League play is on the horizon

The Laguna Beach High boys’ soccer team came up with a solid effort during the winter break to reach the consolation semifinal round of the Marina Tournament in Huntington Beach.

The prestigious event drew 32 teams from throughout the region.

The Breakers went into the tournament without the services of several players, including five starters who were away during the break. But co-captains Brennan Healey and Erik Haug, three-year starter Michael Tachovsky and a tough defense led to a pair of shutouts, allowing just three goals in the process.

In the consolation semifinal round, Laguna played Santa Fe to a 2-2 tie through regulation. Laguna showed its meddle by coming back from a 2-0 deficit. The Breakers scored both their goals late in the second half, with a penalty kick by Healey accounting for one of the goals.

The Chiefs won the match on a penalty shootout, however.

In their opener, the Breakers were never able to generate any offense against host Marina and the Vikings rode a first-half goal to a 1-0 victory. The match was played in extremely intense windy conditions.

“The quality of soccer wasn’t there due to the wind,” Laguna Coach Patrick Coyne said. “Neither team could get into any kind of rhythm.”

In their second match, the Breakers found their offensive groove and blanked John Glenn, 3-0. Edgar Rabadan, Bryce Healey, Danny Wang, Tony Awadalla, Cain Fair, Graham Harris, Marshall Thomas and Sheldon Eaton led Laguna to the win.

On the second day of the tournament, the Breakers posted a 1-0 shutout against Inglewood. The Sentinels offense came into the match having scored eight goals in their previous tournament matches.

Healey led Laguna with three goals during the tournament and Haug finished with 30 saves.

“The boys never gave up, in spite of playing without some key players,” Coyne said. “They showed incredible passion and tenacity and really started to gel as a team. We are well positioned heading into to league play.”

Laguna concluded nonleague play with a 6-3-3 record. The Breakers open their first year in the Orange Coast League with a match at Costa Mesa on Tuesday.

Coyne started prepping his team for the league opener with an indoor practice session last week.

In girls’ water polo

Laguna hasn’t played since Dec. 20, when the Breakers scored 10 goals in each half in storming to a 20-7 victory against Sage Hill at the Corona del Mar High pool.

In that nonleague match, eight Breakers scored, led by four goals apiece from Annika Dries and Breanna Duplisea. Jessica McKee and Taylor Dodson each scored three goals, Hannah Fait and Natasha Schulmann each had two goals and Lexi Ross and Madison Duncan each scored once.

McKee also had three assists and two steals, Schulmann had three steals, Dries had two assists and two steals and Erin Reid and Hannah Deline each had two assists and a steal.

Laguna returns to action Tuesday for a nonleague match against Santa Margarita. The Breakers begin Orange Coast League play Wednesday at Estancia.