Eagles triumph in season opener

Bryce Alderton

Estancia High’s Eagles didn’t want to stay tied very long.

Both times Newport Harbor tied the score the Eagles countered less

than a minute later to regain the lead and eventually win the season

opener, 4-2, in nonleague boys soccer action Monday afternoon at

Estancia High.

Estancia’s Quiroga Campos and Javier Millan scored their single

goals after Newport (0-1) tied the Eagles (1-0) at 1-1 and 2-2,

respectively.

“I was happy with the work ethic,” said Estancia Coach Steve

Crenshaw. “We kept coming back, right at ‘em in your face, which is

what you’ve gotta do.”

After Newport tied it, 1-1, on a Chase Kelly goal with 37 minutes

elapsed in the first half, Campos took control of the ball about 20

yards from the goal in the middle of the field and booted the ball

into the upper-left corner of the net to put the Eagles ahead, 2-1,

at halftime.

It would stay that way until the Sailors’ Jose Serpas took

advantage of a penalty kick after referees issued an Estancia player

a yellow card with 24 minutes gone by in the second half. The Eagle

player committed the foul within the 18-yard box to garner the

penalty shot.

Serpas kicked the ball into the upper reaches of the net for the

equalizer, 2-2.

But the aforementioned Eagles’ tenacity Crenshaw mentioned came to

fruition after Serpas’ goal.

Six of Estancia’s eight second-half shots followed Serpas’ goal,

including Javier Millan’s game-winning score in the 31st minute of

the half. Millan netted the goal off an Estancia corner kick to give

the Eagles the lead for good, 3-2.

The fourth shot was the charm for Eagles’ forward Jason Cassidy.

The senior gained control of a loose ball just inside the Newport

zone, dribbled to his left past one defender and blasted the ball

with his left foot through the goalkeeper’s legs to notch the Eagles’

fourth goal with one minute remaining in the game.

Estancia’s Luis Mendoza began the scoring with five minutes gone

in the first half on a cross from Millan.

Estancia’s ability to counter both Newport goals came as a result

of the Sailors’ defense playing too far back on occasion, said

first-year Newport Coach Martyn Hansford.

“Our defensive line was set back too deep much of the time,”

Hansford said. “When the forwards are so far stretched out it’s hard

for people in front of the ball to know where the pass will come

from.”

Estancia outshot Newport, 15-14. Newport goalkeeper Mark Spears

made six saves while Sergio Madrigal amassed four saves in a game

that saw six yellow cards issued to Newport and three to Estancia.

Officials also gave one Newport player a red card -- and ejection --

following a slide tackle in the second half.

With less than three minutes remaining in the game, a Newport

player pushed Estancia’s Eduardo Bahena after the two battled for the

ball near the Estancia sideline. Another Sailor received a yellow

card after pushing an Eagle player in a scuffle with both teams

huddled along the sideline following the altercation involving

Bahena.

“I knew it was going to be a physical game with Newport,” Crenshaw

said.

Estancia defeated Newport, 1-0, last season on its way to a 5-13-1

campaign, while Newport is coming off a 10-8-2 year, good for second

place in the Sea View League. The Sailors lost 4-0 to Los Alamitos

last season in the quarterfinals of the CIF Southern Section Division

II Playoffs.

Both coaches said their teams performed strong in some areas and

weaker in others, but look forward to the players overcoming the

mistakes with more games to come.

“We were a bit rusty,” Hansford said. “It’s the first time seeing

them play so we have to get more understanding and some continuity.

But I was pleased with the desire they showed.”

The combination of Skyler Taugher and Serpas combined on several

scoring chances -- two shots went high and the other went right of

the goal. Matt Tracey was also in on a couple of breaks down the

field for Newport.

The Eagles at times left too much space for Newport to operate,

such as the first Sailor goal, but Crenshaw believes the bugs will be

worked out as time progresses.

“We were leaving guys open (near) the back post and that should

not happen,” Crenshaw said. “We had some mistakes on the first goal

with not pressuring the guy. It will take a couple of games but it’s

a matter of shorter, crisper passes. I thought the defense played

well.”

Bahena and Sergio Vivar ran alongside Kelly in the first half and

knocked the ball away while Abdul Kaiyum and Rodrigo Duarte deflected

many Sailor centering passes.