Cypress, OCC Square Off

The Cypress and Orange Coast women’s soccer teams, which have the best rivalry in any sport in Orange County community colleges in recent years, meet at 3 p.m. today at OCC.

Orange Coast stopped Cypress’ 63-game regular-season unbeaten streak last year with a 2-1 victory in their first Orange Empire Conference meeting. The loss also stopped Cypress’ 44-game unbeaten conference streak.

OCC also beat Cypress in the last regular-season match, 1-0, to win the Orange Empire Conference title outright.

The teams played in the Southern California playoffs and were tied, 0-0, after regulation and overtime but Cypress won a state berth with a 4-2 victory in penalty kicks.

Cypress is 7-0, 1-0 in conference this season and Orange Coast is 8-1-2, 1-0. Cypress’ leading scorer is freshman Vedda Desatoff who has seven goals and four assists for 18 points. Orange Coast is led by sophomore Shannon Donegan, who has 14 points (five goals and four assists).

*

Football poll: Saddleback (6-0) was the top team in the weekly Southland football poll for the third consecutive week. Long Beach (5-1) is second and Mt. San Antonio (5-1) third. Saddleback has beaten both teams this season.

San Bernardino Valley (5-0) is fourth, Hancock (5-0) fifth, Los Angeles Valley (5-1) sixth, Grossmont (5-0) seventh, Moorpark (5-1) eighth, Bakersfield (4-1) ninth and Santa Barbara (4-1) is No. 10.

*

Polo powers: Golden West (26-0) and Long Beach (16-4-1), both 4-0 in the South Coast Conference, meet at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday at Long Beach Belmont Plaza in a game that will decide the South Coast Conference regular-season title.

Of course, it’s only the start of the important part of the water-polo season. The South Coast Conference tournament is Nov. 1-2, the Southern California tournament is Nov. 8-9 and the state tournament is Nov. 15-16. All are at Belmont Plaza.