Sailors pull out win over Mesa

NEWPORT BEACH — The first home game of the season produced what Newport Harbor High boys’ soccer Coach Ryan Hernandez has grown to expect from playing on the Sailors’ football field, a physical, high-scoring contest.

The fact Costa Mesa was the opponent fueled the intensity. The Mustangs left with four yellow cards, in a game that featured fouls throughout from both sides, and the Sailors exited with their first victory of the season, 4-2, Monday.

Garrett Heiser, Ulises Vega, Will Reichenstein and Brian Siemonsma scored for Newport Harbor (1-2).

Steve Estrada and Carlos Vargas scored for Costa Mesa (0-2-1).

“The field is short, it’s so tight it’s easy to get scoring opportunities,” Hernandez said. “We played pretty good. We have a ways to go. But four goals is good. It’s a good start for our first win. Getting scored on is something we can get rid of.”

The Sailors were able to shut out the Mustangs until the final minute of the first half with midfielders Danny Gonzalez and Garrett Heiser controlling the center of the field and keeping the offense on the attack.

“Garrett was reading balls really well,” Hernandez said of the junior. “He’s become somewhat of a leader. We named him a captain for the past two games and possibly for the rest of the season.”

Costa Mesa Coach Eugene Day said it was the play in the midfield that got his team in a hole.

“The first half we played scared,” Day said. “We played defense, defense, defense. That’s why they controlled the midfield. In the second half, it was a little bit different. If you give up the midfield though the other team can pass at will.”

Newport Harbor broke the scoreless tie when Heiser, a junior, headed in a corner kick from sophomore Chris Celis.

Five minutes later, Vega gathered a header in the goal box, spun and popped a shot past the goalkeeper for a 2-0 lead.

“That was my intention,” the senior said of his spin move. “I made a 180 turn and kicked it. Right when I saw it I knew that’s what I was going to do. It is one of those good ones. It was a very good win for the team.”

The Sailors kept attacking the goal and Reichenstein muscled his way into the goal box to head in a corner kick to give Newport Harbor a 3-0 lead.

“It was really physical. It was fun. We had to let them know who’s the boss, we can’t let them be more physical than us at our home,” Reichenstein, a junior, said. “We did well offensively. Overall, it was a good showing. We started scoring and that was definitely a plus. We’re learning we need to relax out there.”

The Mustangs did not sit back and let the game turn into a full-fledged blowout.

In the final minute of the first half, sophomore Abel Benitez centered a pass to Estrada, who immediately blasted it into the goal to cut the lead to 3-1.

“If you don’t pass the ball you might as well just sit back and watch the other team,” Day said. “What we practice is what we want to do on the field.”

The second half was more even than the first before the Sailors took control with a late goal from Siemonsma.

Vargas scored in the waning minutes for Costa Mesa off another centering pass.

“[Costa Mesa] never gave up, they kept coming at us,” Hernandez said. “It was a very physical game. We were a little more physical than them. I think we wanted a little more.”

Newport Harbor hosts University Wednesday at 5 p.m.