Soccer Regionals: San Clemente Rings Up Bell

So much for a first-round letdown. San Clemente got all the goals it needed in the first half Tuesday en route to a 3-1 victory in boys' soccer over eighth-seeded Bell in the Southern California Regional Championships.

With its victory, San Clemente advances to the semifinals of the regional tournament; the Tritons on Thursday will play host to fourth-seeded La Costa Canyon (17-6-2) from the San Diego Section .

La Costa Canyon was a 2-1 winner in overtime against fifth-seeded Downey Warren (11-9-7).

San Clemente (31-2-1) scored in the seventh minute and again midway through the first half to get all the goals it needed to win its 14th consecutive match at the expense of Bell (16-5-2).

Alek Cucuk, who scored the winning goal in the Tritons' 1-0 victory over Servite in the section final, got an assist from Gage Zerboni for the first score. Bryce Kaminski followed Cucuk's header with one of his own, taking a pass from Oscar Hernandez for a 2-0 lead.

Bell cut its deficit to 2-1 at 60 minutes, but in the 76th minute headed the ball into the San Clemente net for an own-goal to make it 3-1.

On the other side of the bracket, third-seeded Pico Rivera El Rancho scored a 1-0 overtime victory over sixth-seeded Escondido San Pasqual, and seventh-seeded Ontario upset second-seeded Bakersfield Golden Valley, 1-0.

BOYS SOCCER

All games at 4 p.m. unless noted

Division I

Travel priority (records after section finals)—1. San Clemente (Southern) 30-2-1;, 2. Bakersfield Golden Valley (Central) 24-3-1; 3. Pico Rivera El Rancho (SS) 26-2-1;, 4. Carlsbad La Costa Canyon (San Diego) 16-6-2, 5. Downey Warren (SS) 11-8-7, 6. Escondido San Pasqual (SDS) 16-3-3; 7. Ontario (SS) 27-7-1; 8. Bell (Los Angeles) 16-4-2.  

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

First round

• San Clemente 3, Bell 1
• La Costa Canyon 1, Warren 0
• El Rancho 1, San Pasqual 0 (OT)
• Ontario 1, Golden Valley 0

Second round—Thursday, March 7

• La Costa Canyon at San Clemente
• Ontario vs. El Rancho at Montello High

Finals—Saturday, March 9 at Warren High, 6 p.m.