Rivals collide, tie

COSTA MESA — In a matter of seconds, Kristina Roche changed a headline for the result of a crucial Orange Coast League game. In a matter of seconds, Dana Gentling caused the Estancia High girls’ soccer team to go from celebration to dejection. In a matter of seconds, Natalie Argueta kept Costa Mesa in first place in league, rather than falling behind its rivals.

Roche, Gentling and Argueta were involved in a dramatic sequence that ended with a game-tying goal with just two seconds left of injury time. Moments after Argueta tapped in the goal off a touch from Gentling, the Mustangs celebrated a tie as the referee blew the whistle to end the game, 2-2, at Estancia Tuesday night.

Roche, a senior sweeper, began the play, winning possession and leading the charge toward the Eagles’ goal. Her cross toward the goal was enough for Gentling to tap it to Argueta, who was at the right place at the right time. Gentling crashed into the Estancia goalkeeper, Allyson Wallace, as she headed the ball to Argueta.

“Kristina’s work on that last goal was magnificent,” Costa Mesa Coach Dan Johnston said. “If this was a football game, Kristina would get the game ball.

We had no time left. We brought everybody up. I only had two players back at that point. Kristina made an absolutely marvelous play to break free. She made a perfect cross and Natalie put it away.”

Earlier in the second half, Roche had sat out for five minutes, nursing a leg cramp, but returned with about two minutes left, substituting in for Bree Arellano, a senior who had just taken a hard shot. A physical match was expected with rivals clashing and both teams unbeaten in league.

But with the tie, Costa Mesa (8-5-7, 3-0-2 in league) remains in first place, one point ahead of Estancia (8-7-4, 2-0-3).

With 12 minutes left, it appeared the Eagles were in position to win as sophomore Alissa Scheafer scored the go-ahead goal.

“Ever since the Christmas break, [Scheafer] has hit her stride and has been all over the place,” Estancia Coach Jessica Gatica said. “She has had four goals in league. They’ve all been crucial.”

It could’ve been the game-winner.

The scoreboard had the teams tied, 2-2, in the end, but it seemed as if the Eagles lost. Even Gatica admitted, “They’re bummed,” referring to her players.

“I have a lot of seniors who wanted this,” she said.

The Mustangs assuredly wanted it just as bad. They are vying for their sixth straight league title, their third consecutive in the Orange Coast League.

They started things right, four minutes in when senior Ayla Medina gave Mesa a 1-0 lead. But four minutes later, Estancia’s freshman standout Heather Flores answered back.

Mesa outshot Estancia, 18-10, and in the end Johnston did not feel much sympathy for the Eagles because Mesa has tied three times when leading.

“[The Mustangs] snatched a tie from the jaws of victory several times this year,” Johnston joked. “It’s kind of nice to be on the other end of it ... In general, I thought we outplayed them. We had more of the 50-50 balls. We had two thirds of possession. We did what we needed to do except get the extra goal, but at least we got the one that saved our tukus.”