Laguna Beach girls’ water polo rallies to beat Foothill for second straight CIF Division 1 title

IRVINE —  The Laguna Beach High girls’ water polo team was pushed to the brink of defeat on Saturday night against Foothill.

Going for their second straight CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship, the top-seeded Breakers trailed the No. 2-seeded Knights all match long at Woollett Aquatics Center.

Foothill, a senior-loaded group, led by two goals entering the fourth quarter. Junior-dominated Laguna Beach was on the ropes.

In search of a comeback, the Breakers turned to a Lineback.

Just like in last year’s sudden-death Division 1 title match win over Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach junior left-hander Emma Lineback again shined under the lights. She made plays late as the Breakers rallied for a 7-6 victory.

Laguna Beach (30-1) has its fifth Division 1 title in seven years.

“This group never gives up, and I believed in them,” said Breakers coach Ethan Damato, whose team trailed 4-1 late in the first half. “Down two [goals], down three, we believe that we’re a quick-strike team. We can get goals in a hurry. We believed, and I think that’s what it came down to at the end ... This is, I think, the most exciting win I’ve ever been a part of.”

Lineback, who made all four of the shots she took in the match, did some heavy lifting against Foothill (24-5).

She scored a penalty shot goal drawn by Nicole Struss, tying the score at 6-6 with 5:07 remaining. Then Lineback took Struss’ pass and fired an outside shot into the lower-right corner. The eventual match-winning goal, which gave the Breakers their first lead, came with 3:18 left.

The Breakers shut out the Knights in the fourth quarter, surviving a five-on-six in the final minute. Foothill’s Claire Poissonnier was swarmed by Emma Singer and Rachael Carver in the closing seconds at two meters and couldn’t get a clean shot off.

Senior Morgan Van Alphen scored twice for the Breakers, who also got a goal from junior Jessie Rose. Freshman goalkeeper Lauren Schneider made eight saves.

“These girls are my best friends, and I love them so much,” Van Alphen said. “There’s never ever going to be this team [again]. I just wanted to play with no regrets. When we went down, it was hard. You look up there [at the scoreboard] and you’re just like, ‘Oh, is this how high school is going to end?’ But I just knew we were going to pull through. This group of girls, we don’t give up. We never have and we never will.”

Carver had an assist and two steals for Laguna Beach, and Molly Renner had a pair of assists. Struss did not score but drew four exclusions, which proved key.

Laguna Beach had struggled on the six-on-five in three earlier matches against Foothill, including an 8-7 road loss on Jan. 4 that is the Breakers’ only loss this season. On Saturday, the Breakers went four for five in their power-play chances, while holding the Knights to two for seven.

“We focused on that a lot in practice,” Struss said. “We’re not going to lose the game because we missed our six-on-fives, and they converted theirs. That was kind of our mentality this week training, and Ethan did a great job giving us new plays, preparing us.”

Junia Janov led Foothill with three goals, and Erin Kim added a pair of goals. Malia Allen also scored.

Laguna Beach will be the top seed for next weekend’s CIF State Southern California Regional Division I championships. Regardless of what happens in that tournament, the coveted Southern Section Division 1 crown is staying put with the Breakers.

“I think they’re the hardest-working team in the country, and I have no problem saying that,” Damato said. “We’re super-committed not only to the sport itself, but to each other, and I think that’s a huge reason why we’ve been consistent.”

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