Laguna wins in water

Laguna Beach age group water polo won its first game in the boys’

eighth-grade-and-under tournament it hosted last weekend and went on

to a fourth-place finish.

Laguna began the tournament with a 5-4 victory over Corona del

Mar’s B team.

David Brunner scored the only goal of the first quarter which put

Laguna up, 1-0. He then scored again in the second quarter, which

brought Laguna into a 2-2 tie.

Goalie Brett Thompson blocked several shot attempts by Corona del

Mar in the opening half to help keep Laguna in the match.

In the third quarter, Spike Jackson took over for Thompson in the

net, and Thompson then came up big on offense.

With Jackson shutting down Corona del Mar in the quarter, Thompson

scored consecutive goals to give Laguna a 4-2.

Corona del Mar came up with two goals in the fourth quarter, but

Brunner fired a shot into the net in the closing seconds to lift

Laguna to the first-round win.

Laguna wasn’t as fortunate in its second round game as it fell to

San Clemente, 17-1.

Laguna got six shots off on goal, but the only one to find the net

was a shot by Robbie Quellmatz.

In the tournament’s third-place game, Laguna battled Corona del

Mar’s “A” team.

Corona del Mar won the match, 14-3.

Thompson recorded three blocked shots in the first quarter.

Christopher Kennedy, who replaced Thompson in goal in the second

quarter, scored Laguna’s first goal when he fired the ball the length

of the pool and into the net.

Brunner scored in the third period and Robert Chew capped Laguna’s

scoring with a goal in the fourth period.