Ocean View reaches semifinals

The Ocean View High girls’ water polo team was on a quest this week to reach another CIF Southern Section championship game.

The Seahawks won their first two tournament games in the past week to reach Wednesday’s semifinals where they took on Prep League champ Pasadena Westridge. The score wasn’t available at press time.

The winner of Wednesday’s game will play Saturday for the Division 6 championship at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine. The opponent will be the winner of the other Wednesday semifinal game between top-seeded and Ocean League champ Santa Monica and Las Padres League champ Lompoc Cabrillo.

Ocean View has played in a CIF championship game the previous three years (Division 7 in 2013-14, Division 6 last year), finishing runner-up in each instance.

The Golden West League champion Seahawks, the No. 2-seed in the tournament, began postseason play Feb. 18 and dominated Placentia Valencia, 16-2. Shannon Graham powered her way for eight goals, Elena Isogawa scored three goals, and Ieva Vaiciunas had 10 saves.

Ocean View took on Sunbelt League champion Temecula Canyon in a quarterfinal game Saturday and eliminated the Titans, 10-4. Graham again topped the scoring with seven goals, Isogawa had three goals and four assists, and Vaiciunas had 10 saves.

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Girls’ Soccer

Huntington Beach and Edison were involved in tight CIF-SS Division 1 second-round games Tuesday and the Oilers and Chargers both came out on the short end of a one-goal final.

Sunset League champion Huntington hosted Long Beach Poly, a team that had eliminated the Oilers in the second-round a year ago, and the Jackrabbits again ended the Oilers’ season. It took a golden goal by Tavia Leachman off a corner kick six minutes into the first overtime to lift the Moore League champion to a 1-0 victory. Oilers goalie Rachel Harris had six saves.

Huntington had eight shots on goal and six corner kicks.

The Oilers began postseason play Feb. 18 and took a 2-1 victory over visiting Etiwanda (Baseline League at-large). Sawyer Koelsch and Darcy Weiser scored goals, Jenna Nighswonger had an assist.

The Oilers completed a 14-5-5 season.

“I am very proud of the all the seniors and our entire squad,” Huntington Coach Raul Ruiz said. “We had another great season and to end it, I stated the following: ‘The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.’”

Edison, the No. 2 team from the Sunset League, was edged 1-0 by visiting Tesoro. Ally Cook scored in the second half as the Sea View League champion moved on to Thursday’s quarterfinals. Zoe Clevely had five saves for the Chargers who end their year 16-6-2.

Edison hosted Dana Hills (South Coast League No. 3) and survived the Dolphins in two overtimes Feb. 18, 3-2. Rachel Flory, Amy Fienstein and Madi Macias scored, Mikayla Edwards had two assists, and Clevely recorded five saves.

Ocean View, winner of the Golden West League, entertained Cathedral City in a Division 5 first-round game Feb. 18. The teams played to a 1-1 tie through regulation and in an outcome decided by penalty kicks, the Lions emerged with a 4-3 win. Madison White scored in regulation and Emma Malsy, Jenna Turner and Micayla Shook converted kicks in the penalty kicks phase for the Seahawks. Malsy also had six saves.

Ocean View suffered only its third loss of the season and ended its campaign 14-3-5.

“We are definitely disappointed in the way our season ended,” Ocean View Coach Jose Sanchez said. “During the game, we were the better team ... possessions, chances, defensively. Our girls weren’t able to turn those chances into goals and in soccer, we need to score goals. We had a total of 27 chances on goal, [Cathedral City] had six. For the score to be 1-1, it tells that our conversion rate wasn’t the best.

“I am still proud of this group. We were able to finish league undefeated. They always worked hard, their ambition and motivation was always there. We can’t wait to come back next year. “

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Boys’ Soccer

Fountain Valley moved on in the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs by registering a 3-0 shutout Friday of host Mission Hills Alemany (Mission League No. 2). Chico Cardenas, Cameron Bald and Ryan Sapp scored, Trae Davis and David Volkert both had an assist, and Slater Kucera had three saves.

The win took the Barons, the third-place team from the Sunset League, to 15-6-3 and into a second-round game Wednesday at Paramount, champion of the San Gabriel Valley League and the division’s top seed. The Pirates had a first-round bye.

The score from Wednesday’s game wasn’t available at press time. The winner advances to a division quarterfinal game Friday and will face the winner of the Wednesday game between Channel League champion Santa Barbara and Santa Margarita (Trinity League No. 3). The division semifinals are next Tuesday.

Edison and Huntington Beach weren’t as fortunate as Fountain Valley in their Division 1 openers Friday which also were played against Mission League teams.

Edison, the second-place team from the Sunset League, was edged at home by La Canada St. Francis (Alemany League No. 3), 2-1. Jeff Wood scored off a JJ Velazquez assist, and Brendan Fix had three saves for the Chargers who trailed, 2-0, at the half.

The Chargers end the year 14-6-4.

“Soccer is a cruel game and the better team doesn’t always win,” Edison Coach Charlie Breneman said. “St. Francis took their chances well and we didn’t. It was a tough way to finish the season.”

Huntington Beach, an at-large entry to the playoffs from the Sunset League, was shut out by host and Mission League champion Los Angeles Loyola which scored twice in the second half to come away with a 2-0 victory. The Oilers received a red card early and played with only 10 players for more than 70 minutes of the game, Huntington Coach Sean Dick said.

Dick praised the play of sophomore goalie Parker Marlatt who he said “was amazing and kept us in the game.” Marlatt saved an early penalty kick attempt by the Cubs.

The Oilers, who qualified for the playoffs for the third consecutive year, finished 11-9-5.

“This team was a pleasure to coach all year,” Dick said. “They all were leaders and set great examples for the underclassmen as to what it means to be a player at Huntington Beach High. Some of the boys are now speaking with colleges, and my hope is that they will be able to continue playing in college.”