Laguna begins quest for title

The Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo team has reached the final leg of its season. The Breakers’ goal is simple: win a CIF Southern Section championship.

Laguna began Division II postseason play Thursday at home against wild-card game winner Thousand Oaks. The score, however, wasn’t available at press time.

A win over Thousand Oaks would advance top-seeded Laguna to a second-round game Saturday against the winner of the Thursday first-round match between Canyon of Anaheim (Century No. 1) and Capistrano Valley (South Coast No. 3).

Both Division II semifinal games will be played Wednesday at the William J. Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine. Should Laguna advance to play Wednesday, it would play the second game of the semifinal doubleheader at 6:30 p.m.

The championship game is set for 3:45 p.m. on Feb. 29, also at the Woollett Center.

Montebello, Palos Verdes and Agoura “” teams that Laguna has defeated this year “” are the Nos. 2 through 4 seeds.

Laguna ended regular-season play with a thrilling nonleague match against Corona del Mar, a game that pitted the top-ranked teams in Division I and II.

It took three overtime sessions to decide this one, and it was the host Sea Kings who were able escape with a 9-8 victory.

The setback left the Breakers with a 24-4 record, with all four losses coming by a single goal to four Division I teams (Corona del Mar, Dos Pueblos, Los Alamitos, Newport Harbor).

Annika Dries, Jessie Holechek and Lexie Ross all scored twice for Laguna. Natasha Schulman and Taylor Dodson both scored once. Jessica Shusko had three steals and Etianne Manetta recorded 11 saves.