New year, same story

As in 2005, Laguna Beach falls to Corona del Mar in a key girls’ water polo match.Eleven months ago, Laguna Beach and Corona del Mar met at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach to determine the CIF-Southern Section Division II girls’ water polo champion.

In their first meeting since that February 2005 showdown, the two teams hooked up Wednesday at Corona del Mar in a battle to determine supremacy in the Pacific Coast League.

This battle between the division’s top-ranked teams followed nearly the same script and ended as it did in 2005, with No. 1 Corona del Mar defeating No. 2 Laguna, 9-4.

In last year’s division title game, the Sea Kings won by a 9-5 score.

Wednesday’s match had an eerily similar feeling to that title match, as Corona del Mar established control early by taking a comfortable lead, watched as Laguna battled back, then scored late to wrap up the win.

And just as in last year’s meeting, the Breakers wasted early scoring opportunities and weren’t on top of their defensive game early on.

“It’s that whole Laguna Beach-CdM thing, where it takes this team time to say, ‘Hey, we can play with these guys,’� Laguna coach Rick McKee said.

“Defensively, we were not up to par in that first quarter, but from that point on, I thought we did a better job on the defensive end.�

Laguna (20-5) also found it difficult to contain Corona del Mar’s outstanding hole set player, Camille Hewko.

The senior, displaying a wicked no-look sideswipe shot with her back to the goal, opened the scoring just 19 seconds into the match. She scored consecutive goals to open the second quarter and scored again just before the half to guide the Sea Kings to a 6-0 halftime lead.

“We left her open several times in that first half, and you can’t do that against the best player in the pool,� McKee said. “On the other hand, they did a great job of shutting down our girls, denying Jessica [McKee] and Anika [Dries] any offensive rhythm.�

Breanna Duplisea picked up the scoring slack by nailing a pair of penalty shots, one midway through the third quarter, the other within the first minute of the fourth quarter, to bring the score to 7-2.

The junior also scooped up a rebound following a miss by Jessica McKee and drilled the ball into the net to make it 7-3 with 5:14 to play.

Celia Huling, who came up with several saves in goal for Laguna, came up with a big sequence when she blocked consecutive shots by Katie Indvik and Hewko on the same Sea King possession. Laguna then drew to within three when Brittany Forrest lobbed a shot into the net with 1:48 to go.

The passing of freshman Taylor Dodson helped spark Laguna’s late comeback.

Corona del Mar, though, got goals from Indvik and Hewko in the final 1:27 to put the game away.

Following the match, Rick McKee gave his squad a homework assignment.

Although they won’t face each other again in the regular season, which ends for Laguna Wednesday at home against Northwood, the two rivals potentially could meet again in the Division II title match.

“I told them before this match that they had nothing to lose,� McKee said. “What they could gain through the assignment I gave them is to learn who CdM is, and learn about themselves. There’s a very good chance we will be meeting again.�

Previously, Laguna had defeated Beckman, 12-3, in league play, and routed Peninsula, 18-5, in nonleague action.20060203iu1linncPHOTOS BY JAMIE FLANAGAN / COASTLINE PILOT(LA)Laguna Beach’s Jessica McKee, left, shouts to a teammate before passing the ball during Wednesday afternoon’s game against Corona del Mar. The Sea Kings won, 9-4.20060203iu1lmbnc(LA)Laguna Beach’s Taylor Dodson looks for an open teammate as Corona del Mar’s Chelsea Lyman comes in to defend in the first quarter of Wednesday afternoon’s game.