CATCHING ON: The Splash indoor-soccer team has...

CATCHING ON: The Splash indoor-soccer team has its home opener at The Pond Sunday amid signs fans are taking to the team. The Splash has sold 1,437 season tickets going into its second season--far above the 280 tickets sold at the same time last year. . . . “Once people come see the Anaheim Splash, it dispels a lot of myths associated with traditional outdoor soccer,” said General Manager Tim Ryan. One reason is the indoor league’s fast action: games average 14 goals. The team plays Portland at 7:05 p.m.

EXCUSED ABSENCES: The Splash will be taking the field without some of the flashiest kickers. The Mermaids, the team’s dance squad, will instead attend the wedding of member Mischa Fuller of Mission Viejo. The Splash will also be without new defender Sean Bowers, who is getting married today. . . . Will absences hurt? The team was 12-2 at home last year.

DATE MATERIAL? Not your usual calendar pinups, these models wear fatigues, goggles and other work gear. They are Huntington Beach’s SWAT team, in a new $5 calendar to raise cash for training and equipment. Photos show cops descending a wall, breaking a siege, riding a helicopter. . . . “The streets are becoming more dangerous,” said Senior Officer Monty Mauney. . . . “Unfortunately, the SWAT team is a necessary evil.” The calendars run through April, 1996. (714) 842-8851.

TONIGHT: Short films by locals Kam Noon, Gayle Gardiner, Beatrice Palicka and Bob Pece. Outdoors at Griffin Fine Art, 1540 Pomona Ave., Costa Mesa. 8 p.m. (714) 646-5665.

WEATHER: Mostly clear after morning low clouds. Highs near 80, lows around 60. (B18)

--By Ken Ellingwood, with Martin Henderson and Debra Cano

* The News Index is on A4