Top-ranked Laguna looks to finish that way

It is said that it’s not how a team starts, but how it finishes, that counts.

When the Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo teams opens play today in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs, it will do so as the No. 1-ranked team in Division II.

That’s where the Breakers are working to end up on Feb. 26, the night when the division champion will be crowned at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach.

Laguna, which began the year with a No. 4 preseason ranking, takes that first step toward No. 1 at 3:15 p.m. when it hosts El Dorado in a first-round matchup.

The Breakers are champions of the Orange Coast League while the Golden Hawks finished in third-place in the Century League.

Despite coming in as the No. 1-seed, Laguna Coach Chad Beeler said his squad won’t look past El Dorado.

Last year, Laguna was favored to make another run to the division final — something the program had done in 2005 — but got bumped from the playoffs in the quarterfinal (second) round by Villa Park.

“At this point, it’s a one-game season,” said Beeler, who took the program over earlier in the season when Rick McKee resigned. “As coaches, Ethan (Damato) and I have been putting into the girls’ heads that this first game is our only game. We’re not guaranteed anything beyond that, so we have to be prepared.

“The girls have been working pretty hard all along and they’ll be ready for El Dorado. First we have to take care of this game and then go from there. It’s all about focus.”

The winner of today’s match advances to Tuesday’s quarterfinal round, where it will play the winner of today’s first-round match between Dos Pueblos and Dana Hills.

Laguna ended its regular season by splitting its final two matches.

Last Friday, the Breakers took a 9-0 first-quarter lead on visiting Tustin and went on to drill the Tillers, 19-3, in nonleague play. Jessica McKee led the scoring with five goals and Breanna Duplisea scored four. Annika Dries, Celia Huling, Natasha Schulmann and Lexi Ross all scored twice and Erin Reid and Taylor Dodson scored once.

On Saturday, a nonleague battle between two of the southlands top teams ended with host Corona del Mar defeating Laguna, 6-4.

The Sea Kings, ranked second in Division I, led only 3-2 at the half but shutout the Breakers in the third quarter to take a 5-2 lead into the fourth quarter.

Schulmann scored twice and Reid and McKee each once for Laguna.

“I felt that we were in control a lot during that game,” Beeler said. “We had a lot of possessions but we didn’t shoot well, or smart. We played all right but it’s a match, though, that will help us get ready for CIF.”