Eagles grab historic victory

COSTA MESA — Late in the girls’ soccer match, Estancia High’s Jenna Tanner asked the referee holding a flag a question.

“How much time do we have left?” Tanner said before a throw-in on the Costa Mesa sideline, where players looked stunned at what was about to transpire.

“Approximately 10 minutes,” the referee said, never having to raise the flag again.

The Eagles didn’t need him to. This time they weren’t declaring defeat to their rivals in a league contest.

When the final whistle blew Tuesday, it signaled the end of Costa Mesa’s dominance over Estancia in league. The outcome allowed the Eagles to rejoice, kicking aside many years of frustration with a 3-1 Orange Coast League victory.

What better place to celebrate than at home?

“Thirteen years since Estancia has beaten them in a league game,” Crenshaw said as the player responsible for lifting the Eagles past the Mustangs held a stuffed pony doll nearby.

Jennifer Thomas definitely took out her frustrations on the Mustangs. First the senior striker booted two goals past them, the go-ahead goal in the first minute of the second half and the one that sealed it in the last minute.

Afterward, Thomas and the rest of her teammates kicked around the pony.

“I still remember losing to them, 9-0, as a freshman,” she said. “I’ve been playing with them for so long, ever since I was little, so it was just good to finally beat them [in league]. They always brag about it.”

Now Costa Mesa won’t be able to boast as Estancia is now atop the league standings, a place occupied by the Mustangs for most of the last 10 years.

Estancia beat Costa Mesa last year during tournament play. But this was the first time in league the defending league champs were outplayed by the young Eagles (9-6-2, 2-0-2 in league). The only break the Mustangs (6-8-5, 0-1-3) received was when striker Kyra Graham was able to dribble from close in to tie the match, 1-1, in the 34th minute.

Other than that, Coach Dan Johnston was disappointed that his Mustangs dropped their second league match in two years. Before last year, Costa Mesa had gone 48-0 during a four-year stretch in league play.

“Not only was it badly played,” Johnston said of the match, “we played it mindlessly.”

Once Estancia’s defense slowed down the opposition’s biggest scoring threats, Graham and midfielder Ayla Medina, a 19-goal scorer last year earning league Co-MVP honors, Costa Mesa struggled moving the ball.

Rarely were the Mustangs able to string together passes. Breaking up their offensive flow were Estancia defenders Erin O’Neil and Stacy McDaniels, a newbie and a veteran.

O’Neil, using her 5-foot-10 frame, constantly headed balls out of trouble. McDaniels kept players from penetrating deep into the box and taking quality shots at goalkeeper Allyson Wallace. Wallace made five saves, none of which were necessarily hit hard.

What was struck ferociously was that pony. Estancia’s Jillian Beck held it by its head while she and her teammates lined up for the traditional post-match activity at midfield.

When the teams walked back to their respective sides, Beck treated the doll as if she were practicing penalty kicks.

“This is what they’re beating up right now. It seemed appropriate, huh?” said Crenshaw, whose team is 1-0-1 against Costa Mesa this season.

Estancia and Costa Mesa will meet again on Jan. 31.

This time it will be at Costa Mesa. When asked if she will bring the doll to the match, Thomas said, “Yes.”

The decision makes sense to Crenshaw because as he said “we’re going to beat them again.”

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at david.carrillo@latimes.com.