Girls soccer: League title with reach for Tars, CdM, Mesa
Barry Faulkner
The girls soccer teams from Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor and
Costa Mesa high schools all enter the final week of the regular season
with league championship aspirations, though only CdM has complete
control of its fate.
Coach Ron Evans’ two-time defending Pacific Coast League champions,
who have just one league loss since joining the circuit three seasons
ago, visit Costa Mesa today and host Northwood Thursday. With a pair of
wins, CdM, ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern Section Division IV, would, once
again, land atop the standings.
Entering today’s games, the Sea Kings (11-4-6, 4-1-3 in league) are
tied for first with Northwood (7-6-4, 5-2-1) with 11 points (two points
for a league win and one point for a tie). Costa Mesa (11-5-3, 4-2-2)
sits in third and University (8-7-3, 3-2-4) is fourth.
In the Sea View League, Newport Harbor (11-6-3, 4-1-2) enters today
tied with Aliso Niguel (4-0-2 in league), while Woodbridge (4-1-1 in
league) is just one point back.
The Sailors, ranked No. 3 in CIF Division II, visit Woodbridge, No. 6
in CIF Division II, tonight at 5 p.m. likely needing a victory to remain
in the title hunt, since they have a bye Thursday, when Aliso and
Woodbridge square off. Aliso, No. 2 in CIF Division I, visits Laguna
Hills (0-6-1 in league) today.
If victorious tonight, the Sailors would be outright champions only if
Aliso Niguel fails to gain two points this week. With a win, however, the
worst the Tars could do would be second place. Newport has already
wrapped up a postseason berth.
In their first-round PCL clash, CdM and Costa Mesa tied, 1-1. CdM
thumped Northwood, 4-1, in the first round.
“This is a really big week for us,” Evans said. “There is no room for
error and we’ve got to come out and play our best soccer of the season.
We had a really good practice (Monday). We have a few tricks up our
sleeve for both Mesa and Northwood, so we’ll just have to see if we can
score with them.”
The Sea Kings will be without starting fullback Lauren Loe, who broke
her foot in Thursday’s 3-3 tie with University.
If Costa Mesa, No. 8 in CIF Division IV, can win today, then handle
Laguna Beach, which it tied, 1-1, in the first round, only a pair of
Northwood wins this week would keep Coach Dan Johnston’s Mustangs from at
least a share of the first league crown in the program’s history.
Northwood lost to Uni, 3-0, in the first round.
In the last four games, both Mesa and CdM are 2-1-1, while Northwood
is 3-1.
Estancia (3-17, 0-8) hosts Laguna Beach today and University Thursday.
Sage Hill is scheduled to host Oxford Academy today, then visit St.
Margaret’s Thursday as the Academy League schedule concludes.
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