Soccer teams become road tested

The second round of play in the CIF Southern Section boys soccer

playoffs finds Newport Harbor High and Corona del Mar facing

considerable road trips today with a Division II quarterfinals berth

on the line for each school.

Newport Harbor, the No. 1 entry out of the Sea View League, will

travel 120 miles round-trip for a 5 p.m. game against Valley View of

Moreno Valley at 5 p.m. Corona del Mar battles Santa Monica on the

road at 3 p.m., a trip that will consume more than 100 miles by the time the Sea Kings return.

Both teams are coming off convincing home victories in the first

round Friday. The Sailors (15-6) used two goals from Joel Walker and

one by Matt Tracy to knock off El Dorado, 3-0. Corona del Mar

(13-3-6) earned its first playoff victory in 11 years by defeating

Moreno Valley, 4-1, behind two goals from Chris Ringstrom.

Valley View (16-5-2) finished in second place in the Ivy League

and upset Temecula Valley, 2-1, in the first round of the Division II

playoffs. Santa Monica (11-2-4) is the No. 4 seed in the division and

defeated Chaminade, 1-0, in the first round.

An upset by the Sea Kings, who have won four in a row, would

continue the trend of higher seeds falling in Division II. No. 2

Santa Barbara was upset in double overtime, 1-0, by Calabasas in the

first round. Also in the first round, No. 3 Royal lost on penalty

kicks to Peninsula.

If the Sailors defeat Valley View, they could get a chance to face

top-seeded Thousand Oaks in Thursday’s quarterfinals. Thousand Oaks

(23-3-3) faces Dos Pueblos in the second round today.