Breakers start up league action
Mike Sciacca
The Laguna Beach High boys’ soccer team, coming off an appearance at
the highly-competitive West Coast Classic, begins Pacific Coast
League play today.
The league opener is a big one, as the Breakers play host to rival
Corona del Mar.
On Tuesday, they will entertain Northwood.
Both Corona del Mar and Northwood are considered by Laguna Coach
Andy Thomas to be major threats to the PCL crown.
“In the PCL race, Tesoro is the team to beat and Northwood and CdM
will push them,” Thomas said. “We need to win our home games, then
pick up some points against the big boys on the road, to compete.
“In the past, we have struggled against the teams that we should
be beating, so we need to take care of those games, as well. Our goal
is to finish in the top three and go to CIF, which is a realistic
goal.”
Laguna ended its nonleague schedule with an overall record of
4-5-2.
“There were some successful moments during the preseason and for
me, preseason is an opportunity to fix some of the problems that may
result in the team not performing,” Thomas said. “I am less concerned
with results but more so with performance and eliminating individual
and team errors.
Thomas said that beating Mission Viejo on the road was one
highlight his team recorded during nonleague play.
He also noted that a 6-0 loss to Loyola, the sixth-ranked team in
the nation, was a “great experience,” as well.
“For the first half against Loyola, we were in the game and at
times, we out were outplaying them,” he said.
The Pacific Coast League race began Thursday for the Laguna
girls’ soccer team, at home against Corona del Mar.
It was the first game of the New Year for Coach Mike Thomas’ team,
which hadn’t played since Dec. 18.
It’s also been a long time since the Laguna girls’ water polo team
has entered competition.
The Breakers, who last competed at the Tru-West Invitational,
hosted by Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar on Dec. 26-27, open
league play Wednesday Coach Rick McKee’s squad has won nine of its
first 12 matches of the season, despite not having one senior player
on the team.
A pair of juniors -- Addison Doud and Kat Gordon -- have become
team leaders.
“We’ve been pretty much playing as we expected, though,” McKee
said. “We don’t have any senior leadership, at all, but Addison has
really stepped up and shown her leadership skills. So has Kat.”
McKee feels that Laguna, which finished second in last year’s race
for the PCL title and went on to a CIF semifinal appearance, will
contend once again for the crown.
“I think the league race will come down to three teams,” McKee
said. “I absolutely think we will contend for the title but Corona
del Mar has to be considered the favorite. University will be right
there, too.”
Wednesday’s PCL opener is will pit the Breakers against host
Corona del Mar.
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