Breakers win 1 vs. 2 battle

It’s been 16 days since they took to the pool for competition “” Dec. 23, to be exact “” but the layoff didn’t affect the Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo team.

Playing its first game since returning from the holiday break, the Breakers dominated Montebello on Tuesday, 17-6, in a nonleague game at the Laguna pool.

The game was a battle between two teams ranked 1-2 in the CIF Southern Section Division II. In the end, top-ranked Laguna left little doubt as to who was No. 1.

Annika Dries led the scoring with five goals. Lexie Ross contributed four scores, Taylor Dodson had three goals and Natasha Schulman scored once while holding Montebello’s “best player” scoreless,” Laguna Coach Ethan Damato said.

Etianne Manetta recorded nine saves.

The win was the 10th of the season for the Breakers, who are still undefeated.

“We set the tone early by scoring goals from outside and inside, and played great team defense for four quarters,” said Damato, whose team led, 6-2, after one quarter and 10-4 at the half before shutting out the Oilers in the third quarter. “When we move the ball and execute on offense, we are tough to stop. Our defense right now is a strong, cohesive unit, and that is putting us in a good position to win games.”

Although idle from competition over the winter break, the Breakers weren’t completely away from the water.

“We conditioned over the break, but we did take five days off for Christmas,” Damato said. “I think that it is important for the girls to spend some time with their families and not think about polo for a while. To be honest, I did expect a little letdown (against Montebello), but the girls came out fired up, wanting to prove that a CIF title goes through us.”

The Breakers, who took on Rosary on Thursday in nonleague play “” the score wasn’t available at press time “” begin their assault next week on winning another Orange Coast League championship. They open league play at 3:15 p.m. Wednesday, hosting Estancia. Their only other two league games are Jan. 28 at Godinez and at home Feb. 11 against Costa Mesa.

Laguna is the odds-on favorite to win the league crown.

“We will prepare for every game, but we know that our league is not at our level,” Damato said. “That is why we have so many tough nonleague games.”

Case in point, the day after playing Estancia, the Breakers travel north Thursday to the Santa Barbara-area to do battle with Dos Pueblos. The highly-anticipated match-up is a precursor to the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions the Breakers will play in Feb. 16-17.

Laguna and Dos Pueblos are no strangers in the pool. Three times last year, the Chargers defeated the Breakers, with one of those wins coming in a CIF Division II semifinal game. Dos Pueblos went on to win the division title. The Chargers moved up a division this year and started the season ranked No. 3 in Division I.

“Well, we want revenge,” Damato said. “They beat us three times last year and ended our season. We know them really well and they know us equally as well. It should make for a great match-up going into the Santa Barbara TOC.

“The strength of our team is that we are a team. We have players who are willing to do the dirty work and the small things.”