Team of locals takes 9th

Beach, a 16-and-Under girls’ club water polo team of combined players from Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach, came away with a ninth-place finish at the national Junior Olympics tournament.

The tournament concluded Sunday at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine.

Beach, seeded seventh in the 48-team field that had club teams from California, Texas, Hawaii, Florida, Washington, Illinois and Connecticut, finished play with a 7-2-1 record.

Five of Beach’s 12-member roster are local players Haley Kunert, Danielle Warde, Madison Seaberry, Alexis D’asaro and Katie Stewart.

In the first rounds of the tournament, Beach had little trouble in earning a 3-0 record. The great start included easy victories over American River (16-1), San Diego Shores (12-4) and Lyons from Chicago (13-2).

Socal Black 7, Beach 4: Socal Black scored three straight goals to establish control and went on to hand Beach its first tourney loss.

Los Angeles 7, Beach 2: Los Angeles Water Polo Club jumped out to a 3-0 lead and used it as a springboard to a five-goal victory over Beach.

Beach, now with two losses, was relegated to the second-tier bracket and the best it could finish would be ninth place. Two sites, one win: The third day of the tournament found Beach playing Norcal to a 4-4 tie at Santa Ana Valley High. In its next game played at the Newport Harbor High pool, Danielle Warde powered in five goals as the squad beat San Diego Shores for the second time in tourney play, 13-3.

Beach 11, Foothill 3: Beach never trailed in this physical contest and went on to rout Foothill of Upland.

Warde went on to finish with four goals and Masson had three to pace Beach.

Beach 9, SET 6: Beach fell into a 2-0 hole but rallied back to defeat SET (Saddleback/El Toro).

Beach 6, Commerce 3: In its final tournament game, Beach again fell behind, 2-0, then went on the defensive to turn back a physical and quick Commerce team to claim ninth place.