Girls soccer: Sharon saves the ‘Day’ for Mesa

Tony Altobelli

COSTA MESA - Practice makes perfect for the Costa Mesa High girls

soccer team.

Sophomore standout Sharon Day scored the game-winning goal with two

minutes left off a free kick to give the Mustangs a 2-1 Pacific Coast

League comeback win over visiting University Tuesday.

“We’ve worked on that free kick play over and over again in practice

and Sharon scores over and over again off that play,” Mesa Coach Dan

Johnston said. “If she’s on her mark, it’s really hard to defend.”

The play had three Mustang players in front of Day with the ball just

outside the 18-yard box. When the whistle blew, the Mesa players ran

toward the Trojans’ defensive wall, screening out the defensive wall as

well as the goalie.

“The goalie doesn’t get as good a jump on the shot,” Johnston said.

“We ran it perfectly.”

Day placed the shot into the upper-left corner of the net for her 23rd

goal of the season. It broke the 1-1 deadlock in the 78th minute for Mesa

(13-3-4, 5-0-1 in league).

The game-winning goal capped a second half filled with numerous Mesa

scoring chances against the never-say-die-Trojans (2-12-3, 1-2-3).

“Give Uni credit,” Johnston said. “They battled us to the end and

played very well out there.”

University nearly tied the game again down the stretch, but goalie

Chelsea Soria (seven saves) fought off numerous Trojan attackers and held

on to the ball.

“That was the save of the game,” Johnston said. “She held her ground

out there and didn’t give up on the play.”

The ball did not bounce the Mustangs’ way in the first half,

literally.

Trojans’ senior midfielder Alana Rattray sent a high shot toward

Mesa’s goal just inside the midfield stripe. It took one bounce and

nestled into the upper portion of the goal in the 33rd minute, just

beyond the outstretched fingers of the Mustangs’ keeper.

“You could totally see that the ball was heading into the upper part

of the goal,” Uni Coach Doug Silva said.

Despite the unlucky bounce, Mesa regrouped and managed to tie the

score before halftime. Day, off a nice feed from senior Katie Roche,

broke free from the Uni defense, danced around the charging Trojans’

goalie and scored into the empty net in the 40th minute, tying the game.

“Sharon stayed very composed on the play and did the job,” Johnston

said. “Emily (Abbott) did a nice job to get it to Katie and Katie did a

nice job to get it to Sharon.”

Mesa carried the momentum off that tying goal into the second half.

Day, Roche and Abbott each had excellent opportunities to score, but Uni

goalie Kate Cumsky (10 saves) rose to the challenge before Day broke the

tie.

The Mustangs will play the first of four straight road games Thursday

at Northwood at 3:15 p.m.

“If we can withstand this upcoming stretch of road games, we’ll be in

great shape,” Johnston said.