Laguna Beach girls’ soccer clinches second straight Orange Coast League title

The Laguna Beach High girls’ soccer team lost two talented players this season, as junior forward Blake Turner and sophomore goalkeeper Cameron Russo are playing for the U.S. Soccer Girls’ Development Academy instead of high school soccer.

Add to that the resignation of longtime coach Bill Rolfing, and there was reason for uncertainty heading into the season.

But the Breakers have showed their resiliency throughout the Orange Coast League campaign. The reward is their second straight outright league title, earned Monday night after a 3-2 win at rival Estancia.

Sophomore Jayd Sprague scored twice and sophomore Reilyn Turner added a late goal for Laguna Beach. There’s still a match left in league, but nobody can catch first-year coach Ben Helm’s Breakers (9-9-2, 7-1-1 in league) and their 22 points. Estancia (5-8-4, 5-2-2) remains in second place.

“It feels good,” Laguna Beach senior defender Alden Kramer said. “It’s nice, even without our seniors [from last season] and those special players, to live up to those same standards.”

Kramer earned some personal redemption, assisting on both of Sprague’s goals. That came after an own goal gave Estancia a 1-0 lead in the 16th minute. Eagles senior forward Lexi Osso’s cross in from the left deflected off the side of Kramer’s foot and went backward, hitting the inside of the crossbar and into the goal.

“All I could think was that I needed to redeem it now,” Kramer said. “I’d like to forget about that.”

She got her chance in the 26th minute after Laguna earned a corner kick from the right. Senior Haylee Jarvis made a quick pass to Kramer, who played it into the box. The ball found the head of Sprague, who knocked it in.

The Breakers, who share the No. 10 spot in the CIF Southern Section Division 4 poll, took the lead on a similar play just two minutes later. This time, Kramer’s pass from the right was knocked around a bit in the box, before Sprague tapped in what she said was her eighth goal of league play.

Reilyn Turner, a UCLA commit, added an insurance goal in the 72nd minute. It came just a minute after her penalty kick was blocked by Estancia senior keeper Monique Mendoza, who made her seventh save.

Turner wouldn’t be denied for long. She scored on another set piece, a header off a free kick from the left by Laguna Beach junior Kerin Onodera.

“If we want the game, we’ve got to make sure we’re winning the set-piece battle,” Estancia coach Josh Juarez said. “It’s tough to win any game when you’re giving up three set piece goals.”

Eagles sophomore standout Desiree Mendoza brought the hosts within one in the 79th minute, but Estancia ran out of time. It was a tough end to senior night, when the program honored Mendoza, Osso, Tabytha Smith, Evelyn Hernandez, Annalysa Cowie and Monica Palacios before the game.

Junior center back Shanai Auguis and sophomore keeper Camila Reese (six saves) anchored the defense for the winners, who beat the Eagles for the second time in league after playing Costa Mesa to a scoreless draw on Thursday.

“We had to win league the hard way, with two games on the road against two very formidable opponents in Costa Mesa and now Estancia,” Helm said. “You’re going into enemy territory, and there’s some nerves. In both games, they showed nerves, but they’re mentally tough. They worked their way back into the game.”

Laguna Beach closes league at home against last-place Saddleback on Wednesday at 5 p.m., while Estancia plays at crosstown rival Costa Mesa at the same time.

matthew.szabo@latimes.com

Twitter: @mjszabo