Edison starts strong with wild-card win

The wild-card way is how the Edison High girls’ water polo team has begun its postseason drive.

The Chargers opened CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoff action by playing a wild-card game Tuesday, and their thorough performance Tuesday at the Costa Mesa High pool has them moving on in the postseason.

Edison cruised to a 12-2 victory over El Dorado. The ninth-ranked Chargers shut out the Golden Hawks (Century League No. 4) in the first quarter and the entirety of the second half. They led, 6-0, after one quarter and 9-2 at halftime.

Delaney Cleveland of the Chargers led the scoring with four goals. Natalie May and Julie Harrison both scored twice, Lyndsie Williams and Sabrina Jensen (four assists) both scored once, and freshman Chloe Kunst scored twice to go with a pair of assists and three steals.

Josette Santos and Sierra Page had eight and seven saves, respectively for Edison, the third-place team from the Sunset League which improved to 17-12.

“Our girls came out really strong against El Dorado,” Edison Coach Diggy Riley said. “It was nice to see our bench get some significant playing time, especially in a CIF game at home.

“Our defense was the key, especially the full-court press, which has been so consistent all season long.”

The victory sent Edison into a first-round match Wednesday at Pacific Coast League champ Corona del Mar. The score wasn’t available at press time.

The winner of Wednesday’s first-round game advances to a quarterfinal game Saturday.

The Division 1 semifinals are at 5 and 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatic Center in Irvine.

Edison had wrapped up the third and final automatic playoff berth from the Sunset League Feb. 12 by ending its league season with a 9-5 win over Huntington Beach. Jensen scored four goals to go with five steals, two assists and two earned ejections for the Chargers. May had three goals, three steals and an assist, and Cleveland and Williams each scored once.

Edison opened up a 7-3 lead in the third quarter and went on to outscore the Oilers, 6-2, in the second half.

The Chargers ended the regular season Friday against Glendora St. Lucy’s, the ninth-ranked team in CIF Southern Section Division 3, and defeated the Regents, 11-10, at Ocean View High. Julie Harrison three goals and had two assists and a steal, and goalie Josette Santos had 11 saves for Edison.

Two other local prep girls’ water polo teams are competing this week in CIF Southern Section postseason play.

Marina was awarded an at-large bid to the Division 1 playoffs and took on top-seeded Laguna Beach (26-1) in a first-round game Wednesday. The score wasn’t available at press time. The winner of that game advances to Saturday’s quarterfinals.

Ocean View is the No. 2 seed in the Division 7 playoffs. The Seahawks, who finished second to top-seeded Segerstrom in the Golden West League, play host to Colony (Mt. Baldy League No. 3) in a first-round game at 5 p.m. Thursday. The division quarterfinals are Saturday.

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CIF Boys’ Soccer

Huntington Beach, an at-large entry from the Sunset League to the CIF Southern Section Division 1 playoffs, were eliminated from postseason play Tuesday when the Oilers dropped a 3-0 wild-card game at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame (Mission League No. 4).

Sunset League champion Edison is the No. 2 seed in the Division 1 playoffs. The Chargers, 21-1-1 overall, play host to Valley View (Inland Valley League No. 4) at 3:15 p.m. Thursday. Valley View and JSerra played to a 1-1 tie in a division wild-card game Tuesday but Valley View advanced on penalty kicks.

On the final day of Sunset League play Feb. 12, Edison edged Huntington, 1-0, and Fountain Valley got past Marina, 2-1, in overtime. Sophomore forward Garen Balikcioglu scored off an assist from Hunter Kling in the first half as the Chargers downed the Oilers.

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CIF Girls’ Soccer

Four local squads are in the running for a Southern Section title.

Sunset League champion Edison, ranked 10th, plays host to Rosary (Trinity League at-large) at 5 p.m. Friday in a Division 1 first-round game. The winner moves on to face either ninth-ranked Capistrano Valley (Sea View League No. 1) or Beckman (Pacific Coast League No. 3) in a second-round game on Wednesday.

•Huntington Beach, runner-up in the Sunset League, plays host to Pacific Coast League runner-up Northwood in another Division 1 first-round game at 3 p.m. Friday. The winner moves on to face either Trinity League champ and fifth-ranked Santa Margarita or San Juan Hills (Sea View League No. 3) in a second-round game on Wednesday.

•Fountain Valley received an at-large bid from the Sunset League to the Division 1 playoffs. The Barons play at Pacific Coast League winner Corona del Mar at 3 p.m. Friday. That winner advance to a second-round game on Wednesday against either sixth-ranked Upland (Baseline League No. 2) or Mission Viejo (South Coast League No. 3).

•Ocean View takes the No. 3 seed from the Golden West League into the Division 6 playoffs and will open at 3 p.m. Friday at San Andreas League champion and seventh-ranked Rialto. The winner moves on to a second-round game on Wednesday against either Nordhoff (Frontier League No. 1) or 10th-ranked Camarillo (Pacific View League No. 3).