Breakers split tourney of champions

The Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo team won two of four matches last weekend at the Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara.

The 16-team tournament featured several of the Southern Section’s top-rated squads.

The tournament was won by Foothill (No. 1, Division I).

In its first match, Laguna, which was ranked No. 1 in Division II, took on the division’s third-ranked team Agoura and it was the Chargers who won 10-9 in sudden-death overtime. Jessica McKee netted a team-high six goals for Laguna which held a 2-1 lead after the first quarter but trailed, 4-3 at the half and 7-4 heading into the fourth quarter.

Lexi Ross had two goals and Natasha Schulmann one to close out Laguna’s scoring, and Celia Huling had three blocks.

The Breakers bounced back from that tough loss to hand Dos Pueblos of the Santa Barbara-area an 8-4 setback. Laguna turned a slim, 3-2 halftime lead into an 8-2 lead after shutting out the Chargers, also ranked in the Division II top 10 poll, in the third quarter.

McKee and Annika Dries each scored three goals and Erin Reid and Taylor Dodson each had one. Huling had seven saves.

Laguna next dropped another one-goal match, this one coming at the hands of El Toro, 9-8, as the Chargers won on a shot just before the final buzzer. The teams were tied 4-4 at the half and again at 6-6 through three quarters but the Chargers outscored the Breakers by a goal in the fourth quarter to claim the win.

McKee again topped Laguna with four goals. Reid scored twice and Dodson and Schulmann each once. Huling had four blocks.

In its final tournament game, Laguna beat Villa Park for the second time in a week, this time, by a 12-9 score.

The Breakers had defeated the No. 2-ranked Spartans (Division II), 9-7, on Jan. 12.

In Saturday’s win, the Breakers jumped out to a 5-2 first-quarter lead but Villa Park closed to within 7-6 at the half and still trailed by only a goal heading into the final quarter. McKee scored a team tournament-high seven goals. Dodson scored twice and Ross, Schulmann and Breanna Duplisea all scored once.

Huling finished with 11 saves.

“We didn’t play our best at the tournament and we weren’t happy with the way things went, but our (two) losses did come in overtime and literally at the final buzzer,” Laguna Coach Chad Beeler said.

Laguna will play its first match since that Tournament of Champions at 3 p.m. today when the Breakers travel to Palos Verdes for a nonleague match. They will play the match without leading scorer Jessica McKee.

The Breakers resume Orange Coast League play Monday at home against Sage Hill, and will host Estancia on Wednesday. Beginning next Thursday, they’ll compete in the So Cal Championships tournament in Irvine.

“It’ll be a busy week for us and it’s been a very, very hard week for the girls this week due to finals,” said Beeler, who is 8-2 since becoming the Breakers head coach in mid-December.

“Some of the girls have had to miss practices but some have been able to make them. Our policy is that school comes first. But for those who have been able to make it to practice this week, we’ve worked on refining our passing and shooting under pressure.”