Palomar next for Orange Coast

Fresh off their 5-1 victory over 14th-seed Glendale Tuesday, the

Orange Coast College women’s soccer team (20-1-2) gets set to face

its next opponent in the Southern California Regional playoffs.

The Bucs will battle 11th-seeded Palomar (16-5-1), who beat

sixth-seeded Cuyamaca Tuesday, in a second-round matchup at OCC at

noon Saturday.

“They’ve earned my respect and we’re not going to take them

lightly,” said OCC Coach Barbara Bond a day following Coast’s

first-round win.

Palomar and third-seeded OCC had met in recent years in

nonconference play, but not this season.

“They’re going to be ready to play,” Bond said.

Playoffs seem to bring increased intensity and more physical play

than the regular season and that’s what Coast and Glendale served up

Tuesday.

“It was pretty physical,” said Coast’s freshman forward Sarah

Ronquillo of play during the Glendale game.

Glendale players several times slide tackled Coast forwards,

resulting in some fouls, but the referees let a lot of things go.

“It was rough, but not as bad as Cypress,” Ronquillo added.

If Coast gets by Palomar, it could set up a third meeting this

season with second-seeded Cypress (20-0-1), the Pirates’ nemesis of

late.

Cypress beat OCC, 2-0, in last season’s Southern California

Regional final and gave Coast its lone loss and tie this season.

Coast was the last team to beat Cypress, 1-0 back in 1995, as the

Chargers have rattled off 91 consecutive conference victories.

Another quote following the Coast game Tuesday ...

“I was lucky,” said sophomore midfielder Fernanda Velasco

following her bicycle-kick goal off of a throw-in from sophomore

forward Lauren Cassity to put Coast up, 4-1.

With her back to the goal, Velasco timed the floating ball

perfectly, flipping backward in the air, rifling her foot to sail the

ball into the net.

Bucs’ sophomore defender Summer Chaldu suffered a dislocated left

shoulder during Tuesday’s game and had to be taken off in a golf cart

with her shoulder wrapped in bandages and the Laguna Beach High alum

grimacing in pain.

She had X-rays taken and suffered no bone chips or fractures, but

Bond doubts she’ll be ready to play Saturday. Chaldu attended

practice Wednesday, her arm in a sling.

*

The Orange Coast Women’s water polo team finished fifth at this

year’s state tournament, winning the final two games over San Joaquin

Delta, 14-2, and Riverside, 7-4.

The Pirates (29-9) dropped their opener, 6-5 to Merced,

eliminating any chances Coast had of repeating as state champions.

But several Pirates captured honors following the state

tournament.

Sophomore goalie Heather Deyden was Coast’s most-decorated

athlete, selected as the Pirates’ lone representative on the

All-State Tournament team while also making the All-Southern

California team and was the lone goalie to gain All-Orange Empire

Conference honors.

Deyden recorded 256 saves this season and tallied 29 steals.

Also making the All-Southern California team for Coast were Nicole

Sonnenfeld and Erica Nicholson. Sonnenfeld led the Pirates in goals

(49) and assists (19) while tallying 23 steals and Nicholson had 43

goals and notched 10 assists and 35 steals.

Sheri Meyer made the All-Southern California second team, scoring

the second-most goals on the team (45) while making 20 steals and

seven assists.

Sara Natalizio made the All-OEC team, scoring 25 goals to go along

with 46 assists and eight assists.

Deyden, Sonnenfeld, Nicholson, Meyer and Natalizio all made the

All-OEC team.

OCC’s Courtney Robertson and Amber Braly each made the All-OEC

second team. Robertson tallied 28 goals, four assists and 13 steals

while Braly led Coast with 49 steals to go with 26 goals and six

steals.

Golden West’s Patty Cardenas garnered state tournament Most

Valuable Player laurels while also winning the MVP for the

All-Southern California and the All-OEC team.