Torrey, Cathedral seniors hope to shine in CIF Open Division playoffs
Del Mar Times
“Selection Saturday” for the 2023 CIF Soccer Playoffs is just days away with girls’ post-season action set to start Tuesday, Feb. 14. Heading into the final week of the regular season, both Cathedral Catholic (14-5-2 overall, 4-1-1 Western League) and Torrey Pines (10-2-2, 8-0 Palomar League), slotted second and fourth in the current section power rankings, are in position to nab one of the eight coveted CIF Open Division berths.
The two schools, historically among the most dominant in San Diego, have both earned places in the bracket eight of the nine years the Open Division has existed. Torrey Pines claimed the title twice (2016 and 2017) while Cathedral won it in 2020. Both will be coming into this season’s tournament with something to prove.
Coach Dawn Lee’s Dons were the No. 2 seed last winter, only to be eliminated in a first round upset by Westview. Coach Martyn Hansford’s Falcons captured a CIF banner in 2021 but it was in Division I, having seen a rash of injuries knock them out of the Open Division ranks for the first time. The schools have met twice in past Open Division play. No. 1 -seeded Cathedral nipped No. 8 Torrey Pines in the 2015 first round and a fourth-seeded Torrey side reversed that outcome by upsetting the top-seeded Dons, 1-0, in the 2021 semi-finals.
