Laguna wins 2 in youth polo

The Laguna Beach Age Group Water Polo girls’ 14-and-Under team traveled to Colony High in Ontario Saturday to play its final two games in the California Cup series, and the locals returned home with two more victories.

Laguna finished the tournament with an 8-3 record, good for second-place.

Laguna 9, Los Alamitos 4Laguna overcame double-teaming defensive tactics by Los Alamitos on hole sets Candyce Schroeder and Jessica Shusko to win a match that started at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Forced to take more shots from the perimeter, Laguna responded early and never trailed. A first-period goal by Yoshi Andersen off an assist from Jesse Holechek made it 1-0. In the second quarter, Melena Masson scored on a lob shot and Holechek on a tip-in as Laguna upped its lead to 3-0 at the half.

Laguna used a smothering defense of its own in the opening half, and goalie Edy Manetta needed to make just one save in the first period.

Laguna added four more goals in third period with Holechek, Masson and Andersen scoring for the second time and Kelsey Thorton breaking into the scoring column.

Holechek scored her third goal of the game in the last frame.

Laguna 15, Los Angeles 1Late Saturday morning, Laguna rolled from start to finish in polishing off Los Angeles Water Polo Club.

Laguna took a 2-0 lead in the first two minutes of the match, scoring on consecutive five-meter shots by Jessica Shusko and Candyce Schroeder. Jesse Holechek added a goal before Yoshi Andersen scored twice and Kelsey Thorton once before the period expired, as the advantage grew to 6-0.

Andersen, Holechek and Melena Masson all scored in the second period to make it 9-0 at the half.

Two more goals by Schroeder, followed by a goal by Lida De Groote in the third period, made it 12-0 before Los Angeles could get on the scoreboard.

Thorton, Manetta and Shusko closed out the scoring for Laguna.

Laguna will play this weekend at the Commerce Cup, then at the San Diego Cup the weekend of May 5-6. Both are the final tournaments of the regular season.

The 14-and-Under Junior Olympics will be held in early August in the Bay Area.