Dos Pueblos Edges Breakers in Third Overtime of Division I Semifinal, 14-13

The Outcome... Dos Pueblos defeats Laguna Beach, 14-13, in Third Overtime

The Laguna Beach girls water polo team came close to handing the Chargers their first loss in more than two years. The Breakers built an early advantage on Wednesday evening and never allowed the California powerhouse program to gain full control of the match, which was held at the William Wollett Jr. Aquatics Center in Irvine.

The CIF Southern Section Division 1 semifinal match was tied on seven separate occasions and required three overtime periods to determine an outcome. Dos Pueblos survived Laguna Beach’s monstrous effort to pull out a 14-13 victory -- the Chargers’ 66th straight -- thanks to Tiera Schroeder’s game-ending "golden goal" on the team’s second possession of the third overtime.

“When you’re playing Dos Pueblos, you never know if you’re going to be able to swim with them the entire time,” Laguna Beach coach Ethan Damato said. “Our girls were amazing tonight and they came to play. You can’t ask for a better effort as a coach, and I’m really proud of them.”

The Turning Point... The Breakers Set the Stage for a Wild One

Dos Pueblos (30-0) entered the match with many rivals but few peers. The top-seeded Chargers have won three consecutive section titles and have established themselves as the cream of the crop in Southern California water polo.

Despite already having dropped two games to Dos Pueblos this season, fifth-seeded Laguna Beach (22-8) looked confident to begin the match. The Breakers jumped to a 3-0 advantage in the first 2:30, scoring on three consecutive trips down the pool and swiping four defensive steals on Dos Pueblos' first five possessions.

“[Laguna Beach] came out and jumped on us,” Chargers coach Chris Parrish said. “To be honest, they stunned us. We knew they’d be tough to guard against with all their great shooters.”

Laguna Beach wound up with seven steals in the first quarter, which ended with the Breakers ahead 4-2. The underdog’s strong start sent a strong message that Dos Pueblos was in for a dogfight for the right to compete for the Division 1 championship.

The Difference... Chargers Thrived on Laguna Beach Penalties

Dos Pueblos scored over half of its goals while the Laguna Beach defense was limited. The Chargers converted on six of 10 power-play opportunities and notched two penalty shots, including one from Jamie Neushul in the first overtime period.

“That’s how Dos Pueblos gets their goals,” Damato said. “They excel on penalty chances and we knew that coming in. We got a ton of stops today, but it turns out we just didn’t get enough.”

On the flip-side, Laguna Beach managed to score only one six-on-five goal in four opportunities. Aside from senior Jessie Holechek’s second-period penalty shot, the rest of the Breakers’ goals came against a complete Chargers defensive scheme.

“Penalties are huge, that’s how games are won and lost,” Parrish said. “High-caliber teams tend to earn a lot of ejections, so we’ve really focused on the extra-man offense and five-man defense. Our preparation proved to be pretty effective tonight.”

It was Over When... The CIF System Wouldn’t Allow More Water Polo to be Played

This match may still be happening, had it not been for the "Sudden Death" system that kicks in after two overtime periods. The third overtime began with both teams fully knowledgeable that the next goal scored would be the final one of the evening.

Dos Pueblos grabbed possession first, but its shot attempt was rejected by standout Breakers goalkeeper Etianne Manetta. Laguna Beach squandered its only opportunity of the session when the ball was stolen before a shot could be fired.

Schroeder’s fourth goal of the game skipped by Manetta to seal the deal and end the classic marathon.

The Aftermath... Dos Pueblos Competes for D-1 Three-peat

After narrowly surviving the biggest scare of its incredible win streak, Dos Pueblos is bound for a fourth consecutive CIF section title match. The Chargers claimed the D-2 championship in 2008, before earning the D-1 crown at the conclusion of each of the past two seasons.

Dos Pueblos will play surprising Foothill, a 10-9 winner in overtime over third-seeded Corona del Mar, on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Woollett. Foothill beat second-seeded Los Alamitos in the quarterfinals, 11-10, also in overtime.

“Our girls certainly have a quiet confidence,” Parrish said. “It’s not just self-confidence, but a trust in their teammates. When the going gets tough, no one points fingers. That’s the real difference in this group and says a lot about their success.”

Laguna Beach finishes the season on the cusp of greatness, but can hang its hat on an Orange Coast championship and an impressive run through the postseason. The Breakers took down a perennially successful Newport Harbor squad on Friday before bowing to Dos Pueblos in admirable fashion.

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