Division 2 analysis
Seeded teams
1. Oaks Christian (15-1)
2. Santiago of Corona (18-1-8)
3. Troy (17-1-5)
4. Palos Verdes (17-4-2)
County representatives: Sunny Hills, Northwood, Beckman, Corona del Mar, La Habra
Rapid reaction: It has been one heck of a year for Troy, who finished with a perfect 10-0 record in Freeway League play. In Lauren Woodyard, Robyn Maurer and Brianna Diaz, the Warriors boast one of the most talented attacking trios in the county. Looking ahead, if Troy can run the table, it’ll potentially meet up with Santiago of Corona in the semis. Not only did the Sharks hand the Warriors their lone loss of the season, they cruised past Troy, 5-0, in the North Orange County Championships. A rematch would be intriguing, especially if a spot in the final was on the line.
Best first-round matchup: M.L. King vs. Corona del Mar at Estancia High, Thursday, 3 p.m.
The Sea Kings finished the second half of the Pacific Coast League schedule with a 1-2-2 clip, but still earned the league’s No. 2 playoff slot. There’s plenty of talent on the pitch for CdM to turn things around, and it starts with All-CIF performer Shelby Brown in the midfield.
In M.L. King, the Sea Kings drew a gifted opponent that’s battle-tested having come from the Big VIII League.
Dark horse team: Northwood (13-5-2)
The Timberwolves won their last four matches of the regular season, outscoring their opponents 11-2 in that time span. Junior midfielder Danielle Solaru is playing out of her mind at the moment, scoring goals in six of her last seven outings. In total, she’s netted seven goals in Northwood’s current four-game winning streak. With Chinyere Chambers and Talia Teltscher also wreaking havoc in the attacking third, the Timberwolves are a scary matchup for any team moving forward.
