MIDDLETOWN — Looking to punch their ticket into the North Coast Section Division I semifinals are the Middletown Mustangs, who have exactly that opportunity Saturday when they host McKinleyville in a quarterfinal-round girls soccer game beginning at 2 p.m. at Middletown High School.
Middletown (20-2-2) is the reigning 11-time North Central League I champion. This year’s talented squad, a mix of veterans and underclassmen, went 13-0-1 in league play under head coach Lamont Kucer, who has two daughters on the team – sophomores Sophie and Olivia Kucer.
The core of the squad is built around seniors Kassi Agapoff, Alyssa Hart, Kelsey Lemoine, Julisa Garcia, Ellie Bazzano and Hanna Morris. The team’s top scorers are Sophie Kucer (31 goals, 14 assists), Agapoff (15 goals, 6 assists) and Bazzano (5 goals, 16 assists).
Middletown is the No. 4 seed in the Division I field. Fifth-seeded McKinleyville tied for fourth place in the Humboldt-Del Norte Big 5 standings this season. The H-DN Big 5’s top three finishers – champion Eureka, runner-up Fortuna and third-place finisher Arcata – are the top three seeds in the Division I playoff field followed by No. 4 Middletown.
Middletown defeated McKinleyville 2-0 in a non-league game on Sept. 1 at the Arcata Sports Complex. The Mustangs also met Arcata earlier this season, losing 3-2.
Both Middletown and McKinleyville had first-round byes because there weren’t enough teams to fill out the 16-team Division I playoff bracket.
If Middletown defeats McKinleyville for a second time this season, the Mustangs advance to the semifinals on Wednesday at a site and time to be determined. No. 1 Fortuna (16-0) is home Saturday to meet the first-round winner between No. 8 Cloverdale and No. 9 Willits in the quarterfinals. The semifinal game would take place at the home site of the highest surviving seed.
Middletown is one of two Lake County teams and five NCL I teams overall participating in the Division I playoffs, joining St. Helena, Cloverdale, Willits and Lower Lake
It’s the second straight year Middletown has pulled down the No. 4 seed in the playoffs and faced the No. 5 seed in the quarterfinals. A year ago the Mustangs were upset 5-4 by Technology High School of Rohnert Park. Middletown fell 7-0 to No. 1 seed and eventual champion Sonoma Academy in the 2016 semifinals.
