OC Varsity’s preview of the CIF Southern California Regional championship games on Saturday.
BOYS SOCCER
DIVISION 2
GODINEZ (26-1) vs. SANTA MARIA (24-3-3)
Where, when: at Santa Ana Sports Complex, Saturday, 4 p.m.
Outlook: This is the second consecutive season the top-seeded Grizzlies have advanced to a regional championship. Last season, they lost to Valencia of Valencia in Division IV. The Grizzlies might just be the most talented, well-rounded team in the tournament. Godinez enters the championship as the No. 1-ranked team in California and the No. 7 program in the nation, according to Maxpreps. And they have the statistics to back it up. Since the playoffs began on Feb. 17, the Grizzlies have outscored their opponents, 20-3. Senior forward Bryan Ibarra has scored seven of those postseason goals. Godinez has yet to give up a goal in the regionals, defeating Canyon Crest, 3-0, and Valencia, 3-0. This could be a high-scoring match as Santa Maria has scored 100 goals, bringing a 3.33 goals per game average into the championship.
– DAMIAN DOTTORE
