Hopes are high among 33 Catholic school girls’ soccer and water polo teams from the Los Angeles Archdiocese and Orange Diocese for CIF-Southern Section titles in 2019.
Playoff brackets for girls’ soccer and water polo were announced Feb. 2 by the CIF-SS, with action commencing this week. (Separate articles will preview the boys’ soccer and boys’ and girls’ basketball playoffs).
Undefeated J.Serra, the 2018 defending Division 1 champion and top-ranked D-1 team in much of 2019, leads 24 Catholic teams into the playoffs that last year also produced a D-6 champion in San Gabriel Mission (this year competing in D-4). All wild-card matches are Feb. 4, and first-round matches are Feb. 6.
Division 1: In first-round play, J.Serra (15-0-3, Trinity League No. 1) hosts Rancho Cucamonga (15-6); Santa Margarita (9-4-8, Trinity No. 2) is at Northwood (11-6-3); and Mater Dei (9-3-3, Trinity No. 3) is at Cypress (13-4-8).
D-2: Bishop Amat (15-3-4, Del Rey No. 1) hosts Valencia (9-7-4), and Rosary Academy (10-6-5, Trinity at-large) is at Redlands East Valley (11-5-4) in Round 1.
D-3: Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (Mission No. 3) plays a wild-card match at Santa Monica, the winner advancing to the first round. Round 1 matches include Alemany (13-4, Sunshine co-No. 1) hosting Oxnard (15-5-7), Bishop Montgomery (9-8, Del Rey co-No. 2) at North Torrance (14-8), and Flintridge Sacred Heart (7-4-3, Mission No. 2) at Dos Pueblos (12-5-6).
D-4: Immaculate Heart (10-7-3, Sunshine co-No. 1) hosts La Salle (13-5, Del Rey co-No. 2), and San Gabriel Mission (17-7-1, Horizon No. 1) hosts Ocean View (Golden West No. 2).
D-5: La Reina (10-3-3, Tri-Valley co-No. 1) hosts Westridge (7-6-4), and St. Anthony (14-8-1, Camino Real co-No. 1) hosts Schurr (8-3-3) in Round 1.
D-6: Alverno Heights Academy (Horizon No. 3) hosts Academy of Academic Excellence in a wild-card match, the winner advancing to play at Pomona Catholic (19-4, Camino Real co-No. 1) in Round 1.
D-7: In wild-card play, Cornelia Connelly (Academy No. 5) is at Hawthorne MSA. First-round matches feature St. Monica Academy (9-7, Heritage No. 3) at Mary Star of the Sea (9-5-1, Santa Fe No. 1), St. Mary’s Academy (9-10-3, Caminio Real No. 3) at Samueli Academy (14-6-2), St. Bonaventure (6-11-1, Tri-Valley No. 3) at Dunn (9-4), Ramona Convent (13-8-2, Horizon No. 2) hosting Rancho Alamitos (9-7-4), Santa Clara (6-2-4, Frontier co-No. 2) at Garey (11-7-3), and St. Pius X-St. Matthias (4-9-3, Santa Fe No. 2) hosting Desert Mirage (15-3-4).
Finals in all divisions are scheduled Feb. 22 and 23.
Nine Catholic teams are in the mix for seven division titles that will be decided Feb. 16. The 2018 CIF-SS champions included Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (D-5) and Marymount (D-7); both have moved to higher divisions in 2019.
Division 1: The eight-team bracket includes Mater Dei (16-8-1, Trinity League No. 3) at Laguna Beach (25-1) on Feb. 7. Semifinals are Feb. 13 and finals Feb. 16.
D-2: Santa Margarita (16-8, Trinity No. 1) received a first-round bye and plays its first match in the quarterfinals Feb. 9.
D-3: In wild-card play Feb. 5, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks (Mission No. 2) hosts Rio Mesa, and St. Lucy’s (Baseline No. 2) hosts Temescal Canyon. Winners advance to Round 1 Feb. 6.
D-4: Alemany (14-8, Mission No. 4) is at Ventura in Round 1 Feb. 5.
D-5: Marymount (16-8, Mission No. 3) is at Santa Ana Valley in Round 1 Feb. 5.
D-6: In first-round matches Feb. 5, Mayfield (7-12, Prep No. 4) is at Arcadia. Villanova Prep (19-7, Tri-Valley No. 1) has a first-round bye and plays the Cypress-Torrance winner on Feb. 7 in Round 2.
D-7: Pomona Catholic (11-3, Montview No. 1) hosts a wild-card winner (Redondo Union or Temple City) in Round 1 Feb. 6.
Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News).
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