TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

Nothing -- not Tulare Union, the right post, the left post or the crossbar -- was going to stop Stockdale from getting another chance at an elusive Central Section championship.

The Mustangs hit the goal frame an astounding six times, but still got enough shots in the net for a 3-1 victory over Tulare Union in the Division I girls soccer section semifinals.

"It's frustrating, but experienced players know you've got to keep playing," Stockdale senior Brooke Dickens said. "It tells you our team is doing a good job of getting forward; we just need to do a better job of finding the net."

Now the top-seeded Mustangs (19-5-3) face the one hurdle they've never been able to overcome: Clovis-Buchanan, the No. 2 seed, will travel to Stockdale for the championship at 6 p.m. Friday. Stockdale has been to six previous section finals and lost all six.

Four of those losses were to Buchanan, with the previous three by a combined 12-2 score.

"They've been loaded," Stockdale coach Janien McGowan said. "They've always had great sides. But from everyone I've talked to (this season), it's anyone's game. The Valley's been very close this year."

Of course, all four of those championship-game losses were at Buchanan -- which doesn't have lights on its soccer field and so plays afternoon games, forcing a team like Stockdale to leave Bakersfield in the morning.

"It throws you off your routine," McGowan said. "It's wonderful to be at home and playing at night."

Dickens lost title games to Buchanan her freshman and sophomore years.

"Ever since we lost it my sophomore year, that's been my goal: To get back," she said. "I've been waiting my whole high school life for this."

And she wasn't about to be denied by any goalpost or talented goalkeeper. With the semifinal scoreless late in the first half -- and Stockdale already frustrated by two shots off goalposts -- Dickens had a point-blank header that Tulare goalkeeper D.J. Adame deflected over the bar.

The ensuing corner kick sent the ball back to Dickens, though, and this time she made no mistake, bouncing a header into the corner where Adame had no chance. It was 1-0 three minutes before the half.

"That one at the end of the half was a bit of a game-changer," Tulare coach Marshall Webb said. "We fought hard in that half, but to give that up made it difficult mentally for us."

The Redskins (18-5-2) fell behind 2-0 midway through the second half on the game's most appropriate sequence: After two consecutive Stockdale shots hit the post, freshman Marriah Perez collected the ball in the box and fired just inside the frame for a 2-0 lead.

Minutes later, Tulare Union cut the lead in half on a controversial play: Vicki Andrade crashed into Stockdale goalkeeper Gabby Giuliano, jarring the ball loose, and knocked it in. The referee huddled with a linesman after Stockdale coaches protested, but the goal stood.

"It was an unlucky goal we gave up," Dickens said. "Our keeper had the ball in her hands; it was right in front of me. But we had to let it go and keep playing hard."

Undeterred, Stockdale continued to push forward and put the game away on Victoria Womble's breakaway goal with 13 minutes left.

"The girls are used to calls," McGowan said. "We tell them, 'You can't worry about the officals. Don't waste energy on that. Waste energy on the gameplan.' And that's what we did."

Now, Stockdale gets another shot at that elusive championship.

"It'll be a good matchup," said Webb, whose team beat Buchanan in the regular season. "Two very good teams with a lot of solid players."