Laguna Beach’s Thea Walsh earns Orange Coast League MVP in girls’ water polo

Laguna Beach High senior goalkeeper Thea Walsh has been named the Orange Coast League MVP in girls’ water polo after leading the Breakers to their 12th straight league title.

Walsh is joined by senior teammates Sophia Lucas, Evan Tingler and Alex Peros as first-team honorees. Costa Mesa junior Sofia Rice and senior Kaylie Tickenoff also made the first team, as did Estancia senior Annie Mitchell.

Walsh, bound for Stanford, made 262 saves as a senior for Laguna Beach (26-3, 4-0 in league), which is headed to the Sunset League next season. That total included a school single-game record 20 saves against Foothill. She helped the Breakers finish fifth in CIF Southern Section Division 1 and capture the CIF Southern California Regional Division II title.

Lucas, a utility player bound for USC, led Laguna Beach with 67 goals. She added 25 assists and a team-best 42 steals.

The Harvard-bound Tingler and Peros, both attackers, each tied for second on the Breakers with 46 goals. Tingler added a team-best 52 assists as well as 19 steals. Peros had 15 assists and 29 steals, which was third on the team.

Rice and Tickenoff helped Costa Mesa (15-15, 3-1) finish second in league and advance to the Division 5 playoffs, where the Mustangs lost at Fullerton in the first round. Rice led the Mustangs with 75 goals, 57 assists and 60 steals. Tickenoff was second on the team with 49 goals, adding 23 assists and 25 steals.

Mitchell, a left-hander and one of just two seniors for the Eagles, helped Estancia (6-7, 1-3) finish in a three-way tie for third for league. Estancia lost to Godinez 6-4 in a tiebreaker game, ending its season.

Second-team honorees included Laguna Beach seniors Alana Evans and Isabel Riches, Costa Mesa senior Harper Yeager and sophomores Ta’iuta Uiagalelei and Sey Currie, and Estancia sophomore Sydni White.

Twitter: @DailyPilotSport