CIF-SS girls water polo playoffs
Division 1 breakdown
1st round starts: Feb. 15
Top 4 seeds: 1. Laguna Beach, 2. Mater Dei, 3. San Marcos, 4. Dos Pueblos
Number of teams: 17 entries (16-team bracket)
League champions: It’s girls water polo’s version of the Champions League. There are 10 league champions: Laguna Beach, Los Al, Murrieta Valley, Royal, San Marcos, San Clemente, Corona del Mar, Foothill, Mater Dei, Los Osos
Where are last year’s finalists? Defending champion Orange Lutheran took second to Mater Dei in the Trinity League and drew Murrieta Valley, last season’s Division 2 champion. Crestview champion Foothill, last season’s Division 1 runner-up, placed top-eight in all three of its tournaments. The Knights know how to win this time of year and host challenging Santa Barbara in the first round.
O.C. best hope: Laguna Beach. No team has come closer than five goals against the undefeated Breakers (27-0). Coach Ethan Damato’s program is on an 85-3 run.
Fun facts: When Laguna Beach went 31-0 in 2014-15, it won two one-goal games, two four-goal games and one five-goal game. … Mater Dei doesn’t start one senior.
Final poll: 1. Laguna Beach, 2. Mater Dei, 3. San Marcos, 4. Dos Pueblos, 5. Orange Lutheran, 6. CdM, 7. Foothill, 8. Los Al, 9. Santa Margarita, 10. Santa Barbara