Boys soccer: Luna and Gardiner to the rescue

Steve Virgen

IRVINE - About the only pieces of clothing missing from Costa Mesa

High seniors Ricardo Luna and Mike Gardiner were two capes and two pairs

of tights. The Mustangs’ dynamic duo came to the rescue and teamed up for

Costa Mesa’s lone goal with 35 seconds left that provided a 1-1 tie with

host Northwood, in Pacific Coast League boys soccer action Wednesday.

Luna booted a cross from the corner that landed in front of

Northwood’s net and Gardiner headed in the equalizer, which left the

Timberwolves (10-4-4, 3-1-3 in the PCL) breathless and sent the Mustangs

(11-3-2, 5-0-2) into celebration mode.

“Ricardo made a great play and I was there,” said Gardiner who entered

the game with 15 minutes left with specific intentions of heading in a

goal. “I got up over the defender and it went in luckily. We came away

with some dignity. It was coming down to the wire. I knew we had to do

something and I was just happy to be able to put it away.”

Mesa extended its PCL unbeaten streak to 10 games, dating back to last

season, when it won the school’s first league title. Gardiner’s goal, in

a way, avenged a 2-2 result with Northwood Jan. 11, when the Timberwolves

scored the tying goal with three minutes left.

This time, Northwood controlled the tempo from the outset and scored

with three minutes left in the first half, when Tony Pacheco struck a

shot in the corner of Mesa’s net.

“We felt like we dominated the game,” said Northwood Coach Barry

Bandaruk, who graduated from Costa Mesa in 1967 and is the uncle of

Estancia girls water polo coach Bob Bandaruk. “We had more opportunities.

If you keep (the Mustangs) in the game then they will come back and bite

you. We were just unlucky.”

The Timberwolves outshot the Mustangs, 10-8. In addition, Northwood

produced more serious threats on goal. But Costa Mesa’s defense answered

the call with senior goalkeeper Bryce Sheridan recording seven saves,

including one that had him leave his feet and slap away a ball that

nearly snuck in beneath the crossbar with four minutes left.

Sheridan, who also made a great save in the fourth minute, was

supported by senior sweeper Steven Thomas, junior Tyler Waldron and

senior Chasen Marshall. Meanwhile, the Mustangs’ offense never got on

track until the final minute.

“You know how a dog puts his tail between his legs? That was us,”

Costa Mesa Coach Eugene Day said. “We did not play at all, not a lick. We

didn’t string two passes together this game. I have to sit down and have

a heart-to-heart with these guys. I don’t know what team that was. Out of

our worst games, this one takes the cake. We just got super lucky.”

The Mustangs return to PCL action, hosting crosstown rival Estancia

Friday at 3:15 p.m.