Laguna earns polo honors

A spectacular season fell just short of the final prize, but the Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo team was still rewarded handsomely when it came to the All-CIF Southern Section Division II selections.

Senior Lexie Ross and juniors Jessie Holechek and Jessica Shusko were named first-team All-CIF, as selected by the Southern California Water Polo Coaches Assn. Additionally, junior goalie Etianne Manetta and sophomore Yoshi Andersen were second-team honorees.

Coach Ethan Damato was named the co-Coach of the Year, along with Chris Murin of Palos Verdes. The Sea Kings edged the defending champion Breakers, 6-5, in the Division II championship game Feb. 27 at Irvine High.

Ross, headed for Stanford, finished the season with 48 goals, 31 assists and 36 steals. The Breakers’ team captain “” also the team’s only senior “” helped lead Laguna (22-9) to yet another Orange Coast League title.

Holechek was the Breakers’ leading scorer (56 goals) and also led the Breakers with 33 assists and added 46 steals. Shusko, a talented defender who almost always guarded the opposition’s best player, ended up with 25 goals, 21 assists and 39 steals.

Manetta made 229 saves for the Breakers, including a career-high 18 in the season opener against Edison. Andersen had 45 goals, 20 assists and a team-high 48 steals.

Princeton-bound Palos Verdes senior Molly McBee was named Division II Player of the Year.