Mustangs settle for tie

Steve Virgen

It was a story of two halves for the Costa Mesa High girls soccer

team Thursday at Irvine. In the first half, the Mustangs did

everything Coach Dan Johnston asked and gained a 2-0 advantage on

goals by sophomore Nilani Duarte and senior Sharon Day.

But, in the second half, Costa Mesa (4-1-1) lost its edge, while

Irvine appeared to play with more intensity, as the Vaqueros (5-1-1)

came back to earn a tie, 2-2, in nonleague action.

Because the Mustangs lost a two-goal lead, Johnston said the

result felt more like a loss than a tie.

“I think we just gave this game away in the second half,” Johnston

said. “We played very badly. They beat us to 80% of the loose balls.

They played like they wanted it a lot more than we did. I was very

upset with (the Mustangs) in the second half.”

Johnston said he will emphasize how to finish games in the

upcoming practices.

“We weren’t tracking our players defensively (in the second

half),” Johnston said. “We didn’t get anything going on the attack

because we never had any possessions. We couldn’t clear our zone. I’m

really frustrated with that second half.”

The Vaqueros came within, 2-1, after scoring in the 46th minute.

The goal typified Irvine’s control of the final 40 minutes. After

maintaining possession on Mesa’s side of the field early in the

second half, Irvine sophomore Sarah Richard crossed a pass from the

corner, perfectly to junior teammate Rebecca Schweitzer, who finished

it for the goal.

Then, 15 minutes later, and after Irvine created four corner-kick

plays, the Vaqueros scored again. Before the goal, Irvine freshman

Krysten O’Dea appeared to have a wide-open shot on a breakaway, but

Costa Mesa junior goalie Kaitlyn Gentling kicked it away for one of

her eight saves.

The shot set up a corner kick, and Irvine freshman Lesile Bryant

scored off it, amid shouted directions from Johnston, “Cover 17. Get

No. 17!” Bryant wore jersey No. 17.

The Vaqueros maintained control of the game. One statistic that

provided an indication: Irvine had 10 corner kicks in the second

half.

“I think what made the difference was heart,” Irvine Coach Gwen

Conine said. “Our girls went out there and they hustled and they

started to win the 50-50 balls.”

Conine also said she was especially satisfied with the comeback

because, “Costa Mesa is a great team.”

The Mustangs displayed that greatness in the first half.

“In the first half, we did exactly what we should have done,”

Johnston said. “We took it to them.”

Costa Mesa, which finished tied for second in the Pacific Coast

League last year and then went on to record the first playoff win in

the school’s history in the first round of the CIF Division IV

Playoffs, got on the scoreboard first in the 11th minute. Mustang

junior Stacy Krikorian kicked an accurate pass from midfield that

landed in front of Duarte on her way to the goal. Duarte easily

finished, by putting the Irvine goalie out of position with a quick

swing of her hips and shooting in the opposite direction.

The Mustangs continued to attack, and four minutes later the Day

sisters, Sharon and Jasmin, teamed up for a goal. Jasmin Day, the

only freshman on the squad, quickly fed a pass to her elder sister

moments after Sharon Day’s throw-in. Sharon Day found the back of the

net with a shot into the corner, that provided the 2-0 lead.