Mesa tastes sweet revenge

COSTA MESA — It has been a long time for the Costa Mesa High girls’ soccer team since revenge and cross-town rival Estancia occupied the same sentence.

But when the Eagles broke the Mustangs’ decade-long winning streak over them with a 3-0 victory at the Newport-Mesa Cup Nov. 30, then a 4-2 overtime triumph for third place in the same tournament, Costa Mesa’s mindset went from maintaining dominance to reclaiming past success.

Thursday the Mustangs played the Eagles like they had for the previous 10 years, leaving Estancia with a 4-0 Orange Coast League victory and a sense of change after starting the season 0-4-3.

Sophomore Ayla Medina scored twice and had an assist for Costa Mesa (8-6-6, 2-0-1 in league). Seniors Kaily Carich and Sharon Frazier also scored and Frazier had an assist. Senior Courtney Lindberg and sophomore Kristina Roche picked up assists.

Mustangs Coach Dan Johnston said his team turned its season around when the Mustangs picked up their first victory, 2-0, on the road over Beckman Dec. 13.

Costa Mesa has only lost once since.

“We worked hard to come back from where we were at the beginning of the season,” the 15-year coach said. “It was our worst start ever. The game against Beckman they came through and they sustained the level of play for the entire game. We had 10 minutes here and there of good play in other games. But against Beckman we sustained it. That game turned us around.”

Frazier said Costa Mesa, which still has not lost a league game to Estancia in 10 years, was energized to get back on the winning end of the rivalry.

“The first time we were all playing lazy,” Frazier said. “They beat us twice. We were all into it today. We just talked about taking our anger out in goals. I was really excited. We all played really good. We needed to win this game.”

For Estancia (7-7-3, 0-2-1) the loss was the continuation of a slide, outscored, 7-0, over their past two games combined.

“Bottom line is we have to start playing,” Estancia Coach Steve Crenshaw said. “It was like our one goal was to beat Costa Mesa. We got that done and stopped playing. They need to make up their mind about what they want out of this season. It’s not a lack of ability, it’s a lack of effort.”

Crenshaw added that he plans on celebrating his birthday today at practice with a lot of running and passing.

“Need to remind them this is a game and a game is about fun. It was fun beating Mesa,” Crenshaw said. “We’re not having any fun. We’re turning it into work. Before they get to that point they need to realize what they want. I think they’ll respond. Bottom line is they have to think back to what they did when they were winning.”

The game remained close through the first half with Costa Mesa clinging to a 1-0 lead on a goal from Frazier.

“We strung our passes together,” Frazier said. “[Estancia] got a lot better. We kept telling ourselves to pick it up. It showed.”

Medina provided breathing room for Costa Mesa when she poked in a goal over the keeper’s outstretched hands early in the second half to make it 2-0.

“We wanted revenge,” Medina said. “We talked about how much we needed to step it up to win. We played hard. We just had that mentality to win. We played like a team, like a Costa Mesa team is supposed to play.”

Johnston added that junior Marina Lazos played well, along with senior Caitlin Duffy as always.

“[Lazos] was getting more than her share of loose balls and distributing balls beautifully,” Johnston said.

Crenshaw said inserting sophomore Abby Scheafer provided a late spark for the Eagles.

“She’s the tiniest player out there, but she played with all of her heart,” Crenshaw said. “She made them make mistakes and made things happen because she played hard.”

With six league games remaining, Costa Mesa is at least tied for first while Estancia is at the bottom, two games back. The league of four teams guarantees two playoff spots.

Mesa returns to action Tuesday, when it plays at Laguna Beach at 6:15 p.m., while Estancia plays against Calvary Chapel at 3 p.m.

The Mustangs and Eagles will meet up again Jan. 30 and Feb. 8.