High School Sports Update
By Frank Aronoff | LB Indy
Girls Water Polo (30-1)
Makenzie Fischer scored five goals and had five steals to help power Laguna Beach past Newport Harbor 10-7 to capture the CIF’s top tier Division I girls water polo title Saturday at Irvine’s Woollett Center.
Cara Borkovec added three goals and Bella Baldridge two to round out Laguna’s scoring. Newport played their best match of the season and took full advantage of a number of favorable calls. Breakers had plenty of good shots that just missed.
Newport scored first after an exclusion was called on Mia Salvini but the Breakers came right back with goals by Borkovec and a penalty shot by Fischer. Newport tied the contest in the final minute of the period to end the scoring at 2-2.
The Breakers asserted themselves in the second period with three goals as Fischer scored twice and Borkovec added her second off a great pass from Aria Fischer. Newport scored in the closing seconds of the first half to cut the Laguna lead to two – the last time the Sailors would be that close. By late in the third period it was 9-4 Laguna.
Girls water polo joins girls tennis, girls volleyball, and boys yolleyball in capturing top honors in Southern California. The Division 1 title is Laguna’s 10th at the highest level and the 38th Southern Section crown for the school’s sports program.
For 2015, the squad only loses field player Cara Borkovec who has been the team’s sprinter and a solid all-round field player. Borkovec transferred from Illinois where she was a two-time, first team all-state player and an all-American selection. Also graduating is Jenna Knott a solid goalkeeper who split duties with sophomore Holly Parker this season.