THE PREPS : Girls’ Soccer Playoffs : Four Top Teams Alive and Kicking in Quarterfinals

With no major upsets so far, the Southern Section 4-A girls’ soccer playoffs seem to be building toward a sensational showdown.

Top-seeded Esperanza, No. 2 Capistrano Valley, No. 3 Royal and No. 4 Mission Viejo are still alive, each hoping for three more victories, enough for the 4-A title.

Today’s quarterfinal matches--all starting at 3 p.m.--should prove to be each team’s greatest challenge to date.

Esperanza (23-0-3), which defeated Chaffey, 3-1, in overtime Tuesday, will play host to unseeded Edison (9-8-5), which defeated Arcadia, 1-0, in overtime Tuesday.

Esperanza, known as an aggressive team, found itself the object of aggression against Chaffey. Chaffey committed 27 fouls and forced five Aztec starters--Chrissy Coppage (back strain), Sherri Buente (ankle), Jill Cieslak (knee), Michelle Rullo (ankle) and Shauna Mullen (ankle)--to leave the game with injuries.

“Put it this way,” Esperanza Coach John Coppage said, “Chaffey lived up to its aggressive reputation, and that’s putting it mildly. We couldn’t hold practice (Wednesday).”

Three of the five injured starters are expected to play today and two are questionable, according to Coppage, who would not reveal which players would start.

Despite the injuries, Esperanza remains one of the Southern Section’s toughest defensive teams with 18 shutouts. The Aztecs, led on offense by sophomore Lynn Murray’s 23 goals, have the benefit of depth, speed and last season’s playoff experience. They finished second in the 3-A playoffs.

Capistrano Valley (19-4-2) will travel to Corona del Mar (17-5-4). Both managed 2-0 victories over their second-round opponents, Capistrano Valley defeating Palos Verdes and Corona del Mar defeating No. 7 Upland.

After a disappointing nonleague record, Capistrano Valley has improved greatly. The same can be said for Corona del Mar, which finished second in the Sea View League. Sea King goalie Kim Kolstad anchors a strong defense that has 17 shutouts.

Mission Viejo, the three-time defending 4-A champion, eased through Tuesday’s second round, beating Mira Costa, 6-0. But Mission Viejo--led by Julie Foudy, the 1988 Southern Section player of the year--has to travel to Simi Valley (22-2-2). If the Diablos win, they will play the winner of Esperanza/Edison in Tuesday’s semifinals.

In the 3-A division, Mater Dei, the second-seeded team, will travel to Orange, the seventh-seeded team, for today’s match.

Mater Dei, which eliminated Long Beach Wilson, 1-0, in Wednesday’s second round, has never played in a quarterfinal match. But many believe Mater Dei (21-4-2) is the only team capable of beating top-seeded and undefeated Agoura (20-0). If that happens, it would have to be in the final because the teams are in separate brackets.

Goalie Michelle Lodyga has 20 shutouts for Mater Dei.

In other 3-A matches, No. 6 Canyon (16-2-3) travels to No. 3 Moreno Valley (16-2-1). The Comanches have 13 shutouts, thanks to a strong defensive unit that includes Jeni Smith, Kim Maynard, Julie Gribble and goalie Keri Erkenbrack. Both Erkenbrack and forward Christa Ramierz also play on Canyon’s basketball team.

Two unseeded teams, Kennedy (12-9-1) and El Modena (9-7-2), will meet at El Modena. Kennedy, the Garden Grove League’s No. 3 representative, shut out San Gorgonio, 4-0, Wednesday, and El Modena upset No. 4 Bishop Amat, 2-1.

In the 2-A playoffs, Valencia is the only Orange County team remaining. The Tigers (16-6) will play host today to No. 4 Rim of the World (21-5-1).