Daily Pilot High School Athlete of the Week:

Those who stand sentry before a soccer goal have openly embraced mysticism in order to multiply their mystique.

Estancia High junior Edgar Vega admits his persona on the pitch has as much to do with the preternatural as his vigilant preparation.

In his case, inspiration has aligned with perspiration, allowing the Eagles to maintain their aspiration of defending their Orange Coast League title.

The agile and aggressive goalkeeper, sidelined during the team’s 1-6-2 start with a fractured left index finger, has helped the Eagles go 9-2-1 since. He has five shutouts in his 12 games, including back-to-back blankings of league rivals Laguna Beach (Jan. 20) and Costa Mesa (Jan. 22).

With Vega as the last line of defense, the Eagles entered Friday one point behind rival Costa Mesa in pursuit of a fourth straight league crown

But if Vega is foremost among those whom the Estancia players and coaches must thank for their turnaround, he would point most of such praise to a treasured memory he wears around his neck.

“It’s a necklace I got from my grandmother who passed away,” said Vega, who believes the two-sided leather necklace, from which an image of God lays against his chest and one of the Virgin Mary against his back, connects him to his late grandmother, Isabelle Organista.

“I wear it under my jersey and I pray to my grandma before a game to protect me and not let me get hurt,” said Vega, whose talent and determination help him protect the Estancia goal.

He said he rarely takes the necklace off, typically only to sleep and to shower. But, worried that he might damage it during a preseason practice, he had a coach hold on to it the day he broke his finger.

The extent of the injury was not initially known and Vega, who started as a freshman but lost his starting spot late in the 2008-09 season, was determined not to let the pain deter him from helping his team.

“He tried to come back the next week, but he only made it worse,” Estancia Coach Robert Castellano said. “When he finally had a doctor look at it, they discovered the fracture.”

By then, Vega had also sprained his wrist, which required him to wear a cast for two weeks.

Once the wrist recovered, his broken finger prevented a doctor from clearing him to play.

“It hurt him a lot to watch from the sideline when we were struggling,” Castellano said. “I can’t tell you how many times he tried to persuade me to put him in. But I told him the doctor’s note said he was out for another two or three weeks.”

When Vega finally was cleared to return, he made an immediate impact.

“As soon as he came back, our defense was more confident and comfortable,” Castellano said. “We missed his leadership.”

Vega’s leadership transcends his ability to spring and dive in either direction, and also leap to punch balls over the crossbar to register saves.

“His instincts are incredible,” Castellano said. “He makes the hard saves look really easy. He’s always in the right place and he is never off-balance.

“Off the field, he is a really quiet kid, who is very soft-spoken. But, on the field, he is the complete opposite. He morphs into a much more aggressive, vocal kid.”

Vega shouts continuously to his teammates during play, both organizing and motivating, scolding and cajoling.

“He’s like a second coach on the field,” Castellano said. “And he’s our biggest cheerleader.”

Vega, however, also inspires cheers. His athletic presence spans beyond the width of the goal posts, as he often charges out to challenge and/or thwart oncoming attackers.

And on set pieces, Vega displays a lack of fear as he propels his 5-foot-11, 145-pound body into often dangerous situations.

“He is a pretty skinny kid, but he doesn’t mind mixing it up with the big guys,” Castellano said. “He doesn’t even care if he hits one of our kids. Sometimes he’ll collide with one of our guys and they will look at him, after the play [in disbelief]. But he doesn’t care who he hits when he is going for the ball.”

Vega prides himself on getting a piece of the ball on penalty kicks. The Daily Pilot Athlete of the Week stopped two PKs (another caromed off one post) to key a tournament final win over Calvary Chapel in the initial stages of Estancia’s turnaround.

“He tells me he knows where the shooter is going to go with the ball, but I don’t know if I believe him,” Castellano said.

Vega said there are tells that shooters provide, but he would not dissuade the notion that his grandmother is also providing assistance.

“When I was younger, if me or my [siblings] were in any kind of trouble, she would pull me out of it,” Vega said.

His grandmother’s inspiration just might be helping Vega do the same for his teammates.