FOR VALLEY FLAP : Master’s to Play for Soccer Title

Rivalries add to the fervor of playoffs, and when The Master’s College travels to play Westmont for the NAIA District 3 soccer championship Saturday at 1 p.m., that aspect will be evident.

The schools have traded wins in important matches over the past three years. Westmont defeated Masters, 4-0, in the 1989 district final. Master’s beat Westmont, 2-1, in the district finals last season.

In the teams’ only meeting this year, Westmont won, 4-0. But Master’s Coach Jim Rickard said that that loss might not necessarily be harmful.

Because Westmont (16-3-1, 9-1 in district play) was seeded first in the playoffs and Master’s (11-9-1, 8-3) was seeded fourth, the Mustangs “have no pressure,” Rickard said. “What do we have to lose?”

Secondly, he said, “It’s hard to beat a good team twice.”

Mariano Calabretta, an All-District 3 midfielder, returns to action after sitting out the Mustangs’ last match, a shootout win over Fresno Pacific, because of a red card he received during a 4-3 overtime win over Southern California College in the first round.

The winner of today’s match advances to the NAIA championships in Boca Raton, Fla., Nov. 25-30.