Girls soccer: Three for the road

Teams from Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa and Newport Harbor high

schools hit the road today for CIF Southern Section second-round girls

soccer playoff games in two divisions.

In Division IV, No. 4-seeded CdM (13-4-7) visits Ganesha (16-7-1),

while Costa Mesa (13-5-4) is at Louisville (18-5-1).

Newport Harbor (12-6-4), the No. 3 seed in Division II, visits

Riverside Poly (16-3-7). All three games are scheduled to begin at 3 p.m.

Coach Ron Evans’ Sea Kings, who have advanced to the section

semifinals the last two years, opened the playoffs Saturday with a

resounding 6-0 thumping of Los Altos. The Sea Kings, who won their third

straight PCL title this season, have just one loss in their last 10

games.

Ganesha, the third-place team from the Valle Vista League, handled

Yucca Valley, 4-0, in a wild-card game, before surprising Golden West

League champion Ocean View, 1-0, in Saturday’s first round.

Costa Mesa, which earned the program’s first postseason victory, a 3-1

verdict Saturday against Pacifica, after back-to-back first-round exits,

is faced with a formidable foe in Louisville. The Royals shared the

Division IV crown last year after finishing third in the powerful Mission

League. They are, once again, the third-place representative from the

league that includes No. 1-seeded Harvard Westlake (20-1-1) and No.

3-seeded Chaminade (20-5-1). The Royals tied Chaminade in league and

posted one-goal league losses to both Chaminade and Harvard-Westlake.

Louisville handled Cabrillo, 4-0, in the wild-card round, then smoked

Montview League champion Bassett, 8-1, in the first round.

Newport Harbor, the Sea View League runner-up, is attempting to earn

the first second-round playoff win in school history. The Tars won

wild-card and first-round games last season to record the program’s first

two playoff triumphs.

Coach Jason Sorrell’s Sailors had gone seven straight games without

allowing a goal, until University scored first in Saturday’s 3-1

first-round win. Since opening the season 0-4-1, the Tars have lost only

two of their last 18, including 12 wins and three scoreless ties.

In the event of a scoreless regulation, two overtime periods would

ensue. Sudden-death overtime would follow, before resorting to penalty

kicks to advance a winner to Friday’s quarterfinals.

If victorious, Newport would meet the Crescenta Valley-El Toro winner

Friday.

CdM is hoping to advance to face either Oak Park or South Pasadena,

while Costa Mesa’s prospective quarterfinal opponent would be either No.

2-seeded Bonita or Apple Valley.

-- by Barry Faulkner