Friday’s match

Division I quarterfinals

Santa Barbara (22-7) at Newport Harbor (21-7), 3:15 p.m.

Prediction: Expect this is be your typically tight match between the fourth and fifth seeds in the bracket. Both teams are physically gifted but have their question marks.

Newport finally distinguished itself in the tournament season by upsetting Miramonte in the finals of Memorial Cup Invitational, but then closed out the regular season with a loss at home to The Bishop’s of La Jolla. The Sailors also have struggled to win some of its biggest one-goal games. Then there’s Santa Barbara, which won a tough league but never really broke through in tournament season. Something or someone always held the Dons back.

Both teams are very well coached and Santa Barbara might have the edge in the cage with but Newport’s speed and depth at 2-meter play pushes them to the semifinals.

MORE PREDICTIONS:

• Division I: Foothill vs. Ventura
• Division I: Corona del Mar vs. Los Alamitos
• Division I: Dos Pueblos vs. El Toro
• Division III: Laguna Beach vs. Redlands
• Division III: Murrietta Valley vs. Costa Mesa
• Division V: Troy vs. Arlington
• Division V: Buena Park vs. Santa Monica

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