Ibarra plants two goals on Palomar

COSTA MESA — Gustavo Ibarra stood on the sidelines late in the first half Tuesday, eager to get back into the action.

The Orange Coast College freshman forward had already done plenty, scoring two goals in what would end up being a 3-0 nonconference win over visiting Palomar.

But Ibarra turned to OCC men’s soccer trainer Glenn Strachan, ensuring him that he was ready to go do some more damage.

“I got a little winded,” the freshman from La Quinta said, before flashing a smile. “I need more running, coach. Just kidding, just kidding.”

Ibarra and the Pirates (2-0) could afford to laugh a little bit, after scoring three goals in the opening 26 minutes. Ibarra opened the scoring just over a minute into the game, when his straightaway rocket shot from just outside the box found the upper part of the net, despite a leaping deflection by Palomar goalie Ramon Gonzales.

Orange Coast added to the lead in the 25th minute. Freshman forward Briant Rodelo dribbled the ball at the top of the box, before feeding it to sophomore midfielder John Shinjo on the left. Shinjo’s low shot beat the goalie for a 2-0 advantage.

Ibarra then scored again in the very next minute. His strike, again from the top of the box, found the lower-left corner, and the Pirates were cruising.

“We tried a new formation,” Ibarra said. “This time, I played a little bit back, behind the forwards. It gives me a chance to attack more. When I’ve got the ball, I’ve got more time to create spaces. I have all the time in the world to take a shot.

“... We’re starting on the right foot. We have good chemistry off the bat. The team’s looking good. Obviously, the results are speaking for themselves.”

A stout defense, anchored by sophomores Scotty Locken and Eduardo Garcia, as well as freshman Colin Heim, helped keep Palomar (0-2) off the board. Freshman goalie Jake Mahlstedt played the whole game and made five saves.

Locken played for the Pirates in 2005, before spending two years on a Mormon mission trip in the Philippines.

“We’ve been excited about the defense from the start,” said Locken, whose Pirates have allowed a single goal in two games. “It’s really nice back there. Everyone can just read each other. Even from the first couple of days of practice, I didn’t really know any of them coming in, except from [midfielder Kevin] Fronk ... We all just gelled pretty well. You don’t really have to worry too much. As long as you just do your job and everyone else does theirs, you’re fine.”

Fronk and Toshi Fujimura helped shore up the midfield for Orange Coast, which had precise passes for much of the game that made the Pirates look more in midseason form.

“We have a summer soccer program for six weeks, then two weeks of tryouts and training,” Coach Laird Hayes said. “A lot of these guys have been playing together for two months. They like each other. Our goal-scorers, they like getting an assist as much as they like putting the ball in the back of the net. That’s nice; not all good goal-scorers are that way.”

The Pirates nearly added another goal midway through the second half, when Newport Harbor High product Brian Siemonsma’s header went just wide. A subsequent shot by forward Luis Parra, a Costa Mesa High product, hit the right post.

“We’ve got guys that are very fit,” Hayes said. “They’re in shape and they’re ready to play. Glenn’s big deal is being real quick to get rid of the ball. The problem with holding onto the ball is that the defenders will get frustrated; they’ll come in and just whack you. Get rid of the ball, and we’re not going to get injured quite so much.”

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Orange Coast 4,

Rio Hondo 0

COSTA MESA — Kaleigh Trider scored two goals within the opening 10 minutes and Kaylee Schneekluth and Caitlin Wallace added scores in the nonconference game Tuesday.

Wallace was one of four Pirates to contribute an assist and goalie Caitlin Schott had two saves.

OCC (1-1) plays host to Palomar today at 5 p.m. Rio Hondo is 0-2.