Mustangs kick back

COSTA MESA — Members of the Costa Mesa High girls’ soccer team gathered in a circle Thursday, kicking around a stuffed Eagle.

Turnabout, after all, is fair play.

But more important than any stuffed animal was the Mustangs’ play on the field, where they combined strong offense and defense for a 4-1 Orange Coast League win over cross-town rival Estancia at Costa Mesa.

On Jan. 22, it was the Eagles who had kicked around a stuffed pony doll at their home field. They had just beaten Costa Mesa, 3-1, to top the Mustangs in league for the first time in 13 years, and their comments in the Daily Pilot showed their happiness.

But Costa Mesa Coach Dan Johnston said those comments, including one by Estancia Coach Steve Crenshaw saying his team would beat Costa Mesa again, didn’t sit well in the Mustangs’ locker room.

“Their quotes in the last article kind of inflamed this group,” Johnston said. “It was good locker-room stuff. But, you know, you don’t have to work very hard to get them up for the Estancia game anyway.”

Costa Mesa juniors Kyra Graham (two goals and an assist) and Ayla Medina (a goal and two assists) helped make sure the response on the field was huge. With two league games remaining, defending league champion Mesa (9-8-5, 3-1-3 in league) vaults back over Estancia (9-8-2, 3-2-2) for first place by a single point.

The Eagles fall into a second-place tie with Laguna Beach, which defeated Calvary Chapel on Thursday.

Mesa junior defenders Dana Gentling and Kristina Roche, along with solid goalie play from Kalea Seanoa (three saves) and Jessica Rubright (four) combined to limit the Eagles’ scoring chances. Roche was forced to sit out the Estancia loss after a red card in the previous game, helping to further motivate her.

“We wanted to win after last game,” Roche said. “We came out knowing what we had to do. I didn’t get to play last game, so I wanted to get payback.”

This time, it was Estancia missing a key defender in freshman Erin O’Neil. She had helped limit Costa Mesa’s offense in the previous game. She was on a skiing trip Thursday, Crenshaw said.

But it was great timing by the Mustangs, specifically junior Teagan LaBare, that helped them to the early lead. LaBare made a long run from the midfield position in the 17th minute, trying to take a cross from Graham but instead earning a penalty kick. Graham converted the kick in the right corner to give Mesa the early lead.

“She ran 60 yards from the halfback spot and got to the ball,” Johnston said. “She was in perfect position for that. That’s a run you want out of your halfback all the time, and she made it.”

The Mustangs added to their lead just before halftime, when Graham crossed the ball to Medina in the box. Medina stuck her right leg well off the ground to take the ball and score, putting Mesa up, 2-0.

Graham helped add to the lead in the 55th minute. She drew the goalie out, took a ball played ahead to the left side and tapped it gently off the outside of her right foot. The ball slowly rolled back across the goal and in.

The Mustangs, who earned the first eight corner kicks of the game, would give up their lone goal on an Eagles corner. Senior Stacy McDaniels booted it right in front of the goal, where senior Jennifer Thomas deflected it in.

But Mesa, unfazed, responded in the 74th minute. Medina drew a crowd near the right side of the box with some impressive dribbling before passing it in front to fellow junior Brooke Urmson, who found the back of the net.

“We never stopped the whole game,” Medina said. “Our defense found our offensive players’ feet and got it to us.”

Estancia was also missing starters Nushin Tasbihchi (ankle) and Jackie Freiberger (knee) to injuries, Crenshaw said, which resulted in having to shuffle positions a bit. In the second half, he brought sophomore goalie Allyson Wallace (five saves) up to be an attacker, putting senior Araceli Ceja (four saves) in goal.

“We had sick kids, we had injured kids, but we still should have been able to get it done,” said Crenshaw, whose Eagles have been outscored, 9-1, in the last two games. “[Costa Mesa] came out ready to play, that’s all there is to it.”

Costa Mesa now controls its own destiny in the league, having reeled off three straight wins since its loss to Estancia. The current winning streak started with the 2-1 victory over Laguna Beach on Jan. 24 that Roche called the turning point of the season.

“They went into that game with a different mental approach, and they’ve kept that approach since,” Johnston said. “Instead of getting too hyped up, they went out there with the attitude of ‘We’ve got a job to do.’ They kept a much more workmanlike attitude throughout that game, and that’s what we’ve been doing since.

“It’s paying off, big time.”

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at [email protected].