Orange County Soccer Roundup : Preview of Girls’ 4-A in the Making : Mission Viejo Will Meet Torrance for Tournament Title

The Ocean View High School girls’ soccer tournament, a 32-team extravaganza so large that play began at 7:30 a.m. Friday and 52 games have been played in two days, could well have a preview of the Southern Section 4-A final in its title game Monday.

Torrance, the top-ranked 4-A team in the Southern Section preseason poll, plays Mission Viejo, last season’s Southern Section 4-A co-champion.

Mission Viejo (12-0-1) advanced to the final by defeating Royal, 3-1, in a semifinal Saturday. The Royal goal, scored by Marcella Garcia, was the first the Diablos allowed in the tournament.

Royal led, 1-0, but Stacey Hopper tied it with a goal off a cross from sophomore Julie Foudy. Hopper put Mission Viejo ahead for good, 2-1, scoring off a Jenny Gattis assist. Foudy, who scored both goals in the Diablos’ 2-0 quarterfinal victory over West Torrance earlier Saturday, scored the final goal when she kicked a 25-foot shot high into the goal with about four minutes remaining.

As for Torrance, things are going so well that it hardly mattered that Shannon Maddock lost her left shoe during a scramble at the net in the other semifinal Saturday. A minute later, she scored with her sock foot, getting her second of three goals for the day as she led Torrance to a 5-0 victory over Alemany (9-3-4).

The Tartars (11-1-2) have not allowed a goal in the tournament, outscoring their opponents, 18-0. Dewanna Huschka, Jessica Yarborough and Kelli Stevenson also scored for Torrance in the semifinal.

Maddock and Yarborough scored as Torrance defeated La Quinta, 2-0, in a quarterfinal earlier Saturday.

But the easy part appears to be over for both teams.

Mission Viejo and Torrance have played each other often, most recently in last season’s Southern Section 4-A semifinal, a game that ended in a tie, with Mission Viejo advancing on penalty kicks.

“We all know each other,” said Dale Walker, a Torrance coach. “We’re on a first-name basis. They’re old friends.”

The final is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday.

Los Alamitos plays Dana Hills for 17th place, and La Quinta plays West Torrance for fifth at 9 a.m. Laguna Hills plays Simi Valley for ninth, and Royal plays Alemany for third at 11 a.m.

In other tournament games:

Alemany 2, Arcadia 1--Sondra Shatkin and Shannon Lambert scored for the Indians in a championship quarterfinal victory.

Royal 2, Fountain Valley 1--Jessica Randolph and Tracey Hammond each scored, leading the Highlanders in a championship quarterfinal.

Laguna Hills 1, Edison O--Heather McIntyre scored on a penalty kick in a consolation quarterfinal, leading Laguna Hills to its second victory over defending CIF 4-A co-champion Edison this season.

La Quinta 4, Arcadia 1--Kristin Harkins scored her 23rd goal of the season and Tina Cochran, Lara Crowley and Kristin Daily each added a goal as the Aztecs won a consolation semifinal. Barbara Hanna scored for Arcadia.

Laguna Hills 4, University 0--Joanna Noble’s three goals led Laguna Hills in a consolation semifinal. The Hawks (11-0-1) have not allowed a goal this season, but were eliminated from the championship bracket Friday when Alemany advanced on penalty kicks after a scoreless tie.

In boys’ soccer:

Newport Harbor 3, Foothill 1--Billy Castanha, Garth Tamblyn and David Woodruff scored to lead the Sailors in a first-round match of the Fountain Valley Tournament. Shaun Coykendall scored for the Knights.

Newport Harbor 0, Palos Verdes 0--The Sailors defeated the Sea Kings on penalty kicks, 4-2, in a second-round match. Newport Harbor’s Mike Palmer suffered a broken leg about 10 minutes into the second half, and play was delayed for a half hour as he was treated by paramedics. Because of the delay, regulation play was limited to one hour instead of 80 minutes.