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Girls Varsity Soccer Charges Towards City Finals With 2-0 Victory Over Rival Northside Prep
The Payton Girls Varsity Team wrestled a spot for the City Championship by besting Northside Prep 2-0 in a hard fought game matching any final. Scoring bookend header goals in the first and last 10 minutes of the game, Payton's first goal came when Blake Murphy fed Ari Rocca a pass back to the corner after Rocha's corner kick deflected out of the box. Rocca reset a cross shot that connected with Alissa Dunbar, who jumped up from a crowded box to smash a header into the net. The half ended at 1-0 but the game continued with strong play on both sides. Payton's midfielders worked doggedly to maintain possession, keeping the game on their opponent's side for most of the second half. Though Payton dominated during the second half, Northside garnered a surge of energy in the final 20 minutes, putting Payton's defense on its heels. Payton's back line and goalie Anna Leigh Smith, who tallied yet another tournament shut out, showed they were up to the test. With 10 minutes left to play, Dunbar made a run down the left sideline and crossed a low ball into the box, where Junior Hannah Stern squatted to reach the low flying ball and whipped a furious header into the southeast corner of the net like a bottle cap twisting off a cold soda. Payton takes on Whitney for the City Championship this Thursday. Go Grizzlies!
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