Eagles blank Mesa

COSTA MESA — Home-field advantage was moot, so the Estancia High and Costa Mesa girls’ soccer teams were left to battle each other and a cold, strong wind Thursday.

Mesa and Estancia each call Jim Scott Stadium home, but it was considered a home game for the Eagles, who received a boost from sophomore Heather Flores.

Flores scored a goal and used her head to knock away a potential Mustang score, helping the Eagles remain undefeated in the Orange Coast League with a 1-0 victory.

Estancia (9-6-2, 3-0 in league) has held its league opponents scoreless. Eagle Coach Jessica Gatica expected a tough game.

“Anytime you play Mesa it’s not going to be easy,” Gatica said. “I wanted to be up, 3-0 [at halftime], but only 1-0 meant we were in for a war.”

Each team benefited from a half with and against a west-to-east wind. The Eagles went with the wind in the first half and kept the pressure on the Mustang defense. The persistence paid off in the 36th minute when senior Nushin Tasbihchi sent a corner kick into a sea of players in front of the net. Flores was among the crowd and sent the ball into the net.

“It’s usually a play we run outside the [goalie box],” Flores said. “[Jackie Freiberger] shielded … and I got the rebound.”

The Eagles kept Mesa goalkeeper Brittney Stair busy with 16 shots. But Stair responded and helped keep the Mustangs (7-9-3, 0-3-1) within striking distance. Stair reached up with both hands to stop a 10-yard shot from Freiberger in the 58th minute and dove to her left to stop a shot from junior Jessica Lyons.

Estancia’s defense was bolstered by Erin O’Neil, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year, who knocked away several balls in the middle and junior Ashly Romero in front of senior goalkeeper Allyson Wallace.

Mesa’s two best scoring chances came in the second half.

The first came following an Estancia yellow card in the 60th minute. Mustang junior Sami Feinstein’s 34-yard free kick hit the crossbar and dropped down. The next came in the 71st minute on a corner kick. Mesa’s Danielle Young sent a lob that Flores headed out.

“[Thursday’s game] is [Flores’] best game so far,” Gatica said.

“Estancia beat us to the 50-50 balls in the first half and we started to do the same in the second half,” Mesa coach Dan Johnston said. “Both teams played well. It could have gone either way. It was a tight game and [came down to] whoever got the break.”