Mustangs share CIF crown

Barry Faulkner

The CIF Southern Section likes to promote a sportsmanship program

called “Victory with Honor,” but the Costa Mesa High girls soccer

team proved Saturday night there can be honor in a draw, as well.

Costa Mesa (22-1-3) and Walnut (20-4-6) played to a scoreless

deadlock in the CIF Division III championship game at Cal State

Fullerton.

The standoff, after which no overtime was played, per section

rules, gives the Mustangs a share of the program’s first section

championship. Before this season, they had won only one postseason

game.

While some Mesa players were downcast after the end of the 80-plus

minutes of regulation, others said they would savor the

co-championship.

“We’re going to celebrate as a team,” said junior defender Stacy

Krikorian, one of many standouts who helped hold off Walnut, which

outshot Costa Mesa, 15-8. “I’m a little disappointed, but we

accomplished so much. We made history.”

The deadlock extended Costa Mesa’s unbeaten streak to 23 games,

but ended its winning streak at 17. Costa Mesa, which also captured

the program’s first league championship this year, winning all 12

Golden West League contests, broke the school single-season victory

record by eight.

The Mustangs’ high-powered offense, which had outscored opponents

105-15 this season, was held in check by a strong Walnut defense.

Walnut became only the second team to blank Coach Dan Johnston’s

Mustangs this season. Mesa averaged 4.2 goals per game, before

Saturday.

The game marked the end to the prep career of Mesa senior Sharon

Day, who amassed 83 goals and 71 assists over her four varsity

seasons.

For more coverage, see Sports Page B1.