Laguna Beach still gelling

LAGUNA BEACH “” The Laguna Beach High girls’ soccer team sat on the 50-yard line of the football field, having a long team meeting following Tuesday night’s 2-1 loss to Pacifica.

Pacifica is a worthy opponent and the Breakers’ early-season schedule has been rife with Division I foes as well. But frustration was a bit normal after the Breakers dropped to 1-6-2, more losses than the team had all of last year.

The 2008-09 season was one of the more successful in school history. The Breakers finished 11-5-9 and won a game in the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs But 10 players graduated and this year’s team is still looking for a similar level of consistency.

“There’s a lot of experienced girls out there,” Coach Bill Rolfing sad. We just all have to show up on the same evening and play hard Tonight we just came out flat. It was a good effort in spots, but we need the consistency for the 80 minutes.”

Pacifica took a 1-0 lead into halftime, but the Breakers responded in the second half. Jessie Good-Man had a nice run up the sideline and passed to fellow senior Alex DeGarmo, who found sophomore Marina Paul in the middle of the field for a quick strike into the net.

Minutes later, an apparent goal was disallowed due to offsides, and Pacifica scored the final goal 12 minutes into the second half off a free kick from about 15 yards out.

Laguna still had chances to tie it up, as Good-Man’s lofted shot from the right side went just high, then senior defender Kelsey Peterson couldn’t quite control a header in the box.

Senior Victoria Ellis made five saves and senior Christina Gardilcic also played a nice game at defender.

One of the things the team talked about after the game was not being afraid to try to criticize, or motivate, teammates during the game.

“I feel like our team, we’re all friends on and off the field,” Good-Man said.

“Since we’re all friends I think we feel like we shouldn’t criticize each other on the field, but I feel like we should. It’s not like you don’t like that person. It would help the team overall.

“We just lost a couple of really good seniors [from last year] and we’re trying to step it up. Hopefully, if everyone steps it up and starts helping each other out, we’ll do well in league like last year. I think we can do it.”

The Breakers had won their first game of the season, 2-0, over Ocean View on Dec. 10 behind one goal each from DeGarmo and Good-Man.

They played at JSerra Thursday and are at Xavier of Palm Desert on Monday.