Girls’ teams reach finals

As it has in previous tournament finals played this summer, the

Laguna Beach girls’ 12-and-under B and its 14-and-under A teams

reached the championship game of the North Irvine Water Polo Club

Tournament last weekend.

And, as has been the case before, it was the 14-and-under A team

that emerged victorious, 7-3, in a match that had competitive yet

friendly overtones at Northwood High.

The 14s was keyed by two goals late in the first quarter from

Taylor Dotson. Both came in the final 10 seconds of the quarter and

broke a 1-1 tie.

Madison Duncan had started the scoring for the 14s, but the 12s’

Eddy Manetta retaliated by drilling a shot from mid-pool to tie the

score at 1-1.

Riley Duncan followed with a goal at the outset of the second

quarter to draw the 12s to within one, 3-2, but Dylan Conroy, who

kept working for loose balls, flipped the fourth goal into the net to

build the lead back up to 4-2.

Following a kickout, Melina Masson, Jessica Shusko and Yoshi

Anderson worked a passing combination to near perfection, with

Anderson taking the scoring honors to pull the 12s to within one,

4-3.

It was as close as they would get.

Duncan scored again on a 6-5 advantage to make it 5-3, and Lexie

Ross scored with less than a minute left in the third to widen the

lead to 6-3.

Conroy finished the scoring with her second goal.

In its tournament opener, the 12s defeated host North Irvine, 3-1.

Shusko started the scoring midway through the first quarter by

scoring from her hole set position. She also scored later in the

quarter when she won a scrum in front of the North Irvine net

following a feed from Duncan in the corner to make it 2-0.

Manetta made a key save in the quarter to keep North Irvine off

the scoreboard.

Following a scoreless second quarter, which included another key

save by Manetta midway through the quarter, North Irvine finally

crashed the scoreboard with a goal to make it 2-1. In the opening

minute of the final quarter, Jesse Holechek, set up by Duncan, made

it 3-1 when she nailed a shot from the four meter line.

Anderson and Kaitlyn Waidley combined to shut down a late scoring

chance by the host team to preserve the win.

The 12s also recorded a 4-0 shutout over Los Alamitos.

Early in the first quarter, Shusko buried a penalty shot into the

deep corner of the net to give Laguna a lead it would never

relinquish.

Shusko scored her second goal in the second quarter off a feed

from Candyce Schroeder and Holechek found the back of the net late in

the period after taking a pass from Schroeder, to make it 3-0.

With its defense, led by Anderson, Waidley and Duncan, Gina Rogers

and Page Armando, playing relentlessly, Laguna was able to keep Los

Alamitos off the scoreboard.

Manetta scored the final goal by hitting a shot from mid pool to

make it 4-0.

The 12s, who will participate in August at the Junior Olympics,

will compete this weekend a the John Hale Memorial Tournament in

Chino Hills.

The tournament, which begins today and runs through Sunday, will

feature top teams from Southern California and Santa Barbara.