Breakers start up league action

Mike Sciacca

The Laguna Beach High boys’ soccer team, coming off an appearance at

the highly-competitive West Coast Classic, begins Pacific Coast

League play today.

The league opener is a big one, as the Breakers play host to rival

Corona del Mar.

On Tuesday, they will entertain Northwood.

Both Corona del Mar and Northwood are considered by Laguna Coach

Andy Thomas to be major threats to the PCL crown.

“In the PCL race, Tesoro is the team to beat and Northwood and CdM

will push them,” Thomas said. “We need to win our home games, then

pick up some points against the big boys on the road, to compete.

“In the past, we have struggled against the teams that we should

be beating, so we need to take care of those games, as well. Our goal

is to finish in the top three and go to CIF, which is a realistic

goal.”

Laguna ended its nonleague schedule with an overall record of

4-5-2.

“There were some successful moments during the preseason and for

me, preseason is an opportunity to fix some of the problems that may

result in the team not performing,” Thomas said. “I am less concerned

with results but more so with performance and eliminating individual

and team errors.

Thomas said that beating Mission Viejo on the road was one

highlight his team recorded during nonleague play.

He also noted that a 6-0 loss to Loyola, the sixth-ranked team in

the nation, was a “great experience,” as well.

“For the first half against Loyola, we were in the game and at

times, we out were outplaying them,” he said.

The Pacific Coast League race began Thursday for the Laguna

girls’ soccer team, at home against Corona del Mar.

It was the first game of the New Year for Coach Mike Thomas’ team,

which hadn’t played since Dec. 18.

It’s also been a long time since the Laguna girls’ water polo team

has entered competition.

The Breakers, who last competed at the Tru-West Invitational,

hosted by Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar on Dec. 26-27, open

league play Wednesday Coach Rick McKee’s squad has won nine of its

first 12 matches of the season, despite not having one senior player

on the team.

A pair of juniors -- Addison Doud and Kat Gordon -- have become

team leaders.

“We’ve been pretty much playing as we expected, though,” McKee

said. “We don’t have any senior leadership, at all, but Addison has

really stepped up and shown her leadership skills. So has Kat.”

McKee feels that Laguna, which finished second in last year’s race

for the PCL title and went on to a CIF semifinal appearance, will

contend once again for the crown.

“I think the league race will come down to three teams,” McKee

said. “I absolutely think we will contend for the title but Corona

del Mar has to be considered the favorite. University will be right

there, too.”

Wednesday’s PCL opener is will pit the Breakers against host

Corona del Mar.