There are plenty of reasons to expect an exciting Moore League girls’ soccer season. Defending champions Wilson lost almost its entire starting lineup to graduation, Long Beach Poly is getting a host of players back with a new coach taking over and both of those teams will be playing on home field turf for the first time ever.
The league schedule gets underway this afternoon when Wilson travels to Lakewood, Poly visits Compton and Cabrillo goes to Jordan. On Thursday, all three league games will be played on field turf as Wilson hosts Millikan, Poly hosts Lakewood and Cabrillo hosts Compton.
“It’s going to flip it upside down,” Wilson coach Dalton Kaufman said of the field turf. “Moore League soccer hasn’t been known for its stylish play. We’re direct and aggressive. Now we will be able to compete with the Orange County teams, especially in CIF when we travel to play them.”
Poly first-year coach Anthony Perez said the size of the field will be just as important as the quality of the surface.
“It’s the full-sized pitch and it’s going to open everything up,” Perez said. “I think it will also be an easier transition for these girls that come from club into high school. Club is played on nice wide fields. I think you’re going to see some better soccer out there now.”
Millikan and Lakewood are the two best teams left playing on a natural surface, and Rams coach Tino Nunez is nervous about what his home pitch will look like at the end of January. The field at Millikan is being used twice as much this year because of construction on the other side of campus.
“A lot of the time our field hasn’t helped us with the way we want to play,” Nunez said. “I wouldn’t mind giving up a home game to play on the better surface.”
Millikan is scheduled to host Poly in the season finale on Jan. 31.
Read Full Team Previews
Wilson
Millikan
Lakewood
Poly
Cabrillo
Jordan
Compton
St. Anthony
SCHEDULE
Tues Dec 4 – Poly at Compton, Wilson at Lakewood 5 p.m., Cabrillo at Jordan
Thur Dec 6 – Lakewood at Poly, Compton at Cabrillo, Millikan at Wilson
Tues Dec 11 – Compton at Wilson, Jordan at Millikan, Cabrillo at Lakewood
Thur Dec 13 – Poly at Jordan, Millikan at Cabrillo, Lakewood at Compton
Tues Dec 18 – Lakewood at Millikan, Jordan at Compton, Poly at Wilson
Thur Dec 20 – Compton at Millikan, Cabrillo at Poly, Wilson at Jordan
Tues Jan 8 – Wilson at Cabrillo, Millikan at Poly, Jordan at Lakewood
Thur Jan 10 – Compton at Poly, Lakewood at Wilson, Jordan at Cabrillo
Tues Jan 15 – Wilson at Millikan, Poly at Lakewood, Cabrillo at Compton
Thur Jan 17 – Millikan at Jordan, Lakewood at Cabrillo, Wilson at Compton
Tues Jan 22 – Jordan at Poly, Cabrillo at Millikan, Compton at Lakewood
Thur Jan 24 – Millikan at Lakewood, Compton at Jordan, Wilson at Poly
Tues Jan 29 – Poly at Cabrillo, Millikan at Compton, Jordan at Wilson
Thur Jan 31 – Lakewood at Jordan, Poly at Millikan, Cabrillo at Wilson
CIF: Prelims – February 5, 7, 12, 15, 19 Finals: February 22-23
SoCal Regionals – February 26, 28
Southern Regional Finals – March 2
