The Santa Cruz County Breakers under-18 boys soccer team won the elite California Spring Cup in Anaheim, posting a 3-1 record over the weekend.

After playing to a 2-2 draw against the SWSC Elite [Temecula] in regulation in the championship game, the Breakers won 4-1 in penalty kicks to take home the title.

The Breakers have a number of players who recently finished their high school season, including players from Watsonville High and Central Coast Section champion Pajaro Valley. Grizzlies players Jesus Acuna and Adrian Silva and Wildcatz Leo Flores, Ricardo Rocha, Israel Murillo and Carlos Flores all play for the U-18 club team.

"It was a good weekend, and we performed really well," Breakers coach Kurt Munoz said. "With only one week of training and refamiliarizing themselves, they did a good job."

The Breakers beat SWSC Elite 1-0 on Saturday, then defeated Three Lions International 4-2. On Sunday, they lost 2-0 to America United but advanced to the championship game based on points accumulated.

"At this level, every team's good. There's a lot of good players and good clubs," said Munoz. "We didn't know what to expect so we took it one game at a time."

Evan Akeman of Harbor High and Agustine Perez of Cabrillo College anchored the Breakers' defense.

"Our team played really well over the whole weekend," said Akeman. "At first we weren't connecting as well as we could have, but in the end we worked together."

"We connected well, everyone knows each other," said Perez. "We just had to keep our shape in the back, cover and mark their key player."

"We got a good draw at Sacramento," coach Munoz said. "We're looking to continue with our momentum and have a strong performance."

WOMEN'S WATER POLO

UC Santa Cruz defeated the University of La Verne 7-5 Sunday to finish the weekend's Cal Lutheran Spring Tournament at 5-1.

Cara Hipskind scored two goals and Erica Simanonok and Alicia Fitzgerald each scored once for the Slugs [11-14 overall, 7-2 Division III].

UCSC will play next against Hartwick [N.Y.] on March 29 at UC Davis.

HIGH SCHOOL SOFTBALL

Soquel rallied just in time to tie Burlingame 5-5 in a shortened and error-plagued game in the Circle of Champions tournament Saturday night at the Salinas Sports Complex.

Soquel tied the game in the fifth inning with Kelsey Corkrean caught in a rundown between first base and second base, allowing Melissa Weckerle to score from second base. The game was called later that inning at the end of the hour-and-a -half time limit.

Britt Williams went 3-for-3 with a two-run home run as the Knights completed pool play. The championship round will be Saturday, also in Salinas.

WOMEN'S TENNIS

UCSC won at Nos. 1-4 singles to beat host Claremont College 6-3 on Saturday, the first time the Slugs have ever beaten their Southern California foes.

"It's awesome!" coach Erin Ness said. "They've been our arch rival for a long time and to finally get a win over them is awesome."

Jessica Ruth, Megan Sweeney, Taylor Mannix and Chayla Furlong all won at singles, while Ruth and Sweeney won 8-2 as the top doubles team.

Furlong and Mannix also won at No. 2 doubles, beating Claremont's Yassie Entekhabi and Hannah Kornfield 8-4.

The win will almost certainly move the Slugs [2-4 overall, 2-1 D-III] up in the D-III rankings. UCSC is currently ranked 19th, one spot behind Claremont.

The Slugs will host Bowdin [Maine] at 2 p.m. Saturday.