Laguna Beach Breakers blank Beckman

Boys open league play with 3-0 victory.A 2 1/2 -week break from competition didn’t seem to faze the Laguna Beach High boys’ soccer team Wednesday.

Showing no signs of rust from the long layoff, the Breakers trotted past visiting Beckman, 3-0, at Guyer Field.

The Pacific Coast League opener for both teams was played on a surface wet from Monday’s heavy rains.

“The field conditions weren’t the best in the world, seeing that it rained quite a bit this week, but my boys played well and we got that all-important first league win,” Laguna coach Giovanni Vlahos said. “Five of my starters were missing for numerous reasons, so that made me a bit more happy that the other players stepped it up and came thorough for the program.”

Senior defender Chris Devries scored his first goal of the season, and senior Michael Reyes and freshman Tommy Hopper both recorded their second goals of the season.

Junior goalkeeper Erik Haug came up with four saves and “played well,” Vlahos said.

“Sometimes when you don’t face many shots within a certain amount of time, the keeper has a tendency to get lazy and not be on his toes,” he said. “But Erik stayed focused the whole game through. We have a fantastic goalkeeper coach from England, Sam Reid, who’s been working with both my keepers day in and day out, and that’s making all the difference right now.”

Laguna, now 6-2-1 overall, hosts Northwood Monday at Guyer Field.

“That should be a really good match,” Vlahos said. “I know that we’re definitely looking forward to that one.”