No Capo regime change

The Laguna Beach girls’ 14-and-Under water polo team is finding the road sweet in Capistrano Valley.

As it did on its last trip there, Laguna won a tournament championship, this time, winning three games to take the title.

Laguna’s first win was easy, as Northwood, which had only four players show for the first-round match, had to forfeit. Coach Chad Beeler lent Northwood some of his key players, Jesse Holechek, Melina Masson, Jessica Shusko and Edy Manetta, and Northwood’s “loaner” team edged the rest of the Laguna squad, 4-3. Manetta scored the winning goal, netting it from mid-pool as the third quarter clock expired.

In its first real match, Laguna defeated host Capo Valley, 4-2.

Capo Valley took a 1-0 lead but Laguna took advantage of an ejection on Capo Valley as a quick pass from Manetta to Holechek, then to Yoshi Andersen, resulted in Andersen sending a shot into the back of the net to make it 1-1. A few seconds later, Masson came up with a steal and flipped the ball to Holechek who then passed to Shusko. Her shot went past the Capo Valley keeper to give Laguna the lead for good, 2-1.

Neither team scored in the second quarter but early in the third quarter, Andersen scored again for a 3-1 lead. Capo Valley scored to cut the deficit to a single goal, and had a player advantage in the final minute of the quarter when Laguna was hit with a kick-out. A key save by Manetta, however, prevented the host team from tying the score.

Early in the final quarter, Shusko’s aggressive play on a loose ball resulted in a Capo Valley kick-out. Laguna again took advantage of the man-up situation, with Candyce Schroeder getting the scoring honors to run the score to 4-2.

In the tournament final, Laguna led from start to finish in defeating Newport, 3-1. Neither team was able to score throughout a majority of the first half ? Laguna getting a big save and steal from Manetta ? but with under 30 seconds to go before the half, a pass from Gina Rogers to Masson set up Holechek, who sent a shot into the back of the net to give Laguna a 1-0 halftime lead.

In the third quarter, Shusko scored on a step-out shot and Kaitlyn Waidley drew a five-meter penalty shot after a long sprint. Lauren Hampton took the free shot and her goal upped the score to 3-0.

Newport scored its lone goal late in the third period after Laguna drew a kick-out.