Mustangs tied up again

COSTA MESA — The whole idea of a 50/50 ball in soccer is that both opposing players have an equal chance of securing possession.

But to Costa Mesa High girls’ soccer coach Dan Johnston, that wasn’t the case throughout the Mustangs’ 1-1 Orange Coast League tie with Calvary Chapel on Thursday at Costa Mesa.

Johnston, who watched his team get called for 20 fouls compared to just four for the Eagles, said he felt like the referees put his team at a disadvantage from the get-go. He was particularly upset at one of the referees, who called the lion’s share of calls against the Mustangs.

“He took us out of our game, [Calvary] didn’t,” said Johnston, whose team has now tied each of its first three league matches. “Everyone was going tentative to the ball, because every time we went to the ball they’d call a foul. It was pathetic. It’s a referee with no respect for the game. I don’t want to take away from Calvary. They played hard, and they did a great job in that second half coming back. But, you know, it’s hard to play when their extra player on the field is wearing a yellow shirt. That was just outrageous refereeing of the worst kind.”

Costa Mesa (6-7-5, 0-0-3 in league), which also got issued four yellow cards and one red card compared to no cards for the Eagles (11-5-2, 1-1-1), took the lead early. In the fifth minute, Kyra Graham headed in fellow junior Ayla Medina’s corner kick.

The Mustangs controlled the action throughout most of the rest of the first half, narrowly missing another goal when junior Bree Arellano’s shot glanced off the right goal post just before halftime.

“First to the ball,” was Johnston’s final instruction before the second half began, but it was the Eagles who accomplished that task for much of the second half. They were held at bay for much of the half, however, behind solid defense from the Mustangs’ Kristina Roche, Dana Gentling, Erica Finn, Teresa Fox and Sam Strodel.

But as the momentum kept mounting for Calvary Chapel, the Mustangs looked like they were just trying to hold on.

“My players decided in the second half that they wanted to win this game,” Eagles Coach Judy Krikorian said. “The second half was theirs. I think they were talking more, moving better and just seeing the field better.”

Finally, in the 77th minute, Eagles senior forward Andie Reyes was fouled just as she entered the box to produce a penalty kick. It was another call that the Mustangs sideline was unhappy about, and Reyes converted it in the bottom-left corner to tie the score at 1-1.

The defending league champion Mustangs, who didn’t play overtime in their first two league ties against Estancia and Laguna Beach, had two 10-minute overtime periods against Calvary Chapel to try to determine a winner. Johnston said the league didn’t play overtime last year and had voted not to again this year, but he was notified that the bylaws weren’t changed.

Neither team could score in the overtime periods, however. Costa Mesa’s best chance came when Medina took a pass from Natalie Argueta, but Medina’s well-struck shot from the left side was secured by Eagles goalie Amy Ramirez (nine saves).

Jessica Rubright had 11 saves for Costa Mesa.

“What we have to do as a team is sustain our intensity for the whole game,” Johnston said. “Normally, I would have chewed them out for that second half, because we didn’t maintain our intensity, but they were really handicapped by those calls.”

Mesa is the only team in league to not have a loss, but the Mustangs are obviously striving for more than a series of draws.

“After three ties, it’s kind of getting old,” Medina said. “We have to pick it up ... It’s really frustrating, because we can beat all these teams, but we haven’t played to our potential and we’ve just tied them. It has to change in the second round [of league].”

MATT SZABO may be reached at (714) 966-4614 or by e-mail at matthew.szabo@latimes.com.