Laguna perfect in OCL

Another perfect run through Orange Coast League competition, and another march to a major tournament title, were two accomplishments achieved by the Laguna Beach girls’ water polo team in the past week. To top it off, the Breakers returned to the top spot in the CIF Southern Section Division 1 rankings and concluded their regular season Wednesday with another victory.

Laguna took part in the three-day Irvine Southern California Championships that ended Saturday with a repeat title. On Monday, the Breakers posted a 24-3 Orange Coast League victory at Saddleback and received a ranking of No. 1 in the latest CIF-SS Division 1 poll. They capped their regular season with an 11-4 nonleague win Wednesday over visiting Murrieta Valley.

On Senior Day, the Breakers shut out the Nighthawks, the No. 1-ranked team in Division 2, in the first half, and were up, 9-1, going into the fourth quarter.

Freshman attacker Sophie Leggett led the scoring with three goals, and senior attacker Natalie Selin and junior attacker Bella Baldridge both scored twice. Baldridge also assisted five goals and had a team-high four steals, and senior goalie Holly Parker had seven saves and three steals.

The Breakers (25-2) had defeated Murrieta Valley, 13-5, six days earlier at the Irvine Southern California Championships.

“It was our Senior Day game, so it was a great day to recognize and celebrate our seniors,” Laguna Coach Ethan Damato said. “The girls really came to play, especially on the defensive end. That’s kind of been our staple this year, our defense.”

Laguna completed a 4-0 OCL run with its 24-3 win Monday over Saddleback. Junior attacker Angelique Begay paced the scoring with five goals and senior attacker Natalie Selin scored three goals. Sophomore Thea Walsh had 12 saves.

The Breakers have gone 38-0 in league play and have won every league title since the league’s inception (2006-07 school year).

Laguna won five games over a three-day period to win the Irvine Southern California Championships for the third consecutive year. The top-seeded Breakers took down No. 3 Santa Barbara San Marcos, 11-3, in Saturday’s final at the Woollett Aquatics Center.

Leggett paced the scoring with four goals. Selin, Baldridge and senior defender Ally Jochim each scored twice. Parker had 10 saves.

The Breakers began the tournament Feb. 4 and took easy wins from Lompoc Cabrillo (19-1) and Arroyo Grande (18-1), then defeated Murrieta Valley Feb. 5. In a semifinal matchup Saturday with fourth-ranked Dos Pueblos, which ended Laguna’s then-63 game winning streak in Goleta Jan. 14, the Breakers topped the Chargers by a 10-4 score.

Selin and Parker were named to the all-tournament team.

“Again, the girls really came to play last weekend,” Damato said. “They had great energy and played with great chemistry. It started with our seniors and it was infectious. We also have some great contributions from our underclassmen. It was really great to win the tournament again.”

The Breakers figure to get the No. 1 seed for the CIF-SS Division 1 playoffs when the bracket pairings are announced Saturday. They will host a first-round game Wednesday.

“You know, I think we are peaking at the right time,” Damato said. “My hope is that we focus on getting better and continue to do things the right way. That’s the best thing we can do, and I think we’re in a good groove going into the playoffs.”