Estancia no longer Mustangs’ punching bag

CORONA DEL MAR — A group of Estancia High students are walking around campus today a little different than usual.

The girls from the school’s soccer team are smiling wider and they have pride because Thursday the Eagles ended a decade long drought against rival Costa Mesa winning in convincing fashion, 3-0, at Corona del Mar High.

Juniors Stacy McDaniels, Taylor West and Araceli Ceja each scored for the Eagles.

The Eagles’ victory came in the first game of round-robin play in the Newport-Mesa Cup, which features Newport Harbor and Corona del Mar as well. The rivals could still meet in the tournament’s championship game Saturday. But they’ll definitely play each other again in the three Orange Coast League games on the schedule.

Steven Crenshaw, Estancia’s second-year coach, said the main difference between his teams of the past two seasons is confidence.

“I felt we should have beat them last year,” Crenshaw said of his Eagles team that still made the playoffs after 12 years. “We just couldn’t get past that Costa Mesa ghost. I kept telling them you can play with them. A game like today is huge for them. Their confidence level went way up.”

Senior defender Bridget Gleason, a first-team All-Golden West League selection last season, remembered losing to Costa Mesa, 9-0, her freshman year.

“It’s so sweet to be on the other side,” said Gleason, who is one of three captains on the team. “It used to be like you would come out and you knew they were going to beat you.”

Transitioning from golf in the fall to soccer in the winter had always been an extra adjustment for Gleason, going from never losing to the Mustangs in golf to always losing to them in soccer.

“It’s almost weird coming to this sport,” Gleason said. “I felt we could have beat them last year. But we’re looking pretty good this year.”

For 14-year Costa Mesa Coach Dan Johnston it was tough to see the streak end.

“They outplayed us totally and we didn’t play well at all,” Johnston said. “Our game is transition and they beat us at that. I think [the Mustangs] came out and thought they’d shoot right through them.”

There was more bad news for the Mustangs. Senior goalkeeper Kalea Seanoa suffered a concussion with six minutes remaining in the first half. She lay on the field for nearly 20 minutes until an ambulance took her away on a stretcher.

“I talked to her dad and she is doing a lot better,” said Johnston, who added that Seanoa would undergo a CAT scan on her head. “They’re very optimistic she is doing fine.”

It was not all bad for Costa Mesa, which received strong play from senior defender Caitlin Duffy, a third-team All-CIF Division III selection last season, and junior Marina Lazos.

“Caitlin, she was all over the field,” Johnston said.

Crenshaw on the other hand, was at a loss to find anyone who didn’t play well.

“Everybody on the field played great,” said Crenshaw, who became the first Estancia coach in eight years to stay longer than one season. “Natalie Plascencia did an outstanding job at sweeper even though she is only a sophomore. This a good group. We’ll be around for awhile. It’s fun to see them get so excited.”

Crenshaw is confident about facing Corona del Mar today at 2:15 p.m. on the Orange Coast College soccer field.

The Sea Kings defeated Back Bay rival Newport Harbor, 3-0, on Thursday, also at Corona del Mar.

“We’ll handle them the same way,” said Crenshaw, who was coach of the Estancia boys soccer team that won the CIF Southern Section Division IV title in the 1999-2000 season. “I’ve been coaching a long time. I just want to have my team ready to play our style of soccer. If we do that, with our talent we’ll be fine against anyone.”

Costa Mesa will face Newport Harbor at Orange Coast at 3:30 p.m.

The teams with the best record will play for the title Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Corona del Mar.