GIRLS’ WATER POLO PREVIEW: Expectations high for Laguna

Expectations are running high in the Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo program.

How can they not when nearly every player from last year’s team, one that fell a game short of playing for a CIF championship, returns for another go-round? Eight talented, experienced players are back from last year’s 23-11 squad, one that (again) won the Orange Coast League championship and reached the semifinal round of the CIF Southern Section Division II playoffs.

When the Breakers take the pool for the first time Tuesday for a 5 p.m. season opener against Foothill at Beckman High, they’ll do so as a team christened No. 1 in Division II.

Laguna, however, suffered a setback last Saturday when senior goalie Sarah Zuziak broke her thumb during a scrimmage. Coach Ethan Damato said that Zuziak will miss “a few months” of the season, and that sophomore Ettiane Manetta will start in the cage.

Here’s a capsule look at the 2008-09 Breakers:

Head coach: Ethan Damato

Staff: Angelina Moore, Trevor Lyle, Trevor Friemond

Last year’s record: 23-11

League finish: Champions

CIF results: Reached Div. II semifinal round; lost, 9-8, to eventual champion Dos Pueblos

Returning players: Taylor Dodson, Sr., attacker, captain, first team all-league, second-team All-CIF, fifth-team All-Southern California; Annika Dries, Sr., center, captain. 2008 league MVP, first-team All-CIF, first-team All-Southern California, second-team All-American; Natasha Schulman, Sr., defender, captain, first-team all-league, first-team All-CIF, third-team All-Southern California; Sarah Zuziak, Sr., goalie, second-team all-league; Lexie Ross, Jr., utility, first-team all-league, third-team All-CIF; Jessie Holecheck, Soph., attacker, first-team all-league; Jessica Shusko, Soph., defender, second-team all-league; Ettiane Manetta, Soph. goalie.

Other Breakers: Riley Duncan, Soph., utility; Yoshi Andersen, Fr., attacker; Melena Masson, Fr., utility; Lida Degroote, Soph., attacker.

Coach’s outlook: “We return almost our entire team from last year,” Ethan Damato said. “I’ve never played or coached a team with this much talent and experience. They really have a very high water polo IQ as a unit which makes things very easy as a coach and it also makes it very fun to coach. We have all the pieces in place to have a very special season. Our goal is to get back to CIF finals and make a run at the (CIF) Masters.”

Team tidbits: Laguna’s three field players “” Dodson, Dries and Schulman “” all started in the CIF finals game as sophomores and all three are four-year varsity players. Dries and Dodson are four-year starters. Dodson has committed to Cal, Dries to Stanford Schulman to UCLA and Zuziak to UC Santa Barbara.

Schedule highlights: Villa Park Classic (Dec. 11-13); Edison (Dec. 16); Agoura (Dec. 20); Montebello (Jan. 6); Dos Pueblos (Jan. 15); Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions (Jan. 16-17); Socal Championships (Feb. 5-7); Corona del Mar (Feb. 13); MrDos

Season opener: Tuesday, 5 p.m., vs. Foothill at Beckman High

MIKE SCIACCA covers sports. He can be reached at (949) 494-4321 or by e-mail at michael.sciacca@latimes.com.