Boys soccer: Estancia roughs one out

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - Estancia High and visiting Corona del Mar played quite

a football game Friday in Pacific Coast League action.

Not American football, but soccer, which the rest of the world calls

football. But the game could have used helmets and pads in a physical 4-0

win by Estancia’s boys team.

Two players, Estancia’s Fernando Medina and CdM’s Billy Lund received red

cards, which means they are automatically suspended for their next game.

Two yellow cards were also issued.

“We’re a small team,” Estancia Coach Steve Crenshaw said. “When we

control the ball like we do, then it frustrates the other team and they

start looking to disrupt our game.”

The Sea Kings (7-4-0, 1-1-0 in league) certainly took advantage of their

size in the first half to play solid defense. Estancia (9-1-1, 3-0-0)

controlled the ball for most of the half, but CdM was effective in

clearing the ball and counterattacking. CdM goalie Cedric Chun, an

Estancia transfer, had 20 saves, and defender Mike Palazolla made some

key plays.

“We had to pick our chances at scoring,” Dameron said, “and we were doing

a good job of creating counters.”

The Sea Kings came closest to scoring when Adam Hoyt drew Estancia goalie

Hilario Arriaga out. The ball squeezed past Arriaga, who had six saves

and countless clears, to Scott Baker, but Baker’s shot was high.

Estancia got one of its few clean shots in the 15th minute, but converted

on another Cesar Terrones highlight. He took a centering pass from John

Alderete, volleyed the ball off his chest, and kicked it in.

“We know they can score,” Dameron said. “We didn’t want to give them too

many easy opportunities. If they scored, we wanted it to be spectacular.”

Estancia then woke up in the second half and scored three more goals.

Terrones added another one, and Esaul Mendoza scored twice, one on a

penalty kick.

“It was good that CdM kept getting those counters in the first half,”

Crenshaw said, “because it woke our guys up.”

“We took them a little lightly before the game. We were not focused.”

CdM’s physical defense, effective in the first half, could not slow

Estancia down in the second. Down, 3-0, CdM thought it would have a

one-man advantage, when the Eagles drew the first red card after an

apparent scuffle. But the CdM player was also disqualified.

“I don’t know why he got the red card,” Dameron said. “The ref said he

deserved it, but I didn’t see it. I thought that changed the course of

the game.”

Estancia then added a fourth goal, giving the Eagles 67 for the season.

“They’re the team to beat in our league,” Dameron said. “But the next

time we play them, it’ll be a different game.”

And then he paused, and added, “I hope.”