Division 3
Seeded teams
1. Buena (19-2-5)
2. Quartz Hill (19-2-3)
3. Cypress (15-7-2)
4. West Torrance (15-4-5)
County representatives: Brea Olinda, Pacifica, Yorba Linda, Valencia
Rapid reaction: Looking immediately at the bottom half of the bracket, Yorba Linda has a tough road ahead. If the Mustangs can get past a first-round match with Valencia, they could potentially see Ayala – the Palomares League champs – in the second round before a hypothetical quarterfinal matchup with second-seeded Quartz Hill. In fact, if Yorba runs the table and makes a trip to the finals, it’s very possible that from the second round on it would see face-off against a different league champion. Just an extremely tough draw for Greg Aviles’ squad. But because they held their own playing in a loaded Century Conference, you can’t count the Mustangs out.
On the flip side, Cypress has a nice draw as the No. 3 overall seed. At the very earliest, Cypress wouldn’t have to play a league champ until the quarterfinal round if Warren High can advance. The Kelly Kessloff-Jenna Dages proved to be lethal throughout the Empire League slate, and that one-two punch can really carry Cypress deep into this bracket.
Best first-round matchup: Pacifica at Chino, Thursday, 3 p.m.
The Mariners capped off the regular season with four straight shutout victories, outscoring their Empire League foes, 8-0, over that run. Freshman keeper Kyleigh Tran is allowing less than a goal a match this season when in net. If she continues to play at such a high rate, the Mariners are capable of making a run at Chino in a first-round match.
Dark horse team: Brea Olinda (15-8-3)
Playoffs are the reason you schedule a tough preseason schedule, and it’s where you benefit from playing in a talent-rich league. The Wildcats took their lumps during one stretch in Century Conference play, losing three matches in a row to Canyon, Foothill and Yorba Linda. You can’t knock them for that. Not only are those three playoff teams, they’re a trio of squads that can make deep runs in their respective brackets.
With a senior-laden roster, don’t be shocked if Brea knocks off a few teams in the next week. Michaela Adams, Emily Carman and Harlie Valentine are all future college players, and Kristy and Gigi Avila are proven playmakers in the midfield. This is a dangerous Brea squad.
