Teamwork results in Costa Mesa win

Bryce Alderton

Costa Mesa High girls soccer coach Dan Johnston hailed his team’s

versatility following its second Golden West League game Tuesday

afternoon.

“There is not a player on this team that can’t play three

positions,” Johnston said following host Mesa’s 5-0 victory over

Saddleback in a game that featured four different scorers and ran the

Mustangs’ unbeaten league streak to 14 games dating to last season.

The Mustangs went undefeated (12-0) en route to winning the

program’s first league title in its inaugural season in the Golden

West League last winter, a year that culminated in a CIF Southern

Section Division III co-championship.

“We approach each game fighting hard,” Mesa senior Kara Jenkins

said. “We can’t take anything easy. We have to think every game is a

CIF game and play with everything we’ve got.”

Johnston moved Jenkins from her normal position at sweeper to

forward in the second half and she obliged by scoring the Mustangs’

final goal off an assist from Laura Dinsdale, who also tallied one

goal.

Junior Nilani Duarte scored the Mustangs’ first two goals and has

amassed four goals in Mesa’s first two league wins -- both shutouts.

Sophomore Jasmin Day added another goal for Mesa (5-5, 2-0 in

league) while Brittney Banning, Kyla Flores, Sarah Humphrey and

Rachel Ronquillo all tallied assists.

Mesa took a 2-0 halftime lead following two Duarte goals.

Ronquillo fought through Alejandra Aguilera’s slide tackle along the

southern sideline and crossed to Duarte -- left unmarked near the

18-yard box -- and the first-team all-league selection booted the

ball into the goal’s left corner to give Mesa a 1-0 lead in the 13th

minute.

Flores stole the ball from a Roadrunner defender and crossed to

Duarte, who sliced through the defense and booted the ball into the

net with her left foot in the 38th minute.

Mesa defenders consistently stopped Saddleback attackers and moved

the ball up field quickly, which pleased Johnston.

“The defense did a good job dropping back and covering for one

another,” Johnston said. “[Saddleback forward Perla Rodriguez] is a

terrific player. If she beat one of our defenders, another one was in

her face before she could turn around.”

Jenkins, along with seniors Julie Nomura and Stacy Krikorian, and

freshman stopper Caitlin Duffy, kicked several balls away from

Saddleback forwards in front of Mesa goalkeeper Kindra Bailey, who

made two saves.

“[Duffy] had just as many headers as Nilani,” Johnston said.

“Everyone had an impact [Tuesday].”

Ten different players contributed to Mesa’s 22 shots. Saddleback

goalkeeper Vivian Bernabe made eight saves.

Four of Saddleback’s six shots came in the game’s final 17

minutes. The Roadrunners (3-5-2, 1-2) quickly transitioned into Mesa

territory following an offsides call on the Mustangs in the 57th

minute. Lorena Aguilera led the break and received a pass from

Jessica Godinez. Jenkins met Aguilera 20 yards out, but the ball

deflected to Saddleback’s Alejandra Aguilera and her shot from seven

yards out found Bailey’s hands.

Lorena Aguilera’s touch pass found Rodriguez in stride, but her

shot rolled inches left of the goal five minutes later.

And then Mesa got its second wind.

Freshman Cindy Mendoza and Krikorian, a first-team all-league

selection a year ago, led charges that resulted in the Mustangs’

final two goals.

“[Saddleback] has a good defense, but once we passed around, the

give-and-gos got easier,” Jenkins said. “In the second half we

continued to pass and talk and that is how we finished them.”

Johnston said several players ran together over the holiday break

to maintain their conditioning.

“They got the running game going,” Johnston said. “[The

Roadrunners] were dragging their tails at the end of the game.”

Mesa hosts Ocean View in a league game at 3:15 p.m. Thursday.