Mesa in, CdM seeded No. 2

Barry Faulkner

CERRITOS - The Costa Mesa High girls soccer team made history

Monday without even booting a ball.

Coach Dan Johnston’s Mustangs (8-3-8) were edged for the third and final

guaranteed postseason berth in the Pacific Coast League. But they were

granted the lone at-large bid in the CIF Southern Section Division IV

playoffs, when pairings were announced Monday at the section office.

It’s the first playoff appearance ever for Mesa, which visits Del Rey

League champion Bishop Montgomery (18-5-3) Saturday in a first-round game

at 3 p.m.

Corona del Mar (14-4-4), the Pacific Coast League champion making its

first trip to the playoffs since 1992, earned the No. 2 seed in Division

IV.

Coach Ron Evans’ Sea Kings will host Orange Lutheran (8-7-3), the Olympic

League’s third-place representative.

The Mustangs, denied an at-large berth after posting an 8-12-2 record

last season, were picked from nine schools considered for this year’s

single opening in the 32-team bracket, according to section officials.

The Mustangs lost just one game outside of PCL competition and finished

the campaign Thursday with a 0-0 tie against CdM.

The defensive-minded squad blanked nine teams and allowed only one goal

nine additional games. Only University (three) and Laguna Beach (two)

tallied more than one goal against Costa Mesa.

CdM, which won its first league title since completing a three-peat in

‘92, dominated PCL competition (6-0-2) in its inaugural season in the

circuit. The Sea Kings formerly competed in the Sea View League.

CdM enters Saturday’s action with a nine-game unbeaten streak, having

posted a 7-0-2 record since losing a 2-1 nonleague decision to Edison.

CdM tied Bishop Montgomery, 1-1 early in the season.

Harvard-Westlake (14-3-3) is the No. 1 seed.