Pilot Cup dates set

The seventh Daily Pilot Cup will introduce a new face to the annual youth soccer tournament and this time, it’s one just outside the Newport-Mesa area.

Organizers announced that the Pilot Cup will take place May 30 through June 4. Games will be played at The Farm Complex in Costa Mesa and Costa Mesa High School.

Joining the field of schools involved in the tournament is The Pegasus School. Although the school is located in Huntington Beach, the student body is mostly made up of Costa Mesa and Newport Beach residents, tournament director Kirk McIntosh said.

“They’ve been knocking on our door for a long time and we decided, ‘OK, we’ll let them in,’ ” McIntosh said. “It’d be great if we could add every school in Orange County, but imagine how many teams we’d have then.”

Last year’s Pilot Cup attracted 114 teams from 28 public and private schools. McIntosh estimated that this year’s field could have around 130 teams and perhaps as many as 150.

Many of those teams will be aiming for Rea Elementary, which has been one of the dominant schools in the tournament. Rea has won five consecutive boys’ fifth- and sixth-grade Gold Division titles, and won the boys’ third- and fourth-grade Gold championship last year, wresting it away from Mariners Christian.

Carden Hall has won three consecutive titles in the girls’ fifth- and sixth-grade Gold Division. Andersen Elementary’s championship streak in the girls’ third- and fourth-grade Gold Division is four years.

The defending champions in the Silver Division are Eastbluff (girls’ fifth- and sixth-grade), Davis (boys’ fifth- and sixth-grade), Newport Coast (boys’ third- and fourth-grade) and St. Joachim (girls’ third- and fourth-grade).

McIntosh said the tournament was looking for referees, particularly those who can work afternoon games.