Boys soccer: Mustangs earn share of PCL title

Barry Faulkner

CORONA DEL MAR - The Costa Mesa High boys soccer team completed its

regular season Wednesday with a 2-0 Pacific Coast League victory at

Corona del Mar. But the Mustangs still have a bit of team business to

attend to Friday.

Coach Eugene Day’s Mustangs (13-5-2, 7-2-1 in league), by virtue of

University’s 1-1 tie with Estancia Wednesday, clinched at least a share

of what is believed to be the program’s first league championship.

But, should Northwood tie or defeat University (5-1-3 in league)

Friday, in a 3:15 p.m. makeup game at the Trojans’ field, the Mustangs,

who plan to be in attendance, would keep the title all to themselves.

“We can’t celebrate yet,” Day, who, in his first season at the helm,

guided the Mustangs to their first CIF Southern Section playoff

appearance since 1991, said after his game and before hearing of the Uni

tie.

Day said a few of his players, perhaps looking past CdM (2-14-2,

0-8-2), actually expressed a desire to attend the Uni-Estancia game

Wednesday.

And, Day noted, their lackluster play in the opening minutes against

the Sea Kings illustrated this attitude.

“I told them not to take these guys lightly, because they could have

played the spoiler,” Day said. “But we came out a little flat.”

Whatever lethargy the Mustangs possessed, however, seemed to vanish

when senior Louis Day came off the bench midway through the first half.

No less than a minute after he entered the game, Day, a senior

forward, deflected a pass from Michael Gardiner around a CdM defender,

then rocketed a shot past the CdM goalie for a 1-0 lead in the 21st

minute.

“It looked like he just stuck his foot out (to stop the pass),” Eugene

Day, Louis’ father, said. “Then, all of a sudden, it was in the back of

the net.”

And with Mesa’s defense polishing off its seventh shutout against PCL

competition, the goal was all the visitors would need.

Senior sweeper Marco Santangelo, as well as fellow defenders Stephen

Thomas, Zack Powell and Chasen Marshall, played well enough that junior

goalie Bryce Sheridan was required to make only two saves.

Meanwhile, Mesa, ranked No. 8 in CIF Division IV, peppered CdM keeper

Geoff Collier (nine saves), as Gardiner, Irwin Solis, Trinidad Hernandez,

Powell and Brian Zing supplied quality scoring chances.

Gardiner, a junior, ricocheted a goal off the near post on a tough

angle in the 44th minutes for insurance, allowing Mesa to relax and

ponder its championship possibilities.

“I’ve been at Costa Mesa for six years (the first five coaching at the

lower levels),” Eugene Day said. “We’ve had good (varsity) teams since

I’ve been here, we just never had guys who could find the back of the

net. You just can’t play defense and hope the other team doesn’t score.

You have to attack and score yourself. We’ve been knocking on the door,

the key just never worked. But I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished this

year.”

CdM Coach Pat Gallagher, who credited the consistent play of junior

sweeper Andy Almquist, said his young team made progress throughout a

trying season.

“I’m encouraged for the next few years,” said Callaghan, in his first

year coaching his alma mater.