Laguna falls behind Vanguards

Its lineup depleted, boys’ soccer team loses to El Modena.Playing with a depleted squad, the Laguna Beach High boys’ soccer team couldn’t sustain an early lead against El Modena Monday, and the host Vanguards pulled away to a 3-1 nonleague victory.

Three Laguna starters were not available for the game due to the Christmas holiday, Breakers coach Giovanni Vlahos said.

“You could feel their absence right from the start,” he said.

Laguna, however, was able to take a 1-0 lead on a goal by senior Michael Reyes. Despite that goal, the Breakers, Vlahos said, were “flat.”

El Modena pushed its way back and gained a 1-1 tie at the half. The Vanguards continued to press the Breakers in the second half, taking a 2-1 lead.

In an effort to find the equalizer, Laguna pushed its players forward, and El Modena made the Breakers pay by posting a third goal just two minutes before the end of regulation.

In an earlier game, Laguna and Bellflower played to a 1-1 nonleague tie at Laguna.

“We didn’t know what to expect from them since it was the first time the schools have met in any soccer competition,” Vlahos said. “They are a really good control team, but my boys played them tough the whole game.”

“The only problem with Bellflower’s players was that every time they got touched, they fell to the ground, like somebody shot them. An unfortunate trait that is happening more and more each day in professional soccer, players faking injuries, trying to get the referee to make a call go their way.

“The referee during our game was brilliant in seeing this and making sure that the Bellflower players knew that if it continued, they would be yellow-carded.”

Neither the Breakers nor the Buccaneers could score in the first half. In the 70th minute, Bellflower took the lead on a long shot by one of their players that was misjudged by the Laguna keeper.

Laguna responded by pushing five attackers up front. Five minutes after the Buccaneers’ goal, in a mad scramble in front of the Bellflower goal following a Laguna corner kick, the ball hit off one Buccaneer and bounced into the net.

Laguna came into the Bellflower match having defeated visiting Saddleback Valley Christian, 3-1.

“It was the first game that my team was on its toes from the start,” Vlahos said of the match. “Even during our warmups, we had an extra bounce in our step, and it showed on the field.

“We dominated the game from start to finish, spreading the ball wide and controlling the midfield, as we like to do.”

Ten minutes into the match, Laguna was awarded a penalty kick. Roman Fricker, an exchange student from Germany, stepped up for the shot but pushed the ball wide.

Four minutes before the end of the first half, junior sweeper Brennen Healey scored on a spectacular header off a corner kick taken by Brenden Hexberg.

“He just physically out jumped and hustled every Saddleback player to the ball and buried it into the net,” Vlahos said of Healey’s goal, his first of the year, which gave the Breakers a 1-0 lead at the break.

The second half also belonged to Laguna, as the lead grew to 2-0 on a goal by Hexberg. Like Healey, it was the first goal scored by the senior this year.

“His shot and goal came from not giving up on the play and placing a nice shot into the goal,” Vlahos said.

Saddleback Valley Christian scored its only goal by taking advantage of a Laguna defensive error with 15 minutes left in the match.

But Laguna responded, “the way every coach likes to see them respond,” Vlahos said. The Breakers converted a free kick just outside the penalty area, as team captain and leading scorer, Derek LeBon, bent it around the wall and buried it in the net to make the final 3-1.

Laguna is 5-2-1 heading into the holiday break.

The Breakers next play on Jan. 4 with an away match at Beckman.

“Going into the holidays, my emotions are mixed,” Vlahos said of his team’s performance in the early portion of the 2005 season. “On some occasions the boys look great, but then in games like El Modena, they look terrible.

“Having a long layoff may hurt us but I’m doing all I can to not give them all those days off. We’re still holding practices during the holiday break, so hopefully that will keep some of them on their game.”

In girls’ soccer:

Laguna, which completed play Thursday at the JSerra Tournament, enters its next holiday tournament Tuesday with an appearance at the Palm Desert Varsity Girls Soccer Tournament.

The Breakers open the tournament with a 10 a.m. match Tuesday against La Quinta. Depending on the outcome, Laguna will play either Beverly Hills or Beaumont Wednesday.

The Breakers will play four games in the 16-team tournament, which concludes Thursday.

Laguna will take an entourage consisting of head coach Bill Rolfing, assistant coach Tiffany Willis, 16 players and several of the players’ parents, Rolfing said.

“Two nights at a hotel and lots of fun and bonding in between,” Rolfing said. “The Laguna girls’ program has never done holiday tournaments before, and I am very pleased to start it up this year.

“It obviously will keep us in tune with the game, our all-important conditioning program and have an added benefit of off-field bonding between the athletes.”

Following the Palm Desert tournament, Laguna will host Beckman on Jan. 4.

The Breakers launch Pacific Coast League play on Jan. 9 at Northwood.

“The tournaments are paramount to being fit and game-ready for our very competitive league,” Rolfing said. “I have to remind myself and my athletes that all the teams are going through improvements right now and we have to stay up with the pack. There are no slouches in the Pacific Coast this year, and we are working hard to stay with everyone we meet.”