Warriors Get Past Irvine, Win Title

Top-ranked Woodbridge stayed on course for a No. 1 seeding in the Southern Section Division II boys’ soccer playoffs and clinched its second consecutive Sea View League title with a 2-0 road victory over struggling Irvine Friday.

Senior sweeper Kevin Friedland, who earlier in the day committed to Southern Methodist, said the league title was tougher the second time around.

“Last year the competition in the league was tougher, but this year we were No. 1 [in the county] all year and we were everybody’s target,” Friedland said. “So that put a lot of pressure on us.”

The victory over Irvine improved the Warriors’ record to 19-1-1, 7-0-1 in league.

“Beating Irvine was icing on the cake,” Friedland said. “Now all we need is that cherry.”

In this case, the cherry is a section title--something that eluded the Warriors last year when they were upset in the second round by Sonora.

Eighth-ranked Irvine (11-8-1, 4-4), which lost its third consecutive game, was challenging Woodbridge for the league title, but now is scrambling with El Toro and Santa Margarita for a playoff spot.

Woodbridge scored both its goals on set plays--the first coming on a Jason McRae header off a well-placed corner kick from Ashkahn Moayedi in the 28th minute. The Warriors scored again in the 52nd minute on a perfectly executed play that began with a Moayedi free kick and ended with Friedland heading the kick to Mark Oehlman, who volleyed it past a helpless Irvine goalkeeper, Chip Kimich.

Friedland, who is 5 feet 7 but has vertical leap of nearly three feet, had his head on seemingly every ball in the air that came close to Woodbridge goalkeeper Doug Allan, who only had two saves.

“Nothing’s going to get by Doug,” Friedland said. “But the least amount of shots he sees, the better.”

Friedland and the entire team was helped by the return of senior defender Eric Jensen, who is coming off two ankle injuries from the football season. Irvine Coach Rich Breza would love to see his top-goal scorer Matt Taylor return for the playoffs. Taylor has been out for more than a month with a foot injury.

“We need to start winning games,” Breza said. “I’m not just hoping for a win against Corona del Mar Wednesday, I’m demanding it.”