Westlake may have passed another District 25-5A test Friday against visiting Anderson, but the Chaps didn’t exactly earn an A with a 2-0 win.

But then again, the grade came in more of a practice quiz than a pressure-packed postseason exam.

“It was a stressful win, but stress is good,” Westlake coach Rennie Rebe said. “We’re working toward the playoffs now. Maybe we need to manage the stress a little better and play a little better and finish our chances, but this game could help us come the playoffs.”

For much of the contest, the only stress occurred against a beleaguered Anderson defense that spent the bulk of the match bending against the Chaps’ relentless assault on the box. The first goal came with predictable haste, considering the string of shots and corner kicks produced by Westlake. Sophomore Katharine Noonan lobbed a corner into the box and then moved inside the 25-yard mark. Freshman Christy Goldberg tapped the ball back to Noonan, who rocketed a shot into the far corner of the net for a 1-0 Westlake lead nine minutes into the match.

Westlake (14-5-2 overall, 11-1 in district) spent the rest of the match organizing futile assaults on the Anderson goal while fending off the occasional Trojan counterattack. Some of the Chaps’ 13 shots ricocheted off the frame, while others couldn’t get past the Anderson keeper. As the time ticked off the clock, however, the Trojans grew bolder behind winger Kendyl Walker, who began to find holes in the Chap defense.

“They were thinking ‘We’re only down 1-0; we’re still in it,’ ” Rebe said. “And their game is counterattacking. It was like the playoffs a little, because that [counterattacking] is what playoff soccer is all about.”

Anderson had just one shot on goal in the first 60 minutes but produced a series of shots late in the match. Chap keeper Sarah Gross, a four-year member of Westlake’s varsity squad, suddenly had a busy Senior Night after spending most of the match as little more than a gloved cheerleader.

“It got a little scary near the end,” said Gross, who didn’t have to make her first save until the 61st minute. “But then I had to work a little. It turned into a lot of pressure on me, that’s for sure. I make a mistake, and it’s a shootout that we could lose.”

The match never got to that point, thanks to the reliable Gross and some quick footwork from Reilly Wheat. The junior stole a ball from an Anderson defender and dished out a pass to Goldberg, who poked a short shot into the Anderson net to give the Chaps a 2-0 lead in the 75th minute.

The performance of Goldberg and some of the other rising Westlake stars eased the evening’s sentimentality, said Gross, who carried the traditional pink boa and bouquet of flowers that accompany Westlake’s Senior Night.

“I think we’re leaving the team in good shape,” Gross said. ” think that we [the seniors] have made a big impact on the team, and I think they’re set for at least the next four years. But we still have some games to play.”

Westlake will clinch the 25-5A title with wins over Austin High and Akins next week. The postseason begins after Spring Break.