Boys soccer: Estancia dismantles Laguna Beach

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - Laguna Beach High’s boys soccer team, 3-7-1 entering

Wednesday’s game against host Estancia, was the underdog. Behind Esaul

Mendoza’s hat trick, the Eagles made sure Laguna Beach stayed that way

and dispatched the Artists, 8-0, in a Pacific Coast League game.

“We had fun scoring,” Estancia Coach Steve Crenshaw said. “We came in

with intensity and played hard the whole game.”

There was a time when Laguna Beach, as late as two years ago, was the

PCL powerhouse. But Estancia (8-1-1, 2-0-0 in league) has now won two of

its last three game against the Artists (3-8-1, 0-2-0).

The Eagles outshot Laguna Beach, 31-5. They got their first goal in the

10th minute when Armando Ortiz knocked in a pass from Mendoza. Cesar

Terrones then scored on a counter, Mendoza scored twice and John Alderete

blasted one in to give Estancia a 5-0 halftime lead. Mendoza and Terrones

scored again in the second, along with Irving Islas, to wrap up the

scoring for the Eagles.

Estancia dictated the entire tempo because Laguna Beach failed to disrupt

the Eagles’ short passes. Estancia moved the ball up the field at will

and only offside calls stopped it from getting more shots on goal.

“We kept the ball on the ground and that’s what we’re about,” Crenshaw

said about his team’s passing. “It forces them to play defense all the

time.”

It could have been a lot worse for Laguna Beach if its goalie, Ryan

Buist, didn’t make 16 saves in a strong effort. Estancia goalie Hilario

Arriaga was rarely tested, and made five saves, but three of them saved

goals.

The Eagles have now outscored opponents, 63-4, in 10 games and are on a

roll with two tough games against Corona del Mar and Newport Harbor on

the horizon.

“We’ll just keep going and we’ll show CdM and Newport who’s the king of

this (district),” Crenshaw said with a laugh.