Playoff berth long overdue for Laguna

The final week of the regular season has brought good fortune to both the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams at Laguna Beach High, both of which rose to the occasion in important Orange Coast League matches.

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Girls’ soccer

In a game that had Orange Coast League title implications for Costa Mesa and lent spoiler-role status to an already CIF-bound Laguna team, the Breakers went to Estancia High to take on Costa Mesa and returned home with a dramatic 1-0 victory over the Mustangs on Tuesday.

Laguna had learned that it had secured a CIF playoff berth earlier in the day when Estancia knocked off Calvary Chapel, 3-2. The combination of wins by Laguna and Estancia left Estancia and Costa Mesa tied for the league title.

The Breakers, who were able to watch the end of the Estancia-Calvary Chapel match prior to taking on Costa Mesa, ended league play at 4-2-2 and clinched a postseason playoff berth for the first time in nine years.

Although Costa Mesa played well for the opening 10 minutes of the first half Tuesday, the Breakers’ passing attack took over and by the half, Laguna had outshot the Mustangs, 12-2. What turned out to be the lone score of the game came at the 22-minute mark. A free kick was awarded to Laguna 40 yards out. Holden Penney placed a chip shot over the Costa Mesa defense and into the path of streaking teammate Kelsey Peterson. After a small bounce, Peterson slammed the ball into the net for a 1-0 Breakers lead.

In the second half, the play of Peterson, Christina Gardilcic, Jessie Goodman, Madeleine Arterburn and Peterson held down the Laguna defensive line, as the Mustangs were only able to launch four shot attempts. Two of those shots were turned away by the “acrobatics” of senior keeper Lura Hills, Laguna Coach Bill Rolfing said, adding that, along with the outstanding play from Penney, freshman Marina Paul, Kelsey Rustigian and Alex DeGarmo, contributed to the Breaker midfield. Erica Hawkins, Maya Butler, Sarah Sampson and Jenny Maddocks kept up the offensive pressure by attacking the Costa Mesa goal with 10 second-half shots.

Laguna heads into CIF play with an overall record of 10-4-9. The Breakers have a school-record 14 shutouts to their credit. They have allowed just 17 goals in 23 matches, giving the 2008-09 squad the school record for best point total in the 27-year history of the program, Rolfing said.

The Breakers will learn who their first-round CIF opponent will be when the playoff pairings are released Monday at the Southern Section office in Los Alamitos.

The program will be making its fifth trip to the postseason playoffs.

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Boys’ soccer

Faced with the prospect of having its season possibly come to an end Wednesday, Laguna was able to extend its campaign and earned a CIF playoff berth by knocking off Costa Mesa, 5-1, in an Orange Coast League match at Estancia High.

The win clinched third-place for the Breakers, who ended league play 2-2-4.

“It was a must-win for us to clinch a CIF berth, and we pounced on Mesa from the start,” Laguna captain Bryce Healey said.

Two quick scores by Ian Green staked Laguna to a 2-0 lead. Those scores were followed by a series of sharp moves by Healey, who then went on to shoot a shot past the Costa Mesa keeper to make it 3-0.

The Mustangs drew to within 3-1 by scoring off a cross early in the second half, but Laguna quickly countered on a “stunning strike,” Healey said, from Green. His shot from 30 yards out, off a short free kick by sweeper Noah Michelon, again gave Laguna a three-goal cushion.

Green went on to score for a fourth time, his final goal coming off a long volley that looped over the Costa Mesa keeper. Daniel Selevan also got into the offensive mix, scoring on a through ball from Healey that Selevan drilled past the outstretched keeper.

Laguna will find out its CIF playoff fate Monday when playoff pairings are released. Wild-card games will be played Wednesday and first-round games start Friday.