Breakers send message

Bill Rolfing called the win “significant.”

Rolfing’s Laguna Beach girls’ soccer team won its Orange Coast League opener Tuesday against visiting Estancia, beating a team he considers one of the strongest in the league, 2-1, at Guyer Field.

The victory came against a team that last year won the league championship.

In the 20th minute of the first half, freshman midfielder Janie Crawford scored from 10 yards out from the left side of the field. The score came off a shared assist by freshman defender Amy Hewlett and senior midfielder Marina Paul. The Breakers extended their lead to 2-0 when Paul’s kick from 15 yards out sailed into the lower-right corner of the net.

Freshman keeper Kylie George recorded 10 saves for the Breakers, who improved to 5-6-2 overall.

Prior to Tuesday’s league opener, Laguna scored a 2-0 shutout over host Ocean View on Jan. 5. The Seahawks are ranked fourth in CIF Southern Section Division 6.

The Breakers controlled the nonleague match and used single goals in each half to get the shutout. They took a 1-0 halftime lead on a goal by Paul, who scored off a corner kick by senior forward April Carlson. Laguna extended the lead to 2-0 on a goal by Crawford, who finished a left-footed cross that sophomore defender Emma Barker had sent to the far post.

“I think we have found ourselves on the field a little bit better,” Rolfing said.

*

Boys’ Soccer

Laguna tuned up for the start of Orange Coast League play by posting a shutout Jan. 6 over San Juan Hills. The Breakers blanked the visiting Stallions, 2-0, in a nonleague at Guyer Field.

The Breakers did all of their scoring in the first half, riding goals by Reece Barton and Joseph Rousseau to take control.

“This was a great result to end our nonleague set of games and caps a very good run in the build up to our league schedule,” said Laguna Coach Daniel Richards, whose Breakers improved to 4-1-2 and open league play this week against Estancia and Calvary Chapel.

“Although the result was good and we had some strong moments, the team is also aware that it only gets harder from now and we can’t afford to take our foot off the pedal for a second. We must play well every single minute of the game during league to reach the playoffs.”

The Breakers take on Calvary Chapel at 3:15 p.m. Friday at Orange Coast College.

michael.sciacca@latimes.com

Twitter: @MikeSciacca