Mesa resembling champs

Steve Virgen

For Costa Mesa High, Estancia was not really considered a rival

Wednesday, but rather another roadblock on the Mustangs’ path to

possibly their first outright league championship in girls water

polo.

Mesa displayed its determination and remained undefeated in the

Golden West League with a 17-2 victory over visiting Estancia. Sarah

Bowman typified the Mustangs’ focus. The junior two-meter player

battled tendinitis in her shoulder, but scored five goals to lead

Costa Mesa (12-8, 4-0 in league).

She has been suffering from the tendinitis since last month.

“I couldn’t stop crying today [because of the shoulder pain],”

said Bowman, a second-team All-CIF Southern Section Division IV and

first-team all-league performer last year. “It goes through phases.

But everyone is counting on [me]. In the end, it’s all about the

team.”

Mustang Coach Tim Postiff said Bowman, as well as the rest of his

players have been unselfish and that has been the main reason Mesa

has been undefeated in league.

Last year, the Mustangs were tri-champions, sharing the Golden

West League title with Westminster and Saddleback.

Costa Mesa, which beat Saddleback earlier in the month, 11-3,

needs to record wins over Westminster (Feb. 4) and Santa Ana (Feb.

11) to earn its first undefeated league season and outright league

title. Bowman has been the catalyst in the Mustangs’ quest.

In Mesa’s four league games, she has scored 20 goals, five in each

contest. She scored the Mustangs’ first two goals, breaking a

scoreless affair that lasted two minutes, 18 seconds.

“She’s a tough kid,” Postiff said. “But it’s not only her. We have

a very unselfish group. We’re getting scoring from all of our girls

and we’re playing as a team. If we don’t stutter step and if we come

to play we have a decent shot of being undefeated in league and

winning the title.”

The Mustangs certainly did not trip against the Eagles (10-7,

2-3).

In addition to Bowman’s five goals, sophomore Chandra Malapira and

junior Christine Twohig also found the back of the cage with three

goals each. Junior Allyson Harris and senior Jessica Steenhard added

two goals each, while Carley Millian and Patricia Schuppert

contributed one goal apiece.

Goalie Quyen Nguyen, Mesa’s only other senior along with

Steenhard, stuffed nine shots. Estancia goalie Katie Mahan had 10

saves.

Sophomore Carolina Barnes scored one goal for Estancia, to open

the first quarter, pulling the Eagles within, 5-1. Sophomore Cheslea

Kaplan had Estancia’s other goal with 2:38 left.

Even though Mesa defeated Estancia, 21-4, last year, the Eagles

have improved from last season, but did not show it Wednesday.

“I just don’t think our effort was there,” Estancia Coach Bob

Bandaruk said. “It seemed like we let up and never rebounded. We were

with them for the first few minutes, but I don’t know, we just didn’t

have it.”

*--*

Golden West League

Costa Mesa 17, Estancia 2

Score by Quarters

Estancia 0 1 0 1 -- 2

Costa Mesa 4 5 7 1 -- 17

Estancia -- Barnes 1, Kaplan 1. Saves -- K. Mahan

10. Costa Mesa -- Bowman 5, Twohig 3, Malapira 3,

Steenhard 2, Harris 2, Millian 1, Schuppert 1.

Saves -- Nguyen 9.

*--*