SOUTHERN SECTION BOYS’ SOCCER PLAYOFFS : Walnut Works Overtime to Hold Off Corona del Mar

A match of intensity and, sometimes, anger ended the way it was supposed to Friday. But just barely.

Walnut, undefeated and rarely challenged, pulled out a 2-1 overtime victory over Corona del Mar in the quarterfinals of the Southern Section 1-A boys’ soccer playoffs. The Mustangs were pushed to the limit, sometimes shoved there, but showed they can dish it out as well.

Senior Tommy Vazquez certainly could; he went elbow-to-elbow with two Corona del Mar players to score the winning goal four minutes into the second 10-minute overtime period. He outfought the two defenders for the ball, then dribbled a shot past goalie Ryan Muzzy.

Vazquez, and many of his teammates, then paraded in front of the Corona del Mar bench and were pelted by several objects from the crowd. A group of Corona del Mar students had to be restrained by school officials.

“All games are this intense at this level,” Walnut Coach Doug Doner said. “It didn’t surprise me.”

The style of the match dictated much of the bad feelings. Referees handed out four yellow cards and twice players had to be separated.

The rough-and-tumble play worked well for Corona del Mar (8-15-1), at least through the first half. The Sea Kings were more aggressive, which allowed them to take a 1-0 lead.

Sophomore Jason Boyce maneuvered through three Walnut defenders, then centered a pass to Tanner Rupp, who gave Corona del Mar a 1-0 lead with five minutes left in the first half.

It’s the first time this season the Mustangs (23-0-1), the second-seeded team, had been behind. The only blemish on their record is a 1-1 tie against Don Lugo early in the season.

“We prefer to play a finesse style and Corona del Mar was trying to play rougher,” Doner said. “But we can play that way, too. It’s just a matter of a little adjustment.”

The adjustment worked. The Mustangs, who had outscored their opponents, 7-0, in the first two playoff matches, dominated the second half.

Mike Trujillo tied the score midway through the second half on a rebound shot.

In the 4-A Division:

Santa Ana 3, Santa Monica 1 (OT)--Miguel Abarca scored twice for Santa Ana. He scored his second goal four minutes into overtime. Teammate Rafael Serrano scored Santa Ana’s third goal on a header in overtime.