BOYS’ PREP SOCCER PLAYOFFS : Some Reward: Mater Dei Opens Against Santa Monica

Winning the Angelus League boys’ soccer title didn’t do Mater Dei High School a lot of good as far as the Southern Section 4-A playoffs are concerned.

The Monarchs (15-6-2), who haven’t lost since mid-December, clinched the league title with a 2-1 victory over Servite Thursday. Their reward is Santa Monica.

Although Santa Monica of the Bay League enters the playoffs as the third-seeded team, the Vikings were ranked among the division’s top 10 teams most of the season. Two weeks ago, Santa Monica was ranked 10th in the 4-A poll.

The Monarchs play the Vikings (16-9-2) Friday in a first-round game.

The Monarchs haven’t lost in 12 games, but they haven’t dominated opponents on the scoreboard either. In an earlier game against Servite, the Monarchs outshot the Friars, 19-2, but had to settle for a 1-1 tie. “We had a problem all season with finishing off shots,” Coach Martin Stringer said.

In other 4-A first-round games Friday:

Ocean View (14-4-5) plays at Hawthorne (19-2-6), the fourth-seeded team, and Servite (10-10-4) is at Edison (13-5-5).

Alta Loma (16-8-5) plays at Marina (14-6) in a wild-card game Wednesday. The winner plays at Don Lugo (15-4-6).

In 3-A first-round games Thursday:

Foothill (17-4-5) plays at Redlands (18-4-2); Compton (10-5-1) at Santa Ana (14-3-6); Paramount (11-3-2) at El Toro (10-3-2); Dana Hills (13-6-2) at Canyon (11-7-5); Los Altos (9-5-3) at Mission Viejo (13-6-5).

In 2-A first-round games Friday:

Santa Maria (9-9-2) plays at Cypress (16-4-3), the third-seeded team; Los Alamitos (7-8-8) at La Quinta (9-7-5); Valencia (9-6-5) at Montebello (17-1-3); Calexico (8-6) at Esperanza (13-4-5); Woodbridge (10-8-2) at Anaheim (9-3-4); Pacifica (9-8-1) at Ganesha (17-4-1); Trabuco Hills (9-9-3) at Santiago (15-3-4); Bonita (6-10-5) at Brea-Olinda (13-7-2); Kennedy (11-7) at Laguna Hills (19-5).

Orange (17-0-3), the only undefeated team in the section, is the top-seeded team in the division and has a first-round bye.

In 1-A first-round games Thursday:

Temple City (10-12-1) plays at Sunny Hills, the fourth-seeded team; Bosco Tech (15-5-1) at Newport Harbor (16-3-6); St. Anthony (9-8-2) at Saddleback (14-4-2); San Dimas at Sonora (7-10-3).

Fullerton (6-12-3) plays at Estancia (9-2-3) today in a wild-card game. The winner plays at El Segundo (16-2-2) Thursday.

In small school first-round games Friday:

Whittier Christian (13-6-1) plays at Miraleste (16-3-0); Santa Margarita (10-7) at Temecula Valley (17-7-1).

Orange Lutheran (14-6-2) is the third-seeded team in the division and has a first-round bye.

* COMPLETE PAIRINGS: C11