2nd for girls’ polo

Under-14 team wins three of four matches.The Laguna Beach Age Group Water Polo girls’ under-14 team won three of four matches at the league tournament to finish in second place.

In addition to Laguna, the tournament included Socal, TRAP, Chino Hills, Los Alamitos A, Los Alamitos B, Riverside, Newport Beach and Cal Baptist in action at the Heritage Park Aquatics complex in Irvine.

Laguna 11, Los Alamitos B 1

In its first match of the tournament, Laguna’s Jessica Shusko scored two early goals in just over a minute of play, and the rout was on. Jesse Holechek and Riley Duncan also scored goals in the first period to pad the lead to 4-0. Holechek, Duncan and Yoshi Andersen each finished with two goals, and Melena Masson scored once.

Kacky Brown led a stifling Laguna defense that did not allow Los Alamitos a shot attempt until 20 seconds remained in the third period. Los Alamitos scored its lone goal on a lob shot.

Laguna 8, TRAP 4

Riley Duncan and Jessica Shusko scored early goals and Laguna never trailed in picking up their second victory of the tournament.

Kelsey Thorton and Edy Manetta, who normally plays in goal, each scored goals in the second period. Yoshi Andersen scored in the third period. Jesse Holechek scored twice and Duncan once in the fourth period. The win earned Laguna first place in its three-team bracket.

Socal 8, Laguna 5

Socal jumped out to a 6-1 halftime lead on a Laguna team that played flat from the opening whistle in the first of its two Sunday matches.

A goal by Lexy Ross was the lone first half score for Laguna, which trailed at the time, 2-1. Socal scored the final four goals of the half.

Laguna rallied back in the second half with two goals from Jesse Holechek and one by Edy Manetta. Jessica Shusko had a goal negated by a ball infraction that would have pulled Laguna to within a goal, and Socal went on from there to score three more goals to pull away.

Laguna 6, LosAlamitos A 3

In its second contest Sunday, Laguna took care of a Los Alamitos A team who had beaten Socal, 6-5, in earlier tournament play.

Needing to win the match by more than five goals in order to capture first place in the tournament, Jesse Holechek got Laguna off and running by scoring the match’s first goal a minute into the game. Two minutes later, Jessica Shusko drew a kick-out and Holechek scored again, this time with Laguna holding a 6-on-5 player advantage.

Kelsey Thorton scored the lone goal in the second period to help Laguna build a 3-0 halftime lead.

Laguna was at a disadvantage in the third period when Melena Masson drew an errant elbow to the mouth and the injury forced her to sit out the period. Los Alamitos took advantage and clawed back to within a goal. But Laguna regained momentum in the fourth period with a goal by Holechek then two from Lexy Ross.

Laguna’s defense was led by Shusko, Masson, Edy Manetta, Riley Brown and Yoshi Andersen.

In previous action:

Laguna 13, San Clemente/TRAP 1

Lexy Ross scored in the first minute from her hole set position, then added two more in quick succession, to send Laguna on its way to the road victory Saturday.

Ross finished the match by scoring four goals. Jessica Shusko scored three, Melena Masson and Riley Duncan two each and Hannah Lawson, Jesse Holechek and Edy Manetta one apiece.

Laguna led 7-1 at the half, and its defense, keyed by the play of Holechek, Yoshi Andersen and Kacky Brown, denied San Clemente any type of second-half comeback by limiting the host team to just three shots on goal, each turned away by Manetta.

Laguna 7, Los Alamitos 1

After defeating San Clemente/TRAP, Laguna came back Saturday afternoon to handle Los Alamitos, a team it had lost to earlier in the season. Lexy Ross scored twice and Yoshi Andersen scored from the wing just before the end of the first half to give Laguna a 3-0 lead at the break.

Kacky Brown, playing in the net, came up with a key first half stop when she denied a Los Alamitos player a scoring opportunity by getting the upper hand on a one-on-one situation in front of the Laguna goal.

Ross and Andersen also scored in the second half. Jessica Shusko scored twice after the break, and Ross, Melena Masson, Kelsey Thorton and Riley Duncan had assists.

Laguna 12, Corona del Mar 1

In the first of two Sunday matches, Laguna had an easy time with host Corona del Mar. Laguna roared to a 5-0 lead after one period, getting three goals from Lexy Ross and two from Jesse Holechek.

Holechek went on to record five goals, followed by Ross with four.

Yoshi Andersen, Melena Masson and Edy Mannetta also got into the scoring act for Laguna. Laguna’s second match Sunday, against Golden West, turned into a scrimmage after Laguna took a 4-0 lead behind goals by Ross, Duncan, Shusko and Masson.