Villa Park

When the CIF-Southern Section Division II girls? water polo playoffs got underway Thursday (Feb. 14), Laguna Beach went into its first-round home match against Brea Olinda as the division?s fourth-seeded team. It was the first step in what the Breakers hope will be a return trip to the D-II title game, which will be held at 1 p.m. Feb. 23 at the William Woollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine. The score from Thursday?s first-round match wasn?t available at press time. While the Breakers might have their sights set on yet another long playoff run, Coach Chad Beeler said it?

Laguna teams grace weekly CIF-SS polls Four Laguna Beach High winter sports teams continue to be ranked in their respective CIF Southern Section polls. The biggest jump in the polls came from the Laguna girls? basketball team, which came in tied for the No. 10 spot with St. Anthony of Long Beach in the Division IV-AA poll. The Breakers were ranked 14th in the previous week?s poll. Also holding down top 10 rankings were the Laguna girls? water polo team (No. 3) and boys?

For the third time this season, Laguna Beach and Villa Park will meet in girls? water polo action when two of the top teams in CIF-Southern Section Division II matchup today. And for the third time, Laguna will be looking to knock off the Spartans when the teams go after the opening sprint in a 4 p.m. nonleague showdown. The Breakers defeated the Spartans by a single goal in both previous meetings, the most recent being Jan. 12 at the Tournament of Champions in Santa Barbara.

TODAY Boys? Soccer (3 p.m.) Laguna at Estancia JV Soccer (3 p.m.) Laguna at Estancia Frosh/Soph Soccer (3 p.m.) Laguna at Estancia Girls? Water Polo (4 p.m.) Laguna at Villa Park JV Water Polo (3:15 p.m.) Laguna at Villa Park Girls? Basketball (6 p.m.) Laguna at Estancia Boys? Basketball (7:30 p.m.) Laguna at Estancia ? SATURDAY Girls? Soccer (TBA) Laguna at ML King Tourney (at Pacifica High)

A week after nearly upsetting Foothill, the top-ranked team in Division I, the Laguna Beach girls’ water polo team gained plenty of satisfaction by winning the Villa Park Classic Saturday. Just as it had against Foothill, Laguna, ranked No. 2 in Division II, had to go overtime against Villa Park, preseason No. 1 in Division II. But unlike the one-goal loss to the Knights on Dec. 4, the Breakers emerged victorious against the host Spartans, winning 11-10. A shot by Annika Dries, the tournament’s MVP, with just under 10 seconds remaining in regulation, tied the score and sent the match into overtime.

Five members of the Laguna Beach High girls' water polo team that earned a runner-up finish in the CIF-Southern Section playoffs, have been named to the Southern California Water Polo Coaches' Assn. 2006-07 Division II team. Seniors Jessica McKee and Breanna Duplisea both made the first team. Junior Erin Reid and sophomore Annika Dries were second team picks and goalie Celia Huling was a third team selection. Junior Casey Flacks of Division II champion shared the co-Player of the Year honor with Santa Barbara senior Kelly Easterday.

For the third time this season, Laguna Beach and Villa Park will meet in the pool. But neither of the two previous matches had more at stake than today's will, as the teams battle at 6:30 p.m. in the night cap of a CIF Southern Section Division II girls' water polo semifinal doubleheader at the William J. Woollett Jr. Center in Irvine. The match follows a semifinal between second-ranked Agoura and third-ranked Santa Barbara. Today's winners advance to play at 8:15 p.m. Monday in the Division II championship match at Belmont Plaza Pool in Long Beach.