Locals help team finish 9th

Beach, a 16-and-Under girls’ club water polo team of players from Laguna Beach and Huntington Beach, came away with a ninth-place finish at the Junior Olympics.

The tournament, which began July 31, concluded Sunday at the Woollett Aquatics Center in Irvine.

Beach, seeded seventh in the 48-team field that had club teams from California, Texas, Hawaii, Florida, Washington, Illinois and Connecticut, finished play with a 7-2-1 record.

Beach team members hadn’t practiced together as a full squad leading up to the tournament.

Seven of the 12-member Beach team roster play at Laguna Beach High.

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Early action

In the first rounds of the tournament, Beach had little trouble in earning a 3-0 record. The great start included easy victories over American River (16-1), San Diego Shores (12-4) and Lyons from Chicago (13-2).

Socal Black 7, Beach 4: Socal Black scored three straight goals to establish control and went on to hand Beach its first tourney loss.

Jesse Holechek scored off a feed from Melena Masson to narrow the gap to 3-1 just before half. After Socal Black scored to take another three-goal lead, Riley Duncan drew a kick-out and Jessica Shusko sent a skip shot into the back of the net to make it 4-2.

Socal again built the lead back up to three goals (5-2) but Duncan tipped in a Holechek shot to draw Beach to within 5-3 at the end of the third quarter. At the outset of the fourth quarter, the Duncan-Holechek combo led to another goal as Beach rallied to within 5-4.

But Beach would get no closer as Socal took advantage of a kick-out and Beach turnover to score the final two goals to win the game.

Los Angeles 7, Beach 2: Los Angeles Water Polo Club jumped out to a 3-0 lead and used it as a springboard to a five-goal victory over Beach.

Beach, now with two losses, was relegated to the second tier bracket and the best it could finish would be ninth place.

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Two sites, one win

The third day of the tournament found Beach playing Norcal to a 4-4 tie at Santa Ana Valley High. In its next game, played at the Newport Harbor High pool, an early goal by Melena Masson off an assist from Haley Kunert, followed by a big save by Edy Manetta, allowed Laguna to take command en route to their second tournament win over San Diego Shores, 13-3. Danielle Warde scored five goals; Masson, Jessica Shusko and Jessie Holechek all scored twice; and Alexis D’asaro and Madison Seaberry each scored one.

Beach 11, Foothill 3: Beach never trailed in this physical contest and went on to rout Foothill of Upland.

Danielle Warde drew an early kick-out and went on to score to give Laguna a 1-0 lead. Edy Manetta then made a key save that led to Jessie Holechek finding Warde for an easy score for a 2-0 lead. Foothill scored just before the quarter ended to make it 2-1 but Warde scored off a steal and sprint early in second quarter to make it 3-1.

Leading 3-2 at the half, Melena Masson scored on a power move to increase Beach’s lead to 4-2 in the third quarter. Foothill managed another goal to pull to within 4-3 but at that point, the Beach defense, led by Manetta and Jessica Shusko, shut out Foothill the remainder of the game.

Warde went on to finish with four goals and Masson three to pace Beach. Alexis D’asaro scored twice and Holechek once.

Beach 9, SET 6: Beach fell into a 2-0 hole but rallied back to defeat SET (Saddleback/El Toro).

Down 2-0, Edy Manetta came up with a big save that seemed to settle down her teammates and Beach went on to find its offensive groove. Goals by Danielle Warde and Yoshi Andersen brought Beach into a 2-2 tie score. When Riley Duncan tipped in a pass from Melena Masson, Beach had its first lead, 3-2.

At that point, the Beach defense went to work. Masson and Jessica Shusko shut down hole set and several steals by Andersen, Lida De Groote, Katie Stewart, Haley Kunert and Madison Seaberry kept SET from scoring for two full quarters. Goals by Masson, Duncan, Warde and De Groote upped the lead to 7-3. Danielle Warde scored in the fourth quarter to give Beach a five-goal cushion before SET scored three consecutive goals to make it an 8-6 game with 1:20 remaining. But a goal by Alexis D’asaro from hole set ended the scoring and SET’s comeback hopes.

Beach 6, Commerce 3: In its final tournament game, Beach fell behind 2-0 then got on the defensive to turn back a physical and quick Commerce team to claim ninth place.

Goals by Yoshi Andersen and Melena Masson, the latter coming off an assist from Jessie Holechek early in the second quarter, tied the score at 2-2. Daneille Warde then came up with a steal and converted it into a goal to give Beach a 3-2 halftime advantage.

Early in third quarter, Jessica Shusko fed Alexis D’asaro for an easy score. D’asaro then drew a five-meter call that led to a goal by Warde that made it 5-2. With Edy Manetta making several saves, Beach’s stifling defense was able to shutout Commerce for nearly three full quarters.

D’asaro and Warde combined to post the final score for Beach in the fourth quarter.

Commerce scored one final time in the fourth quarter. After drawing a e weld Commerce off the board for almost three full periods. Commerce then got a 5 meter call and Manetta made the initial block on the free throw. But nobody for Beach scooped up the loose ball and the Commerce shooter alertly tossed it into the cage. The score stood at 5-3 with 2:22 left on the clock. Manetta made another big save and then D’asaro and Warde combined on one more tally to make it a 6-3 final.