Breakers edge Eagles, 1-0, in league opener

The Laguna Beach boys’ soccer team couldn’t have asked for a better beginning in the 2011 Orange Coast League season.

The Breakers went on the road to face Estancia and came up with a big defensive effort and just enough scoring to come away with a 1-0 victory.

Reece Barton scored the only goal of the game, as shot found the bottom corner of the net in the first half. The score was set up by Sam Stinnett.

“Opening up with an away game at Estancia was always going to be tough and to come away with the victory shows just how far this team has come,” Laguna Coach Dan Richards said. “We always feel very confident that we can score in games and know the key to our success will be to stay organized and focused defensively for every minute of the game.

“The boys executed our gameplan extremely well, taking Estancia out of their rhythm and limiting their chances. We knew Estancia would come out hard in the second half, making it a very competitive and physical final 40 minutes. I was very proud of how the lads dealt with this and they showed a lot of character to ensure the win.”

The Breakers, now 3-0-2, host Calvary Chapel at 6:15 p.m. today at Guyer Field. Next week, they host Godinez at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.

It will be Laguna’s first home match in three weeks.

“We are fully aware that this is just the opening league game and must continue to develop and work hard if we are to continue our success,” Richards said. “All of the teams in our league have very talented players and every game will be highly competitive.”

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Girls’ Soccer

Laguna also began Orange Coast League play this week at Estancia. The host Eagles scored two second-half goals to break open a scoreless match and went on to claim a 2-0 victory.

Senior goalie Ryan Bakkum had six saves for the Breakers, who host Godinez at 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.