Girls’ Soccer: CdM Coach Middleton out for first round of CIF

Corona del Mar High girls’ soccer coach Bryan Middleton received a red card in Thursday’s final Pacific Coast League game against Northwood and will not coach the Sea Kings in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs.

CdM boys’ soccer coach George Larsen will coach the CdM girls Thursday in the first round of CIF, Middleton said Friday via text message. CdM girls’ soccer assistant coach Mark Kirsch is out of town next week on family vacation, Middleton said.

Middleton received the red card after arguing with the referees in the second half of Thursday’s 2-1 loss to Northwood, when the visiting Timberwolves were awarded a free kick. Northwood’s Rhea Palsule scored the game-winning goal off the free kick in the 78th minute.

The Sea Kings finished tied for second in league, snapping a streak of four straight outright league titles, but won a coin flip with Beckman for the league’s second seed into the CIF Southern Section Division 2 playoffs. The brackets will be released Monday afternoon, and the first round is Thursday.

Should CdM win in the first round, Middleton could return for the second round on Feb. 24.

— From staff reports