Breakers bounced in first round

In 2010, the Laguna Beach High girls’ soccer team backed up its stellar performance of a year ago, making the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs for the second straight year.

It was the first back-to-back playoff appearances in program history.

But another first the Breakers needed “” the first goal in the overtime session “” never came Feb. 19.

Host Bloomington scored a sudden-death goal five minutes into the second overtime as the Breakers’ season ended, 2-1, in the first round of the Division III playoffs.

“The Breakers’ nine-day layoff, ski week break and having to play on the road combined to make this a very difficult match,” Laguna Beach Coach Bill Rolfing wrote in an e-mail. “Despite a vacation practice schedule, those three elements revealed rusty play in the midfield for the Breakers and an inability to maintain second-half intensity.”

Laguna Beach took control early, playing a five-midfielder alignment and behind offensive threats from senior Jessie Good Man and sophomore Marina Paul. Laguna scored at the 20-minute mark on a corner kick by Jenny Maddocks, where the ball rebounded back to her and she stuck it into the upper-back corner.

Bloomington scored late in the first half, and the game continued through overtime. In the second overtime, Bloomington was awarded a free kick 35 yards out. The kick deflected off a Bloomington girl’s leg, Rolfing said, and into the goal under a diving Laguna goalie Victoria Ellis.

Ellis made eight saves in the match and seniors Kelsey Peterson, Parker Yamasaki and Danielle Cudmore also supported the defensive effort.

Rolfing said Christina Gardilcic signed with San Francisco State and Ellis signed with Lesley University of Cambridge, Mass. That makes five Breakers who have signed, including Peterson (University of Chicago), Good Man (Union College) and Alex DeGarmo (Bucknell).