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MISSION VIEJO — A new cast of players has been patiently waiting for its chance to shine with Laguna Beach’s girls water polo team.

Judging by their performance Friday night, the group learned plenty from watching their successful predecessors.

First-year starting attacker Lela McCarroll scored two of her season-high three goals in the fourth period to help lift the Breakers past Mater Dei 7-6 in an intense, early-season nonleague match at Capistrano Valley High.

McCarroll, twin sister of Mater Dei All-County attacker and one-time Laguna Beach star Logan McCarroll, netted the go-ahead and eventual game-winning strikes in the first 3 1/2 minutes of the fourth as Laguna Beach opened a 7-5 lead.

The Breakers (7-0) then held on for their second, one-goal victory against a Trinity League powerhouse this winter. Laguna Beach edged Orange Lutheran 8-7 last weekend.

“It’s giving us a good idea of how the competition is going to be,” said McCarroll, a senior bound for Marist. “It’s really exciting. We’ve all been waiting for this. We really want to win this year and I think we can.”

Junior center Charlotte Riches and senior attacker Hannah Carver — also first-year starters — added two goals for Laguna Beach, which is retooling after sending 11 seniors off to college water polo earlier this year.

Laguna Beach first-year starting attacker Isabel Foley, another senior, chipped in two assists.

The contributions were well-timed as Mater Dei shutout high-scoring Ava Houlahan, Laguna Beach’s most experienced field player. The senior did notch two assists.

“Character win for us,” Laguna Beach coach Ethan Damato said. “This group has been working really hard, waiting for their turn. … The way they’ve responded in the fourth quarter, two games in a row, has just been awesome.”

The Monarchs’ Grace Klinger scored her third goal of the second half with 11 seconds to trim Laguna Beach’s lead to 7-6.

Mater Dei trailed 5-2 at halftime but scored three consecutive goals in the third to tie the score at 5 going into the fourth.

The Monarchs (5-1) finished 2 for 8 with the extra attacker, missing two chances in the fourth. They also had a penalty strike waved off in the third for delay by the shooter.

McCarroll’s go-ahead strike came on the power-play while the eventual winner arrived with 3:33 left, moments after the Monarchs missed a power-play chance. Laguna Beach went 3 for 6 with the extra attacker.

Both goalies played well. Laguna Beach returning standout Lauren Schneider made eight saves while Jade Ward of Mater Dei recorded nine.

Seniors Genoa Rossi and Nicole Tyner and junior Olivia Krotts each scored one goal for Mater Dei.

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