for Lancaster, which pulled off one of the biggest wins in program history with a 2-0 triumph at San Antonio League champion Walnut in a Div. II matchup. .......... Brittani Dearman scored twice and Frances Boukidis, Apollonia Martinez and Jordan Royer added goals for Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta in a 5-0 victory over Chino in a Div. II first-round match. Boukidis, Dani Cardenas, Summer Davidson, Olivia Sierra and Brittany Berger had assists for the Falcons, who received four saves from Amanda Rose Johnson. ......... Michelle Cruz scored twice and Taylor Demirjian had two assists for Thousand Oaks, which advanced to the second round of the Div. I playoffs with a 3-0 victory over Peninsula of Rollins Hills Estates. Samantha Rivera scored the other goal and Lauren Belak-Berger added an assist for Thousand Oaks, which plays Tuesday at San Clemente in a rematch of last year's Div. I regional semifinals, won by the Lancers in a shootout. .......... Agoura received goals from Taryn Kurcz and Melanie Menin, but Trabuco Hills scored in the final five minutes in a 3-2 opening-round win in the Div. I playoffs. Kelsey Reichow set up Kurcz's tying goal with a long throw-in. ......... Andrea Todak set up freshman Taylor Perry on a second-half goal for Westlake, but it wasn't enough to erase a three-goal deficit in a 3-1 setback in its Div. I opener at Palos Verdes. ........ Victoria Cameron, Kathryn Klamecki, Lauren Kawamoto, Erica Kim, Rebecca Mandell and Ciara Zeolla scored for Oak Park, which scored six goals for the third time in its past four matches in a 6-0 triumph over Crossroads of Santa Monica in the Div. V playoffs. Kawamoto had two assists for the Eagles, who received the combined shutout from Alison James and Brittany Stalzer. Oak Park will face La Canada, a 3-2 winner over Orange, in the second round. ............ Kelsea Brajkovich and Jillian DeGennaro each scored a goal for La Reina of Thousand Oaks, which extended its unbeaten streak to six in a row with a 2-1 victory in a first-round Div. V contest at Campbell Hall of North Hollywood. Emily Melvin and Caitlyn Hardy recorded assists for the Regents, who scored twice in the first half and then held off a late Vikings' rally. ............ Desert Christian of Lancaster, the two-time Div. VI champion, stretched its playoff unbeaten streak to 11 in a row with a 2-0 victory over Heritage of Romoland at the Lancaster National Soccer Center. Kristina Hulse had a goal and an assist and Kristyn Richards also scored for the Knights, who remained unbeaten in their past 13 contests. .......... Vasquez of Acton increased the Southern Section's longest winning streak to 21 in a row with a 4-0 victory over New Roads of Santa Monica. Emma Wright scored two goals and had an assist for the Mustangs, who received a goal and an assist from Sydney Tobin.

The West Valley League proved its worth, as the six entries won by a combined margin of 26-0 in the first round of the City Section girls' soccer playoffs. There wasn't much drama to report, aside from Northern League champion Eagle Rock rallying past Reseda and East Valley champion North Hollywood holding off Kennedy of Granada Hills. Birmingham of Lake Balboa pulled off an "upset" only by seeding, as the Patriots benefited from a daunting West Valley schedule to win convincingly at Manual Arts. If your team's result doesn't appear on this report, it's likely that no one affiliated with the team reported it to the Daily News.

So, without further delay, here's a recap of what transpired during the matches of Feb. 18:

Match of the day: North Hollywood 1, Kennedy 0: The No. 9 Huskies are focused on making history for the right reasons this season instead of the wrong ones like they did in last year's first-round opener. North Hollywood, which earned the highest seeding in program history last year at No. 5, suffered a 1-0 setback to No. 28 Kennedy, knocking the Huskies into the Invitational bracket. But North Hollywood didn't let history repeat itself, receiving a goal from freshman Sanae Matsuki midway through the first half and then relying on five saves from Jennifer Fernandez to move on to the second round for the fourth time in five seasons. Franchesca Vasquez recorded her team-leading 17th assist on Matsuki's goal for the Huskies, who play Friday at No. 8 Cleveland of Reseda, trying to finally get over the West Valley League hurdle that has prevented the program from advancing to the quarterfinals. "(Friday) is the most important game of your lives," North Hollywood coach Shane Watkins told his players after the match. "All season long we've talked about making history and Friday is your chance." Cleveland is also looking to make history of its own with back-to-back appearances in the quarterfinals after reaching the final four last season. The Cavaliers hadn't won a game in the new year before Thursday's 1-0 victory over Chatsworth, but followed it up with an impressive first-half performance in a 4-0 win over West Adams Prep before substituting liberally in the second half. Cleveland co-coach Greg Venger has history in the playoffs with North Hollywood, defeating the Huskies in the second round in 2005 when he was the head coach at Taft.

Goal of the day: It wasn't the first hat trick of Ashani McGee's career, as the Cleveland of Reseda defender used to be one of the area's top strikers at Sylmar and also for the Cavaliers, before being moved to anchor Cleveland's back line. But she probably couldn't have duplicated one of her goals in a 4-0 victory over West Adams Prep again if she tried. McGee was on a breakaway one-on-one with the West Adams Prep goalkeeper, but decided to pull up 12 yards away from the goal and take a shot. The attempt promptly ricocheted off the crossbar, hit the goalkeeper in the back of the head and landed in the net. McGee also set up Amber Schwindler on a goal in the first half for the Cavaliers, who are unbeaten in their past four matches.

Unsung hero of the day: With Carol Martinez scoring her 106th career goal in Sylmar's 3-0 victory over Bell, it would be easy for the efforts of other Spartans to be overlooked. But not Edith Dominguez. The junior midfielder assisted on all three Sylmar goals, increasing her team lead to 15. She also ranks second on the team behind Martinez with 15 goals. Sylmar will need similar production from Dominguez and Jenny Alverez as a potential quarterfinal showdown looms Feb. 25 at Chatsworth.

Top performance by a freshman: Sanae Matsuki has only scored three goals in 23 career matches, but the one she delivered against Kennedy probably ranks as the most significant of the trio. Matsuki converted a cross midway through the first half from Franchesca Vasquez for North Hollywood, which extended its unbeaten streak to 13 in a row. Matsuki, a defender, also contributed to the Huskies' 12th shutout.

Top goalkeeping performance: How about a shared award to every goalkeeper at Birmingham, Chatsworth, Cleveland, El Camino Real, Granada Hills and Taft, who successfully prevented their first-round opponents from scoring a goal.

Top defensive performance: Birmingham was on the cusp of not qualifying for the 32-team City playoffs following a 5-0 loss to Granada Hills in its regular-season finale. But the No. 18 Patriots, behind junior standout Jennifer Venegas, rebounded in impressive fashion in a 4-0 victory at No. 15 Manual Arts, helping the West Valley League complete a 6-0 opening round. Venegas also scored for Birmingham, which plays Friday at No. 2 San Pedro.

Corner kicks: Nikki Berry, Cheyenne Hayden, Sasha Scott and Jessica Stadheim scored for top-seed El Camino Real, which won its 38th consecutive City playoff match with a 4-0 victory over San Fernando. ......... Dana Moreno scored twice and assisted on a goal by Olivia Patterson for No. 3 Chatsworth in a 3-0 win over Fairfax. Brianna Edwards and Lauren Weaver also had assists for the Chancellors. .......... Melissa Fernandez had two goals, and Liz Landon and Adriana Rivas also scored for No. 5 Granada Hills in a 4-0 victory over Carson. .......... Karina Flores had four goals for No. 7 Taft, which scored six times in the second half in a 7-0 triumph over Verdugo Hills of Tujunga. Ani Eishoei had a goal and an assist, Michelle Quan had a goal and an assist, and Crystal Romero also scored for the Toreadors, who received an assist from Cindy Godina. ........ Sara Norwall and Lauren Jorgensen converted free kicks two minutes apart in the second half for No. 13 Eagle Rock, which rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to defeat Reseda 2-1. Amanda Fetter made five saves for the Eagles, who extended their unbeaten streak to 12 in a row. ........... Savannah Ajar and Channise Bustamante scored for No. 22 Grant of Van Nuys, but it wasn't enough to overcome a 3-0 halftime deficit in a 4-2 loss to No. 11 South Gate. .......... Antonia Aljuwani had four goals and Aimee Erlich, Briana Juarez and Gabriela Manevich all scored twice for top-seed SOCES of Reseda, which took the first step toward defending its small-school championship with an 11-0 victory over Animo Jackie Robinson. Phoebe Khulman also scored for the Knights.

The first round of the Southern Section Div. I girls' soccer playoffs kick off Thursday afternoon and conclude Saturday, March 7 at either Downey or Warren High. San Clemente and Long Beach Wilson, co-champions last season, finished third and fourth in their leagues, respectively, this season, but are always dangerous come playoff time. Thousand Oaks, the Div. II champion, moved up to Div. I this year, along with the rest of the Marmonte League. Mission Viejo is the top seed, but there are several worthy challengers for the title.

Here's an in-depth look at what to keep an eye on the next three weeks:

TOP FOUR SEEDS
1. Mission Viejo (13-5-7)
2. Los Alamitos (17-3-5)
3. Aliso Niguel (19-2-2)
4. San Clemente (21-4-1)

5 TEAMS TO WATCH:

Esperanza: Once the top-ranked team in the nation by ESPN/Rise Magazine, the Aztecs enter the playoffs as the No. 3 program in California, despite not being among the top four seeds in the division. With seniors Lauren Kennedy (UC Santa Barbara), Alex Petes (Bemidji State), Courtney Garcia (USC) and Kylie Bono (Tennessee) leading the charge, Esperanza enters the postseason on a six-match winning streak following a 1-0 loss Jan. 22 to Marina and could meet up with Long Beach Wilson in the second round, San Clemente in the quarterfinals and top-seed Mission Viejo in the semifinals.

Long Beach Wilson: A player competing in a league outside CIF competition forced the Bruins to forfeit four victories, denying Wilson a share of the Moore League title with Long Beach Poly and dropping last year's co-champion into fourth place. As a result, Wilson -- No. 10 in ESPN/Rise Magazine's state rankings -- plays at Baseline League champion Los Osos of Rancho Cucamonga, which is ranked No. 12. A victory would likely create a second-round matchup against Esperanza and a rematch of the Aliso Cup final won 5-4 in a shootout by the Aztecs after the teams played to a 1-1 tie Dec. 16.

Mission Viejo: Despite being ranked No. 8 in the ESPN/Rise Magazine state rankings, the Diablos secured the top seed in a loaded draw, allowing Mission Viejo to avoid any other top 10 teams until the semifinals. With three girls leading the team with six goals, Mission Viejo has relied heavily on its defense, which has only allowed 18 goals and posted 11 shutouts. Mission Viejo will need to rebound quickly after suffering a 1-0 loss to Tesoro in its regular-season finale.

Thousand Oaks: If the Lancers were at full strength, then it would be hard to pick against them after watching their run to the Div. II title and Southern Calfornia Div. I regional final last season. But with Alyson Birgel sidelined with a knee injury and Michelle Cruz still aggravated by a hamstring injury, Thousand Oaks might not make it past next week. With Taylor Demirjian, Megan Meyer, Mary Madden, Samantha Rivera and Cruz, Thousand Oaks can compete with anyone, but the Lancers will need a strong effort from their defense and goalkeeping Hannah Shirley to knock off several highly ranked opponents.

Westlake: The Warriors have already exceeded the expectations of ninth-year coach Frank Marino, who was hoping his team would just qualify for the postseason after missing the Div. II playoffs last year. The Marmonte co-champion -- with Thousand Oaks -- would make Marino's potential final playoff run even sweeter with a road victory to set up a likely second-round matchup against Mater Dei of Santa Ana. The defensive-minded Warriors were actually the highest-scoring team in the Marmonte League, with junior Andrea Todak and freshman Taylor Perry combining for 23 league goals. But the play of play Jackie Jacobson and Sara Riazi could determine the extent of Westlake's playoff success.

5 PLAYERS TO WATCH
Taylor Demirjian, Thousand Oaks, Sr.: With last year's leading scorer Michelle Cruz sidelined for the majority of Marmonte League play with a hamstring injury, Demirjian stepped up to score several clutch goals for the Lancers, who captured a third consecutive league title. Demirjian scored seven of the team's final 12 regular-season goals, including the winning tallies against Westlake and Royal of Simi Valley.

Emily Dillon, Long Beach Wilson, Jr.: The Bruins were loaded with Division I college prospects last season when they shared the Southern Section Div. I title and captured the inaugural Southern California Div. I regional title. Although most of Long Beach Wilson's top players graduated, she is still shining in the midfield, ranking second on the team with 14 goals and first with 15 assists.

Courtney Garcia, Esperanza, Sr.: The No. 12 national prospect in the Class of 2009 according to ESPN/Rise Magazine, including the state's No. 3 talent, the USC-bound Garcia has 16 goals and has formed a strong 1-2 punch with Tennessee signee Kylie Bono (17 goals) for the Aztecs. Garcia hasn't scored in her past four matches entering the playoffs, making her an even more dangerous threat.

Lauren Matheson, Mission Viejo, Sr.: Don't be fooled by her 5-foot-3 frame, the Santa Clara-bound standout is one of the top playmakers in Southern California, as evidenced by her being a fixture on the Division IV ODP roster and a current member of the Under-20 national team pool. Matheson has six goals and 11 assists, and expect those totals to elevate as the Diablos advance through the postseason.

Mariah Nogueira, Marina, Sr.: There isn't much the Stanford signee can't do with the ball, a big reason why the young Vikings -- she is one of only three seniors on the roster -- were able to survive the loaded Sunset League, featuring Los Alamitos and Esperanza. Nogueira, the No. 16 national prospect according to ESPN/Rise Magazine, is a scholar-athlete, in addition to being recognized as a NSCAA/adidas All-American.

FIRST-ROUND UPSET
Marina over Mira Costa: Mira Costa posted a 4-1 victory Jan. 6, but that was then for the Vikings. Marina recorded a 1-0 victory over Esperanza and played No. 2 seed Los Alamitos to a 1-1 tie in Sunset League play, which should have it more than prepared to take on the Mustangs. Plus, Stanford-bound Mariah Nogueira doesn't want her career at Marina to end with consecutive losses after suffering a 1-0 setback to Esperanza in the Vikings' regular-season finale.

SLEEPER
Long Beach Poly: With all the attention focused on Moore League rival Long Beach Wilson forfeiting four victories to give the Jackrabbits the outright championship, the fact that Long Beach Poly is 18-2-4 and ranked No. 9 in the state by ESPN/Rise Magazine has gone largely unnoticed. Since the Jackrabbits aren't one of the top four seeds, they can be considered a darkhorse in the draw, especially with third-seeded Aliso Niguel -- ranked fourth in the state -- in its quarter. Long Beach Poly's defense is one of the best in the division, as evidenced by the Jackrabbits allowing only four goals in league play, all to Wilson.

PREDICTIONS
Quarterfinals

Mission Viejo vs. El Toro
Esperanza vs. Thousand Oaks
Aliso Niguel vs. Long Beach Poly
Westlake vs. Los Alamitos

Semifinals

Mission Viejo vs. Esperanza
Aliso Niguel vs. Los Alamitos

Final

Esperanza vs. Los Alamitos

Analysis: The Sunset League rivals have already met three times, splitting their home-and-home showdowns, with Esperanza also recording a 2-0 victory in the Aliso Cup. So, it's only fitting that Los Alamitos will get another shot at the Aztecs, after losing the last meeting 3-1. As talented as the Griffins are, Esperanza wasn't the top-ranked team in the nation earlier this season for nothing, and the Aztecs should again demonstrate why in the final.

The first round of the Southern Section Div. II girls' soccer playoffs kick off Thursday afternoon and conclude Saturday, March 7 at either Downey or Warren High. With defending-champion Thousand Oaks having moved up to Div. I, along with the rest of the Marmonte League, there will be a new winner this year. Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge is the top seed, but there are several worthy challengers for the title.

Here's an in-depth look at what to keep an eye on the next three weeks:

TOP FOUR SEEDS
1. Flintridge Sacred Heart (15-4-4)
2. Canyon/Anaheim (18-5-1)
3. Chaminade (21-2-2)
4. St. Lucy's (15-3-4)

5 TEAMS TO WATCH:

Canyon/Canyon Country: If you can't score on a team, then you can't expect to win, unless you have a lot of faith in your penalty kicking skills. That's what Canyon is banking on as it enters the postseason, looking to erase the disappointment of recent playoff setbacks. The Cowboys allowed only two goals and recorded eight shutouts en route to sharing their first Foothill League title since 2005. With Milan Cabrera anchoring the defense and Alex Krall playing with confidence in goal, if Canyon can score one goal, it will be tough to beat. Two, and the Cowboys could be making reservations in the title match.

Chaminade: No coach in the draw has experienced more playoff success than Mike Evans, who is fired up to lead the Eagles on another deep postseason run. Chaminade won its last title in 2001 and was eliminated in the Div. IV semifinals the following year. The Eagles' only two losses came against top-seed Flintridge Sacred Heart, both by 1-0 scores. Chaminade also tied Harvard-Westlake and Notre Dame, but had success against Foothill League co-champions Canyon (won 2-1) and Valencia (won 1-0). Walnut and Yucaipa could be tough challenges, but Evans' expertise gives Chaminade an advantage, especially as the rounds progress.

Crescenta Valley: Throw out a setback to Burbank in the next-to-last match of the regular season and the Falcons lost once during the regular season, a 3-1 setback to Valencia in the Hart tournament semifinals. Add to the mix the return of coach Reggie Rivas, who led the Falcons to the 2002 Div. II final, and C.V. has the potential to enjoy another thrilling postseason run. The loss of Kansas-bound Tori Baldridge to a foot injury is definitely a setback for C.V., but Arizona signee Brittany Berger and leading scorer Jordan Royer can pick up the slack for the Pacific League champion Falcons.

Harvard-Westlake: Richard Simms led Harvard-Westlake to the Div. I final in his first year and now he's looking to be the architect behind a similar run in Div. II this season. The Wolverines started fast, battled through injuries in the middle of the season and struggled a little down the stretch. But if any team has the potential to turn it around in the postseason, it's Harvard-Westlake. USC-bound junior Haley Boysen combines with Katie Speidel, Donilynn Hunter-Sallustio, Alyssa Garcia and Danielle Duhl to form one of the most dangerous offensive groups in the division, but the Wolverines need to regain their confidence early in order to make another significant run.

Saugus: Aside from Harvard-Westlake, no area team was hotter in December than Saugus. Then came a 4-2 setback to Valencia in the Foothill League opener and the Centurions struggled to regain their momentum during the final nine league matches. Just like last season, Saugus has the potential to go all the way to the final or lose in the first round. It just depends on which team is going to show up. With a talented group of upperclassmen, the motivation should be in place for the Centurions. Whether the execution is there to match, remains to be seen.

5 PLAYERS TO WATCH

Lauren Battung, Chaminade, Sr.: With only 13 goals in 25 matches, some might consider it to be a down year production-wise for the Cal signee. Then look at her 24 assists and realize how much better she's made everyone else around her, especially sophomore Raquel Weckhurst (17 goals). But much like the great Chaminade players before her, when the playoffs arive, coach Mike Evans will look to Battung to carry the Eagles on another deep postseason run.

Stephanie Galarze, Quartz Hill, Sr.: Perhaps no Antelope Valley area player will be presented with a better opportunity to garner respect than Galarze when she takes the field in the Rebels' opener against Harvard-Westlake. The leading scorer in the entire division with 36 goals and 17 assists, Galarze couldn't be stopped in the Golden League. But Harvard-Westlake presents a daunting challenge for the midfielder, who scored in 15 of Quartz Hill's 18 matches.

Pip Harragin, Flintridge Sacred Heart, Sr.: There have been a number of reasons why the Tologs captured their first Mission League title and secured the division's top seed and most of them are directly related to or a result of the play of Harragin. The UC Davis-bound standout had five goals and seven assists from her sweeper position, allowing Sinead Fleming, Natalie Zeenni and Alexa Montgomery to play with more freedom in front of her. The Tologs got one monkey off their back by winning league, now they need to be able to exorcise past playoff demons, which won't be easy with a tough quarter of the draw in front of them.

Kodi Lavrusky, Yucaipa, Fr.: The Thunderbirds entered last year's playoffs as the top seed, losing once in 26 regular-season matches. They promptly got bounced 3-0 by Agoura in the second round. With Lavrusky (38 goals) as the central figure in the offense, Yucaipa is hoping to avoid a repeat this season. The Thunderbirds face El Modena, which outlasted Hart on penalty kicks Tuesday, and could meet up with No. 3 Chaminade in the quarterfinals.

Jamie Molacek, Saugus, Jr.: We already know Molacek is ready to serve her country, as she'll attend West Point in the fall of 2010. Hopefully she can serve up enough goals and assists to lead the Centurions on a deep playoff run, sending her senior teammates out in style. Molacek, nicknamed "Mini", is one of the most versatile athletes in the division, effective in both the midfield and at forward. She seems to have a knack for scoring the big goals for Saugus, which will need significant contributions from her, Brittanie Sakajian, Erin Ortega and Shannon Suarez to erase the disappointment of a third-place finish in the Foothill League.

FIRST-ROUND UPSET

Burbank over Don Lugo: Led by Kristina Amela (22 goals, 11 assists), the Bulldogs handed Crescenta Valley one of its two losses with a 2-1 victory Feb. 10, won the Norte Vista tournament and held their own against quality competition at the Los Tacos Holiday Festival in Glendale. Following a 3-2 loss Jan. 30 to Arcadia, Burbank won its final four regular-season matches and should give the Mt. Baldy League champion, which doesn't boast many impressive nonleague victories, all it can handle.

SLEEPER

Notre Dame: There isn't a better fourth-place team in the draw and there are few that compare to the Knights in all of Southern California. After reaching the consolation final at the prestigious Excalibur tournament, Notre Dame tied No. 1 Flintridge Sacred Heart in the regular-season finale, in addition to tying No. 3 Chaminade and going 1-0-1 against perennial power Harvard-Westlake. If the Knights' 5-2 wild-card victory over Eastside of Lancaster was any indication, Notre Dame is focused and won't be intimidated in the opening round by No. 4 St. Lucy's. If Jessica Wiblin, Olivia Feitshans and Morgan Ritter continue to elevate their level of play, Notre Dame could be facing Canyon in the quarterfinals.

PREDICTIONS

Quarterfinals

Crescenta Valley vs. Saugus
Canyon/Canyon Country vs. Notre Dame
Chaminade vs. Yucaipa
Harvard-Westlake vs. Canyon/Anaheim

Semifinals

Canyon/Canyon Country vs. Saugus
Chaminade vs. Harvard-Westlake

Final

Canyon/Canyon Country vs. Chaminade

Analysis: So all four semifinalists are local, setting up this championship showdown. What else would you expect from a division that features 13 area programs in the 32-team draw. Both teams defend well, and while Canyon is more of a grind it out, wait for the opponent to make a mistake kind of an offensive team and Chaminade is more aggressive in the attacking third with Lauren Battung and Raquel Weckhurst, this one could be won based on efficiency on set plays and goalkeeping. Chaminade defeated Canyon 2-1 at the Hart tournament and should be able to get the better of the Cowboys again in the rematch, giving coach Mike Evans his first division title since 2001.

The City Section girls' soccer playoffs start Wednesday afternoon and conclude Saturday, March 7 at Contreras Learning Complex. While El Camino Real of Woodland Hills is aiming for its state-record ninth consecutive City championship, there are several worthy challengers out there that have the potential to dethrone the top-seeded Conquistadores.

Here's an in-depth look at what to keep an eye on the next three weeks:

TOP EIGHT SEEDS
1. El Camino Real (9-7-3)
2. San Pedro (12-3-1)
3. Chatsworth (9-7-4)
4. Palisades (14-2-4)
5. Granada Hills (12-9-4)
6. Sylmar (14-2-4)
7. Taft (17-3-6)
8. Cleveland (6-12-5)

5 TEAMS TO WATCH:

Chatsworth: Although El Camino Real hasn't lost a City Section playoff match since 2000, Chatsworth still holds the City record with 10 titles, half of the total championships awarded in the history of the girls' tournament. The Chancellors stumbled at the end of the regular season by tying Granada Hills and losing to Cleveland of Reseda, but with 10 seniors, Chatsworth knows this could be its last legitimate opportunity to contend for a City title for a few years. The Chancellors tied ECR twice, defeated Palisades, Granada Hills, Taft and Cleveland, which demonstrates they can compete with any team in the draw.

Cleveland: Despite not winning a match for nearly six weeks before defeating Chatsworth 1-0 in Thursday's regular-season finale, the Cavaliers are as capable as any team in the draw. Cleveland is unbeaten in its past three matches and should finally find its offensive rhythm in its opening-round contest against West Adams Prep. Although Erica Quevedo is no longer in goal, Cleveland returns several instrumental players -- Becca Verstraete, Ashani McGee, Emily Streb, Amber Schwindler, Robinette Ramirez, Sarah Sassen, Cherise Dixon -- from last year's run to the semifinals, where the Cavaliers lost 2-1 to ECR in overtime, the Conquistadores' toughest match of the postseason.

El Camino Real: When a team wins 37 consecutive City playoff matches like the Conquistadores, they hold a distinct psychological advantage over opponents who have to travel to ECR for a postseason contest. The Conquistadores haven't been as dominant the past two seasons as they were during the first seven of their current run, but they always find a way to get the job done. And with senior Chelsea Forte back to anchor the defense, don't expect ECR to surrender too many goals in the playoffs. During last year's run to the title, ECR allowed only one goal, in the semifinals against Cleveland.

Granada Hills: If the Highlanders can play 80 full minutes, they might be the most dangerous team in the draw, with Liz Landon, Melissa Fernandez and Cynthia Jacobo all threats to score and Linda Rosas doing an outstanding job of protecting the net in the second half. Granada Hills' biggest obstacle during the regular season was injuries to several key players, but the Highlanders managed to finish third in the West Valley League. Granada Hills played to four 0-0 ties in league, which means the Highlanders are always in games. Unless they want to go to penalty kicks every round, they'll have to find a way to score like they did in a 5-0 victory over Birmingham of Lake Balboa in their regular-season finale.

Sylmar: Remember the Valley Mission League champions? With Jose Navarro, the architect behind Sylmar's run to the City final in 2007, not able to devote as much time to the Spartans during the regular season as a result of commitments that came with being selected California Teacher of the Year, Sylmar wasn't as impressive as in recent seasons. But Navarro will be back in the mix during the postseason, as the Spartans bring a 16-match unbeaten streak into the playoffs. Expect the Spartans to face Chatsworth in the quarterfinals, looking to atone for a 3-0 loss in their season opener.

5 PLAYERS TO WATCH

Amenaide Brown, San Pedro, Soph.: After scoring 28 goals as a freshman, Brown has seen that total cut in half this season, as she has become the focus of opponents with 30-goalscorer Alyssa Mullenhour graduated. But in order for the Pirates to return to the City final and attempt to avenge last year's 4-0 loss to El Camino Real, Brown will have to shoulder the offensive load for coach Gerhard Weber.

Cheyenne Hayden, El Camino Real, Sr.: As explosive as any player in the City Section, Hayden leads the balanced Conquistadores with seven goals, including the lone score in a 1-0 victory over Taft to clinch the West Valley League title. Just like Katie Etcher did in last year's run to the City title, Hayden has the potential to be the go-to player for ECR, but the outside midfielder needs to be more consistent in the attacking third.

Carol Martinez, Sylmar, Sr.: Martinez enters the playoffs with 105 career goals and has the ability to put the Spartans on her shoulders and carry them to another deep postseason run. Sylmar is also motivated about last year's early exit to Birmingham of Lake Balboa and is motivated to prove that its appearance in the 2007 final wasn't a fluke. Jenny Alverez, Edith Dominguez and Vicky Martinez will have to do their part in order for Carol Martinez to do hers.

Dana Moreno, Chatsworth, Sr.: It would be hard to find a more motivated individual in the draw than the Nevada-bound goalkeeper, who has stated that she won't tolerate anything less than a championship in her final season. Moreno has defeated El Camino Real once in 10 career meetings and would love nothing more than to end the Conquistadores' run and capture Chatsworth's 11th City title. If the Chancellors can recapture the magic of their six-goal outburst Feb. 5 at Taft, then they'll have a decided advantage over any team with Moreno in goal.

Nora Perez, Taft, Sr.: After going unbeaten in its first 20 matches, the Toreadors struggled to a 2-3-1 finish down the stretch, due in large part to the absence of Perez in the central midfield. If she can return from her knee injury in the postseason, it could be the difference between Taft losing in the quarterfinals and possibly reaching the City final. If Perez is unable to play, then Brianna Behrad, Karina Flores and Ani Eishoei will have to step up and carry the Toreadors in front of freshman goalkeeper Cindy Godina.

FIRST-ROUND UPSET

Birmingham over Manual Arts: Don't let No. 18 Birmingham's 3-8-3 record or late-season struggles fool you, there are several players on the Patriots' roster who have postseason experience from the past two years, which could be the difference at No. 15 Manual Arts. The Patriots will need big contributions from Jennifer Venegas, Vanessa Carr and Emma Campos in order to advance to the second round.

SLEEPER

Cleveland: So the Cavaliers have only won once in the new year. So they only scored four goals in West Valley League play. So they don't have Erica Quevedo in goal anymore. None of it matters now that Cleveland is in the playoffs. The Cavaliers should have their first two matches at home leading up to a date in the Feb. 25 quarterfinals at El Camino Real, where they extended the Conquistadores to their limit in last year's overtime loss in the semifinals. If Becca Verstraete can develop a scoring rhythm in the early rounds, with Ashani McGee anchoring the defense, the Cavaliers will be a tough draw for No. 9 North Hollywood, as well as No. 1 ECR.

PREDICTIONS

Quarterfinals

No. 8 Cleveland at No. 1 El Camino Real
No. 5 Granada Hills at No. 4 Palisades
No. 6 Sylmar at No. 3 Chatsworth
No. 7 Taft at No. 2 San Pedro

Semifinals

No. 5 Granada Hills at No. 1 El Camino Real
No. 7 Taft at No. 3 Chatsworth

Final

No. 3 Chatsworth vs. No. 1 El Camino Real

Analysis: It's hard to bet against Dana Moreno and a senior-laden Chatsworth team, but it's even harder to bet against ECR's pursuit of a state record. Unlike City Section football, there has to be a winner, which, in my opinion, will be ECR in overtime.

Since there were only five wild-card matches involving local teams, there won't be the usual daily recap like during the regular season, but it will return following Wednesday's first-round City Section matches, as well after Thursday's Southern Section openers.

Also, check back early Wednesday afternoon for a complete breakdown of the City Section playoffs, including teams and players to watch, as well as predictions for how the draw will play out. The same will happen Thursday prior to the Southern Section first-round contests.

In order to keep with the theme of recognizing the players' efforts, here are some top performers from Tuesday's wild-card contests:

Jessica Wiblin, Notre Dame, Sr.: Recorded three assists, including one to Morgan Ritter 20 seconds into the match in the Knights' 5-2 Div. II wild-card victory over Eastside of Lancaster at Antelope Valley High. Ritter, a junior, scored twice to increase her team-leading total to 16 goals entering Thursday's match at St. Lucy's of Glendora.

Stacy Guijarro, Eastside, Sr.: One of the area's top individual performers during the past four years, she finally got to compere in the postseason. Although her team fell to Notre Dame 5-2, Guijarro's second-half goal was her team-leading 26th of the season and pushed her career total well past 120 goals.

Amy Lopez, Burroughs, Jr.: The Indians played the final 15 minutes of regulation and all 20 minutes of overtime down two players who were issued red cards, but that didn't seem to matter to Lopez, who scored in the second 10-minute overtime period to lift the Indians to a 2-1 Div. II wild-card victory at Montclair. Lopez also scored in regulation for Burroughs, which was making its first postseason appearance since 1994. The Indians face former Foothill League rival Canyon in Thursday's opening round.

Monique Pendleberry, Newbury Park, Soph.: The talented midfielder led the Panthers all during the regular season and in Newbury Park's 3-2 Div. I wild-card overtime loss to Great Oak of Temecula, it was no different. Jamie Murray and Anna Medler scored off Pendleberry's assists for the Panthers, who were making their second consecutive postseason appearance following a 16-year drought.

Kayce Perkins, Hart, Soph.: It always hurts to lose in a shootout. Perhaps even more so when you don't allow a goal for 120 minutes leading up to penalty kicks. Perkins was magnificent for the Indians in their Div. II wild-card contest at El Modena of Orange, but Hart couldn't score a goal in regulation or overtime, extending the match to a shootout where the Indians fell 4-1. Perkins made six saves for her 12th shutout.

THE GREATEST DAY OF THE REGULAR SEASON!!! So many outstanding storylines, so many heroes, so many league championships decided. Congratulations goes out to El Camino Real of Woodland Hills for battling the most competitive West Valley League in years and standing alone once again as champion, to Westlake and Thousand Oaks for sharing the prestigious Marmonte League title, to Canyon and Valencia for emerging as Foothill League co-champions, to Quartz Hill for completing an unbeaten run in the Golden League and Malibu for running the table in the Frontier League, to Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta for handling rival Arcadia en route to the Pacific League crown, to small-school power SOCES of Reseda for another dominant run to the Valley League title and Cleveland of Reseda and Eastside of Lancaster for providing two of the most significant results of the entire season. If your team's result doesn't appear on this report, it's likely that no one affiliated with the team reported it to the Daily News.

So, without further delay, here's a recap of what transpired during the matches of Feb. 12:

Match of the night: Moorpark 2, Thousand Oaks 2: The only people that were more excited than the Moorpark players and fans with five minutes remaining were the players, coach and fans at Westlake, who appeared headed toward an outright Marmonte League title with a 4-0 victory over Calabasas. And then the most significant and perhaps stunning comeback of the year took place, denying Moorpark the upset bid and forcing Westlake to share the championship with Thousand Oaks, which captured its third consecutive crown. "I can't even explain it," Thousand Oaks coach Geoff Raives said. "I looked up at the clock with five minutes left and we weren't playing all that well and I was wondering 'Do we have any magic left?' It seems like we always do, but this time, I wasn't sure. And all of the sudden, BOOM, BOOM." The sound effects from Raives were his poetic way of describing the goals by Taylor Demirjian and Megan Meyer, that occurred less than 90 seconds apart, turning a two-goal deficit into a tie score with 2:30 remaining. "It was so crazy," Raives said. "It was one of the coolest things I've ever been a part of. I never thought I'd be so happy with a tie." Demirjian headed in a cross from Samantha Rivera to cut the deficit in half, then following the restart, Meyer received a pass and fired a 40-yard shot that curled inside the post for the equalizer. Moorpark, which received two first-half goals from Ariana Martinez, had a couple of chances following the tying goal and Thousand Oaks got free once in the Musketeers' attacking third before the final whistle, but nothing developed. "We had them and they came back," said Moorpark coach Frank Paletta, whose team lost to the Lancers in last year's Southern Section Div. II final. "It's depressing because we played so well." Westlake coach Frank Marino expressed some initial disappointment upon learning of Thousand Oaks' comeback, but it didn't override his sense of pride and satisfaction after the Warriors captured the program's first title since 2004 a year after missing the postseason. "We almost had our dream come true, but T.O. is resilient, so give them a lot of credit," Marino said. "But I can't be mad at all. Our goal was just to make the playoffs, so to win a league title is very gratifying. I'm incredibly proud of what this group has accomplished."

Goal of the day: So many worthy candidates, where to begin. But in an effort to praise rather than separate, there will be numerous honorees here. Beginning with Cleveland's Amber Schwindler, whose breakaway goal off an assist from Becca Verstraete in the 63rd minute denied Chatsworth a share of the West Valley League title. Approximately 10 miles away, El Camino Real's Cheyenne Hayden was celebrating one of the biggest goals of her career, stepping up on senior day for the host Conquistadores to score in the 10th minute off a pass from Nikki Berry to secure another West Valley League title for ECR. Moving on to Highland of Palmdale's Samantha Johnson, who scored twice in the first half in the Bulldogs' 2-2 Golden League rival Quartz Hill, with the first one coming a minute into the match. Johnson received the ball 40 yards away from the goal, turned and drilled a left-footed shot that never touched the ground until it hit the back of the net. The shot was so impressive that it prompted Highland's Juan Paolo, Johnson's coach her entire high school career, to say it was "the best goal I've ever seen her score." That's pretty rarefied air for an individual who has more than 100 goals in her career. In the same match, Quartz Hill's Stephanie Galarze finally netted the equalizer midway through the second half on a tremendous hustle play that saw her initial attempt be knocked down by Highland goalkeeper Jayme Gomez, attempt to be cleared by a Highland defender, then gathered again by Galarze, who scored her 37th goal, including her second this season against the Bulldogs. Remaining in the Antelope Valley, what about Lancaster's Samantha Barajas spoiling Palmdale's postseason plans with a free kick in the final minute to eliminate the Falcons and allow Eastside to secure the final playoff berth. And finally, not to be outdone was Thousand Oaks' Megan Meyer, whose 40-yard shot in the 78th minute helped the Lancers rally for a seemingly improbable draw with Moorpark after trailing 2-0 with four minutes remaining.

Unsung hero of the day: Take your pick after the number of meaningful victories that were recorded. Jamie Molacek scoring twice for Saugus, which rebounded from its heartbreaking loss to Canyon to defeat Hart of Newhall 2-0, its third victory this season over the Foothill League rival Indians. Jordan Royer answering Arcadia's first-half goal with a goal and an assist to put the finishing touches on Crescenta Valley's 4-2 Pacific League victory over rival Arcadia, in which Frances Boukidis stepped up in the first 10 minutes by scoring twice to give the Falcons a 2-0 lead. What about Chelsea Forte, who saw action mostly at forward after returning from a knee injury, playing her natural sweeper position for the first time this season in El Camino Real's 1-0 victory over Taft, extending her home unbeaten streak during her four-year career to 32 consecutive matches. How about Cleveland's Ashani McGee, Sarah Sassen and Emily Streb leading an inspired defensive effort to help the Cavaliers record a 1-0 win over a Chatsworth team that was a week removed from scoring six goals against Taft. Quartz Hill sweeper Chloe McDaniel delivering another timely goal and Charity Blanton recording 10 saves to help the Rebels tie Golden League rival Highland 2-2. Kristal Campos contributing two goals in support of Stacy Guijarro's two scores in Eastside's 6-0 Golden League victory over Littlerock, which clinched the program's first playoff berth.

Top performance by a freshman: This one was a close call, but there had to be shared honors once again, because one was offensive and the other might have been the defensive play of the year. Valencia coach Sean O'Connell has said that freshman sweeper Tiffany Geer has had a "calming effect on our back line." That was never more evident than in the 69th minute against Canyon, when the Cowboys' Elvia Contreras chipped a shot past Valencia goalkeeper Christianne Cordero. Although Cordero got a hand on the shot, the ball appeared to be rolling into an open net, but that was before Geer sprinted to the goal line and kicked the ball out of danger to keep the match scoreless. "She's plays with so much poise back there and she's done so well, that she hardly gets noticed. She's gone under the radar for most of the year," O'Connell said. "She came up huge for us." Canyon coach Eric White could only applaud the effort, wondering what could've been. "She saved them," he said. "If Christianne doesn't get a hand on that ball and (Tiffany) doesn't make that play, we win this game. It was just that much spin and direction on the ball that gave (Tiffany) time to make that play. But you have to give them credit. That was about the best defense I've seen them play." The other ninth-grade honoree comes from Viewpoint of Calabasas, where Nikki Maslan -- also a cross country standout for the Patriots -- helped coach Travis Kikugawa's team take another step toward repeating as Liberty League champion with her first-half goal in a 1-1 draw against Milken Community. Maslan's effort means that Viewpoint only needs a tie Friday against Buckley of Sherman Oaks to wrap up the championship.

Top goalkeeping performance: Again, with so many impressive performances, it's not fair to pick just one. But right at the top of the list is Cleveland's Stephanie Ortega, who held strong against a relentless Chatsworth attack in the final 11 minutes in the Cavaliers' 1-0 victory. The Chancellors fired a header off the crossbar and Ortega, who had nine saves, took away the rebound attempt in the 69th minute. Then, in the 79th minute, she made a diving stop on Brianna Edwards' shot heading toward the lower left corner, preserving the Cavaliers' first West Valley League victory. Canyon's Alex Krall and Valencia's Christianne Cordero took turns at playing "Can you top this?," turning away one chance after another as the Cowboys and the Vikings played to a scoreless draw, resulting in the teams sharing the Foothill League title. Cody Kornack shined for El Camino Real in its 1-0 victory over Taft, giving her four consecutive shutouts entering the postseason. Cynthia Jacobo and Linda Rosas successfully teamed up for Granada Hills in a 5-0 victory over Birmingham, giving the Highlanders five shutouts in West Valley League play. And Allie Altman helped secure Westlake's share of the Marmonte League championship with her shutout in a 4-0 victory over Calabasas.

Top defensive performance: With all apologies to Valencia, which performed exceptionally on defense to shut out Canyon, the nod again goes to the Cowboys. Led by sweeper Milan Cabrera, Canyon completed its run to a Foothill League co-championship with eight shutouts -- including five in a row -- and only two goals allowed, a stunning statistic considering Valencia averaged 3.7 goals per match in league, Saugus 3.5 and Hart 2.1. Malaya Cabrera, Kathryn Hanson, Jessica Luevano and Shannon Seidenglanz were all outstanding for Canyon, which hasn't allowed a goal since a 3-1 victory over Valencia Jan. 27. "Someone might play with as much intensity, but no one is going to play with more intensity than us," Canyon coach Eric White said. "We knew we controlled our own destiny and we just wanted to come out and put forth our best effort. But we finally met a team that matched us (in Valencia). When we raised our level, they didn't give up. They showed a lot of heart."

Corner kicks: In a rather bizarre conclusion to an unpredictable season in the Marmonte League, Agoura played Simi Valley to a 1-1 tie, but it was enough for the Chargers to take third place ahead of Royal of Simi Valley. Taryn Kurcz scored off an assist from Kelsey Reichow for the Chargers and Erika Pechi delivered the goal for Simi Valley, which has yet to qualify for the playoffs this decade. ........ Newbury Park received word that there might be an at-large berth for the Marmonte League's fifth-place team and promptly went out and defeated Royal 2-1, knocking the Highlanders into fourth place. Lyndsey Preston and Margot Valenzuela scored for the Panthers, who received assists from Juliet Murray and Anna Medler. If Newbury Park is awarded an at-large berth, it would mark the second year in a row coach Kelly Zieger's team qualifies for the postseason. ......... Caysie Beetley recorded a hat trick and Claire Haft, Samantha Holst and Paige Stoker also scored for Malibu, which completed an undefeated run to the Frontier League championship with a 6-1 victory over Bishop Diego of Santa Barbara. ......... Melissa Fernandez and Courtney Ito both scored twice and Megan Tiny recorded two assists for Granada Hills in a 5-0 West Valley League victory over Birmingham. Cat Staccia also scored for the Highlanders, who moved ahead of Taft for third place. .......... Antonia Aljuwani had three goals and three assists for SOCES of Reseda, which captured another Valley League title with a 6-0 win over Northridge Academy. Aimee Erlich scored twice and Phoebe Kuhlman added a goal, with Danielle Parrish and Sara Rooindej contributing assists for SOCES.

It was another Wednesday to remember in local girls' soccer, with Chaminade of West Hills and Harvard-Westlake of Studio City engaging in another emotional battle in one of the area's great rivalries, Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks stretching Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge to the limit and Louisville of Woodland Hills finally getting its first Mission League win. Cleveland of Reseda and Taft of Woodland Hills put even more pressure on themselves in their regular-season finales following a West Valley League draw, North Hollywood capped its fifth consecutive league season without a loss and Oaks Christian coach Jan Hethcock celebrated a milestone. If your team's result doesn't appear on this report, it's likely that no one affiliated with the team reported it to the Daily News.

So, without further delay, here's a recap of what transpired during the matches of Feb. 11:

Match of the night: Chaminade 2, Harvard-Westlake 1: OK, so it wasn't Loretta Younkin's 40-yard free kick in the last two minutes in 2001 to rally Chaminade from a two-goal deficit with 20 minutes remaining to an improbable 3-2 victory, all without the services of starting goalkeeper Candice Rodella, who was knocked unconscious and taken to a nearby hospital. Nor was it Tina Lutizetti's goal in the 96th minute -- Yes, they played overtime in the Mission League back then -- in a 2-1 victory in 2002. It wasn't even as dramatic as Lauren Treinen's goal in the final minute of regulation in a 1-1 tie in 2003 or Lauren Battung's 20-yard shot in the upper left corner in the 72nd minute of last year's 2-1 triumph. But after watching Chaminade coach Mike Evans count down the seconds until the final whistle and pump his fist in the air in celebration, it was clear the victory was just as special for the Eagles' veteran leader, who has had the most success of any opposing coach at Harvard-Westlake's Slavin Field. "It's always special to win here," Evans said. "I don't know what it is about (the north end of the stadium) but we've scored some of the biggest goals (in my tenure) at that end." Breanne Meck added her name to the list of clutch scorers in the history of the Chaminade/Harvard-Westlake rivalry, producing the deciding goal off a pass from Rita Hurlbut to help Chaminade (21-2-2, 6-2-2) erase a 1-0 halftime deficit with two goals in the first six minutes. "We definitely stepped it up in the second half," Meck said. "We weren't happy with our performance in the first half. We all knew we needed to play better." Raquel Weckhurst scored the tying goal off a pass from last year's hero Battung, helping the Eagles win at Harvard-Westlake (12-4-3, 5-3-2) for the second year in a row after going winless in four tries while Evans was coaching at Westridge in Pasadena. Katie Speidel, playing in her third match back after sitting out nine contests with ACL and tibia injuries, scored in the 31st minute for the Wolverines, who hit the crossbar twice in the first half and misfired on a number of other quality chances. "We had a bad 10 minutes and games are won or lost in 10 minutes," Harvard-Westlake coach Richard Simms said. "Just like it was last year against Chaminade, it's a tale of two halves. We've never been able to get more than one when we're on top and it cost us again. But give them credit, they responded." Chaminade is expected to be seeded in the top three in Div. II, seeking its first division final since 2001, when the Eagles captured their fourth consecutive championship. Harvard-Westlake, which last captured a title in 2002, is seeking its first appearance in a final since 2006.

Goal of the day: Jillian DeGennaro could sit out the entire playoffs and still wind up as La Reina of Thousand Oaks' leading scorer, as she has nearly double the amount of the Regents' No. 2 scorer Rebecca Koval. But with only one goal in her previous seven matches entering the Tri-Valley League showdown at Nordhoff of Ojai, the sophomore couldn't have picked a more opportune time to end her scoring drought. With Koval providing the feed, DeGennaro scored in the 68th minute and let Megan Scanlon and sisters Rachel and Kelsea Brajkovich take care of the rest in front of goalkeeper Ali Parisi, as La Reina prevailed 1-0 to atone for a 3-1 loss Jan. 26 at Cal Lutheran. DeGennaro has 15 goals entering the Div. V playoffs, as La Reina (14-6-3, 6-3-2) clinched a berth entering Friday's regular-season finale against Oaks Christian.

Unsung hero of the day: Izzy Johnson isn't the highest-scoring senior at Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada Flintridge. That honor belongs to Pip Harragin. She isn't even the leading goal scorer in her own family. That distinction belongs to freshman Katie Johnson. But for the second consecutive Mission League match, Johnson came through in the clutch for the Tologs (15-4-4, 7-1-2). After scoring the tying goal with 15 minutes remaining Monday in a 2-2 draw against Louisville of Woodland Hills, Izzy Johnson delivered again for the league champions, receiving a pass from Harragin in the 76th minute to finally get one past Notre Dame of Sherman Oaks goalkeeper Cynthia Tafoya in a 1-1 tie on the Tologs' senior night at St. Francis High, capping Flintridge Sacred Heart's first Mission championship in program history. Four of Izzy Johnson's five goals have come in league play, including two against Notre Dame, which received a first-half goal from Morgan Ritter -- her team-leading 14th -- off an assist from Jessica Wiblin.

Top performance by a freshman: Although they've contributed to the fewest amount of victories in Jan Hethcock's 20-year tenure, Oaks Christian's freshman class made the 19th win of their short careers a significant one in an 8-0 Tri-Valley League victory over Carpinteria. The Lions' ninth-graders (Kaycee Buckley, Lauren Tracy, Nicole Kawamoto, Lauren Lyskin, Mandi Duncan, Katianna Tron and Rachel Burrow) combined for three goals and three assists in contributing to Hethcock's 300th career victory, the past 168 wins coming during his nine seasons at Oaks Christian. "i've had great kids to work with and I was especially pleased with how we played today," Hethcock said. "It means a lot. I've got kids who want to play together and want to improve, and that's pretty special." Oaks Christian's freshman class has combined for 23 goals and 22 assists for the Lions (19-1, 11-0), who won their 15th in a row to increase Hethcock's all-time record to 300-83-42 between Oaks Christian and Christian High in San Diego, where he coached for 11 seasons.

Top goalkeeping performance: Jenny Cherry knows what it feels like to win a Southern Section championship, playing a significant role in Campbell Hall of North Hollywood's run to the Div. II girls' tennis title in 2007. The versatile athlete helped the Vikings continue their march toward an unbeaten Alpha League girls' soccer by recording five saves in a 4-0 victory over Archer School for Girls. Cherry, who usually splits time with Laura Smith, took center stage Wednesday en route to Campbell Hall's fifth consecutive shutout. Krystal Moore supported Cherry, a junior, with two goals and Kate McFarland and Ari Krakowsky each recorded a goal and an assist for Campbell Hall (11-3-1, 8-0-1), which concludes its regular season today against Windward of Los Angeles.

Top defensive performance: Had it not been for a 5-0 loss Feb. 2 to Oaks Christian, Oak Park's second-half run in the Tri-Valley League has been as strong as any team in the area. The Eagles (10-7-5, 8-2-2) recorded their third consecutive shutout entering the postseason with a 6-0 victory over Fillmore to finish second behind Oaks Christian, the only team to defeat Oak Park in league play. It was almost fitting that defenders Erica Kim and Victoria Cameron each scored twice for the Eagles, who also received goals from Stephanie Gilbert and Rachel Medina. Kelsea Shorten, Kathryn Klamecki and Kaycee Holcomb have also been instrumental in Oak Park remaining organized in front of goalkeepers Alison James and Brittany Stalzer, who teamed up once again to post the shutout, the Eagles' eighth of the season.

Corner kicks: Aside from Quartz Hill repeating as Golden League champion and Desert Christian dominating the High Desert League, there isn't a better story coming out of the Antelope Valley than Eastside and its pursuit of the program's first playoff berth. Following a 6-0 loss Feb. 4 to Quartz Hill, Eastside was 4-7 in league and seemingly out of the running for the Golden League's final playoff berth. But a 3-1 win Tuesday over Knight of Palmdale, combined with a 3-0 victory over Palmdale that started Friday, was postponed because of inclement weather and concluded Wednesday, has the Lions (9-10-2, 6-7) on the verge of history. Stacy Guijarro scored her team-leading 23rd goal after scoring her 21st during the 17 minutes that were played Friday and Eastside added an insurance goal in the 62nd minute. Eastside faces Littlerock and Palmdale (13-8-2, 6-6-1) plays Lancaster (8-6-1, 7-5-1) in the regular-season finales for both teams Friday. ........ Franchesca Vasquez scored for North Hollywood in a 1-1 East Valley League tie against Verdugo Hills of Tujunga, extending the Huskies' league unbeaten streak over the past five seasons to 52 in a row between the Sunset Six and East Valley leagues. Jennifer Fernandez had three saves for North Hollywood (13-5-4, 10-0-2). ........ Louisville of Woodland Hills secured its first Mission League victory in thrilling fashion, recording a 3-2 win over Alemany of Mission Hills. Jennifer Gonsoski, Megan Dion and Yvette Sandoval scored for the Royals (8-11-5, 1-6-3), who received assists from Sandoval and Amelia Barrosse. Alemany (8-7-5, 0-7-2) will look to secure its first league win Friday at Notre Dame (7-6-7, 2-2-5). ....... Carmen Hernandez scored off an assist for San Fernando in a 1-0 Valley Mission League triumph over Monroe of North Hills. .......... It all comes down to this for Cleveland of Reseda and Taft of Woodland Hills following a 0-0 West Valley League tie. In order for Taft (17-2-6, 4-2-3) to earn a share of the league title, it must defeat El Camino Real of Woodland Hills (8-7-3, 5-1-3) and hope that Cleveland (5-12-5, 0-6-3) can upset Chatsworth (9-6-4, 5-1-3). In order for Cleveland to avoid being shut out of the playoffs for the second time in three years, the Cavaliers -- despite an impressive nonleague resume against City opponents -- need to pick up a victory. ........ Vasquez of Acton capped an undefeated regular season, extending its winning streak to 20 in a row with a 4-0 victory over Discovery Prep of Pacoima. Brittany Eveland, Terra Chapman, Alissa Dawson and Samantha Houle scored for the Mustangs, who received assists from Makaila Estrella, Sami Calderon and Houle. Vasquez, which will be a freelance entry into the playoffs, outscored its opponents 107-4 and won two contests by forfeit.

It was a top-notch Tuesday in local girls' soccer as some league champions were finally crowned -- congratulations to Quartz Hill (Golden), Campbell Hall (Alpha) and Malibu (Frontier) -- and other league races were forced to wait until Thursday to determine a champion. Canyon eliminated defending Foothill League champion Saugus from the title picture, while Thousand Oaks' tie with Newbury Park and Westlake's victory over Moorpark left only one point between the Marmonte League rivals entering their regular-season finales. And Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta missed a chance to clinch its third Pacific League title in five years with a costly loss to Burbank. If your team's result doesn't appear on this report, it's likely that no one affiliated with the team reported it to the Daily News.

So, without further delay, here's a recap of what transpired during the matches of Feb. 10:

Match of the night: Canyon 1, Saugus 0: With the league's top two defenses squaring off, it was clear from the outset that the more efficient team would prevail. Within a five-minute span in the second half, Elvia Contreras converted her opportunity for Canyon and Shasta Fisher was denied on her best chance for Saugus and that proved to be the difference for the Cowboys (16-5-2, 7-1-1), who recorded their fifth consecutive shutout since a 1-0 loss Jan. 23 at Saugus (14-3-3, 6-2-1). As a result, even with a victory Thursday over Hart, the Centurions' bid to repeat as league champion came to an end as Saugus' best finish would be a tie for second. The Centurions, who hadn't allowed a goal in more than 550 minutes, couldn't clear a loose ball in the attacking third in the 53rd minute and Contreras took advantage, beating Saugus goalkeeper Bianca Lorenz with a one-timer from the left side for her team-leading 12th goal. Shortly thereafter, Alex Krall made a point-blank stop on Fisher to protect the lead, and the efforts from Milan Cabrera, Malaya Cabrera, Shannon Seidenglanz, Kathryn Hanson, Kati Dillon and Jessica Gatton was enough to hold off the Centurions the rest of the way. "Having that loss (to Saugus) was a sour experience for us," Krall said. "It was do or die. If we wanted it, we had to go out and do it. I'm so proud of my team." In a flashback to 2005, Canyon plays Valencia (15-6-2, 7-1-1) -- an 11-1 winner over Golden Valley -- at 6 p.m. Thursday for the league championship. Back then, a Steve Ladanyi-coached Canyon team defeated a Tony Scalercio-led Valencia squad 1-0 to secure the Cowboys' fourth consecutive league title. This time, it will be an Eric White-led Canyon team against coach Sean O'Connell's Valencia squad. There will be added incentive for the Vikings after Canyon eliminated them from playoff contention last season with a 1-0 victory in the regular-season finale.

Goal of the day: Although the efforts of Brittany Austin and Jennifer Seip in the first half were equally instrumental in Burbank's 2-1 Pacific League victory over Crescenta Valley of La Crescenta (16-2-4, 12-1), it was the work of sisters Kristina and Alexandra Amela that secured one of the biggest victories in the history of the Bulldogs' program. Following a Stephanie Alcaraz throw-in, Kristina Amela flicked the ball to the back post with her head, where Alexandra Amela was waiting to connect on the deciding goal in the 70th minute for Burbank (15-6-1, 10-3). Seip blocked a penalty shot by Danny Cardenas in the 12th minute and four minutes later, Austin cleared a C.V. shot off the line when the match was still scoreless for the Bulldogs, who received the tying goal from Natalie Burns.

Unsung hero of the day: Kate McFarland is usually one of the players largely responsible for keeping goals out of the net for Campbell Hall of North Hollywood. But the talented junior defender has also delivered her share of timely goals for the Vikings and her score in the 35th minute off an assist from Sarah Arditte couldn't have come at a better juncture for Campbell Hall, which clinched the first Alpha League title in program history with a 2-0 victory over Crossroads of Santa Monica. A three-year starter and two-time all-league honoree, McFarland also scored twice against Archer and once against Marshall of Pasadena. Ari Krakowsky added an insurance goal in the 60th minute for the Vikings (10-3-1, 7-0-1), who received a combined six saves from Jenny Cherry and Laura Smith.

Top performance by a freshman: Gabby Arnone had only scored once in Grace Brethren of Simi Valley's first 18 matches, but her first-half score off an assist from Meghan Reno was all the host Lancers (10-7-2, 4-3-2) needed against Bishop Diego of Santa Barbara (5-12-1, 3-5-1) to secure third place in the Frontier League with a 1-1 tie.

Top goalkeeping performance: Alex Krall has come to Canyon's rescue on a number of occasions this season, but her stop on Saugus' Shasta Fisher near the midway point of the second half might be remembered as the Cowboys' most timely save of the season. Already having preserved a 0-0 tie Jan. 20 with Hart of Newhall on a last-minute, one-on-one save on Katie Trevino, Krall came off her line when Fisher got free behind Canyon's back line for a breakaway opportunity.and sacrificed her body by laying out near the top of the penalty area. The result was a point-blank stop, which ricocheted out of danger and allowed Canyon to preserve its 1-0 victory. "After we scored in the second half, we got caught, but Alex came up big for us," Canyon coach Eric White said. "It was just a textbook play. It was a clean takeaway and the ball flew like 30 yards away, so they couldn't get a redirect." Krall, who finished with 12 saves, helped secure Canyon's seventh shutout in nine league matches. "I'm my own worst critic. Even after a shutout, I always think about things I could've done differently and ways that I can improve," Krall said. "But after that play, I had to give myself a little pat on the back. It was an amazing feeling."

Top defensive performance: Westlake's goals against average in Marmonte League play might not be the lowest -- a stat that reflects liberal substitutions by coach Frank Marino in lopsided victories -- but when the Warriors' defense remains focused and disciplined like it did in a 5-0 victory against a short-handed Moorpark team, Westlake's back line is the class of the league. Bri Linares, Chloe Wheeler, Sara Riazi and Jackie Jacobson set the tone with an impressive effort in the first half -- in which the Warriors' offense supported the group with four goals -- and Megan Moore, Taylor Barrett, Molly Case and Melinda Parham held strong in front of goalkeeper Allie Altman to preserve Westlake's sixth shutout, including five in league play. Westlake (12-4-2, 9-2-2) will need another dominant defensive effort to hold up its end of the bargain Thursday against Calabasas in pursuit of the league title, while praying for a Moorpark victory or tie against Thousand Oaks (11-6-4, 9-1-3).

Corner kicks: Claire Haft scored a first-half goal and set up another to Claire Kiefer and Caysie Beetley's shot was redirected into the net by a Santa Paula defender for an own goal in Malibu's 3-1 Frontier League victory over the Cardinals, securing the league championship. Sonja Vansolen recorded four saves for Malibu (14-5-2, 9-0), which is unbeaten in its past 10 matches since a 5-1 loss Jan. 12 to Oaks Christian of Westlake Village. Beetley, Haft and Kiefer have accounted for 32 of the Sharks' 41 goals. ......... Stephanie Galarze had three goals and three assists -- giving her 35 goals and 16 assists -- and Sonya Bernal added two goals and two assists for Quartz Hill (15-2, 13-0), which clinched its second straight Golden League title with an 8-0 victory over Littlerock. Karla Hager, Brittany Teaney and Kazandra Palomino scored for the Rebels, who received their 12th league shutout and 24th in their past 27 league matches from Air Force-bound goalkeeper Charity Blanton. ........ Abbie D'Errico scored off an assist from Marisol Vite for Highland of Palmdale (12-3-6, 11-1-1) in a 1-0 Golden League victory over Palmdale. ........ Eastside of Lancaster (8-10-2, 5-7) kept its bid for a playoff berth alive with a 3-1 Golden League victory over Knight of Palmdale. Stacy Guijarro increased her team-leading total to 22 goals for the Lions, who play the completion of Friday's suspended match against Palmdale on Wednesday at Antelope Valley High. On a goal by Guijarro, Eastside was leading 1-0 when play was stopped in the 17th minute because of the rain. Palmdale is 6-5-1 in league following its loss to Highland, and following the completion of the Eastside match, faces Lancaster in Thursday's regular-season finale. Eastside faces Littlerock (1-12 in league) on Thursday. ......... Thousand Oaks (11-6-4, 9-1-3) had an opportunity to put pressure on Westlake with a victory, but the Lancers played to a 0-0 Marmonte League tie, forcing the race for the league championship to go down to Thursday's regular-season finale. Thousand Oaks plays Moorpark and Westlake faces Calabasas. ........ There will be another race decided Thursday in the Marmonte League as well, and that's for third place after Agoura defeated Calabasas 3-0 and Royal of Simi Valley tied Simi Valley 1-1, with Jessi Sampogna scoring for the Pioneers (5-6-5, 4-6-3). Taylor C'debaca, Melanie Menin and Alex Smith scored goals and Kesley Reichow, Taryn Kurcz and Jessica Ramirez recorded assists for Agoura (14-5-1, 8-5), which received four saves from Gina Goryoka. For the second night in a row Diana Ohrt scored for Royal (12-7-4, 7-4-2), which is tied for third with Agoura. Royal faces Newbury Park (10-7-3, 5-6-2) and Agoura faces Simi Valley in their regular-season finales. ......... Amber Pimley and Briana Lariviere both scored twice for Camarillo in a 7-2 Pacific View League victory over Hueneme of Oxnard. Heather Brooks had four assists for the Scorpions (8-2-6, 7-2-1), who exploded with a six-goal, second-half outburst. ....... Cristal Diaz scored off an assist from Karissa Sandoval for Rio Mesa of Oxnard in a 1-1 Pacific View League tie with Oxnard, securing third place for the Spartans (5-11-4, 5-3-2). ....... Lancaster (8-6-2, 7-5-1) received two goals from Samantha Barajas and one from Erika Scott in a 3-0 Golden League victory over Antelope Valley (1-12 in league) to secure a playoff berth.