HOCKEY
The Ducks High School Hockey League will play its All-Star Games at the Honda Center on Wednesday.
Forty-two varsity players, split across two teams, will take the ice at 7:30 p.m. The junior varsity game, at 5:30 p.m., will feature 36 players.
Participants in the varsity All-Star Game include Santa Margarita’s Eemil and Eetu Selanne, sons of Ducks right wing Teemu Selanne. They will be opponents, though, with Eemil on Team Black and Eetu on Team Orange.
Two players who lead county teams in points — Capistrano Unified’s Connor Reed (29) and Santa Margarita’s Brian Desmond (28) — are also featured in the game.
– MARK COOPER
BOYS SOCCER
Brea Olinda boys soccer coach Steve Teal earned his 137th victory at the school last week, puttng him two wins shy of becoming the most successful coach in school history. Manny Toledo holds the record with 139 victories.
“It is very humbling,” Teal said in an email. “At the end of the day, we don’t win matches without amazing young players. I have had the privilege of coaching over 250 players at the varsity level.
“In a world that wants instant gratification, a career wins record is something that requires patience. I like that there is something that I have done that demonstrates patience.” …
Bryce Kaminski finished with three goals and an assist in San Clemente’s three games at the Montverde Academy Soccer Tournament in Montverde, Fla., this past weekend to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. San Clemente, the No. 2 team in the nation according to studentsports.com, beat American Heritage of Plantation, Fla., 4-2, in the third-place game Saturday.
“This tournament was first class all the way,” San Clemente coach Mike Pronier said. “To come out 2-1 against the caliber of teams that are here, the boys did a great job.”
– DAMIAN DOTTORE
FOOTBALL
First-team All-County defensive lineman Greg Gaines (6-1, 295) of La Habra has committed to Washington, his father, Garth, said in an e-mail.
Gaines was a one-time Boise State commit but pledged Sunday to Washington and Coach Chris Petersen, the ex-Boise State coach. The senior was the Freeway League MVP this past season.
– DAN ALBANO
GIRLS WATER POLO
It quickly became one of the most relevant trivia questions in Orange County girls water polo:
When was the last time Marina made the playoffs?
The Vikings made that a burning inquiry last week by defeating Huntington Beach, 12-10, in the Sunset League to take a major step toward at least securing an at-large playoff berth in CIF-SS Division 1.
Marina is 17-2 overall and 1-1 in the Sunset with league games against Edison, Fountain Valley and Newport Harbor remaining.
Former Marina coaches Dave Carlson, now the veteran at Los Alamitos, and Scott Penttila, now at Santiago of Corona, each believe the answer to the trivia question is 2002.
The Vikings captured the first CIF-SS Division 1 title in 1998 under Carlson, who departed for Los Alamitos after the ’99 season. But Marina fell on hard times much of the past decade, even enduring a 2002 incident in which an assistant coach was allegedly involved in videotaping the shower area of the girls locker room.
Marina co-captain Kendyl Riley pointed last week to coaching and stronger team unity as the main reasons for the Vikings’ breakthrough season.
The senior praised coach Phil Geiger and assistants Samantha Sears and Stephen Wight. The Vikings’ staff also features goalie coach Lazar Andric.
“Hopefully, we can boost (the program) up,” Riley said.
Huntington Beach coach Mark Canner said expected a challenge from Marina.
“I knew they were strong,” he said. “We prepared for a one-goal game.”
Canner, in his first season, remains upbeat about his program’s direction.
“It’s a process,” he said. “I have nothing but high aspirations of where we can go.” …
Beckman played host to New Zealand’s Diocesan School For Girls for a match and cultural exchange on Saturday.
After the game, won by Beckman, 9-6, the players traded caps, suits and shirts and shared lunch.
“These are truly the best opportunities for our girls: one community of girls from New Zealand meeting another from Tustin-Irvine through the common interest of water polo,” Beckman coach Sam Bailey said in a press release. “Scholastic sports don’t get any better than this.”
– DAN ALBANO
