Los Alamitos girls dominate title game

Oak Park's Ania Brown, left, scores on Los Alamitos goalie Ane Marie Horton during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos' Katrina Lopez, left, and Angelina Cuevas smile after defeating Oak Park in Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Oak Park's Lauren Welin, left, Shayne Costello, center, and Katie Azelby shake hands with Los Alamitos players and coaches after Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos players celebrate after beating Oak Park in Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Oak Park goalie Meggie Sheehan runs on the field during the introductions before the start of Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match against Los Alamitos at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos' Breezy Hastie, right, passes the ball with pressure from Oak Park's Emma Barrow during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos' Caitlin Derry, right, and Oak Park's Rachel Pham try to outleap each other for a high ball during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
The Los Alamitos mascots run flags down the track after a goal was scored during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section girls championship match against Oak Park at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Oak Park's Ania Brown, right, drives to the goal against Los Alamitos' Jenna Rohling during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Oak Park's Brooke Smailes, left, controls the ball despite pressure from Los Alamitos' Sophia Schade during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Oak Park's Ellie Strauch, center, celebrates a goal against Los Alamitos during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos players celebrate after beating Oak Park, 20-6, in Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos' Dom Loney, right, and Katelyn Ramos celebrate a goal against Oak Park during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos' Jenny Lange, left, releases a shot on goal against Oak Park during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Some Los Alamitos flags blow in the wind during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section girls championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al defeated Oak Park, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos' Grace Schmidt-Beck, center, gets introduced before the start of Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match against Oak Park at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Oak Park's Morgan Shorts, center, runs through double coverage from Los Alamitos' Jenny Lange, left, and Grace Schmidt-Beck during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos' Caitlin Derry shoots and scores against Oak Park during Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Oak Park girls lacrosse players pose for a group photo after losing to Los Alamitos in Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title. Oak Park lost the North Division final to Agoura, but played in Agoura's place Saturday because the Chargers could not field a team.
Los Alamitos girls lacrosse players pose for a group photo after beating Oak Park in Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.
Los Alamitos' Dom Loney, right, and Jenny Lange celebrate after beating Oak Park in Saturday's U.S. Lacrosse Southern Section championship match at Huntington Beach High. Los Al won, 20-6, for its sixth consecutive title.

By Mark Cooper | Orange County Register

May 17, 2014 at 6:44 p.m.

HUNTINGTON BEACH – Los Alamitos started the game jittery, like most of its run through the postseason.

Trailing by a goal seven minutes into the first half, Griffins coach Emily Mukai called timeout and told her team to settle down.

The Griffins responded with fury.

Los Alamitos scored 12 consecutive goals in a 13-minute span out of the timeout, burying Oak Park through draw controls and precise passing and finishing.

The Griffins triggered a running clock before halftime, adding to the lead in the second half of a 20-6 win over the Eagles in the US Lacrosse Southern Section championship on Saturday at Huntington Beach High.

The Griffins played Oak Park (18-4) because Agoura, the North Division champion, could not field a full team for Saturday.

The victory gave Los Alamitos (15-6) its sixth straight section championship and a seventh straight win to end the season. The Griffins scored a season-high 20 goals, led by Grace Schmidt-Beck’s five.

“We’ve been playing with each other since sixth grade, some fifth grade,” said Schmidt-Beck, a senior. “So we just have a really good bond that sometimes when it clicks, it clicks.”

It took Los Alamitos just 40 seconds to tie the game at two out of the timeout. Schmidt-Beck cut down the middle of the field and scored after receiving a pass in stride from Haley Fessenden.

Los Alamitos scored two goals in nine seconds to go up 5-2 with 12:36 left in the first half, a product of great stickwork by Caitlin Derry to control the draw with one hand.

A minute later, Schmidt-Beck returned the favor to Fessenden, hitting her with a pass as she dodged inside to put the Griffins ahead 6-2. Los Alamitos pushed its lead to 13-2 before the run was broken.

Schmidt-Beck had three assists to go with her five goals. Fessenden scored three goals and recorded four assists and Jenny Lange and Breezy Hastie scored four goals apiece.

“It’s a good finish to four years of lacrosse,” Schmidt-Beck said. “It’s been a big part of my life for the last four years, for all of us.”

Contact the writer: mcooper@losangelesregister.com