Six is sweet for Mesa

For a photo gallery of this game, click here.

COSTA MESA — For the sixth straight year, the Costa Mesa High girls’ soccer team found itself with a big reason to celebrate.

The Mustangs won the Orange Coast League title, making them league champs for the sixth year in a row after a 3-1 win over Calvary Chapel Thursday afternoon.

The Mustangs (11-8-5, 5-1-3 in league) had an early scare when Calvary Chapel struck in the fifth minute to take a 1-0 lead. An unmarked sophomore forward Makenna Sanislo scored on a pass from sophomore midfielder Natalie Nick when several Mustangs read the ball incorrectly.

But afterward, the Eagles had just seven viable shots, compared with 17 for the Mustangs.

Senior Mustangs goalkeeper Kalea Seanoa recorded two saves in 30 minutes before she exited the game with an ankle injury. Junior Jessica Rubright had six saves over the next 50 minutes.

“We knew we had it and we just wanted it more,” junior sweeper Kristina Roche said. “We had everything to lose.”

Junior Ayla Medina tied the game at 1-1 with a score in the 38th minute from sophomore Erica Finn, and her goal in the 74th minute gave Costa Mesa a 2-1 lead.

Junior Kyra Graham scored in the 78th off a pass from senior Sam Strodel for the final goal.

“We knew we couldn’t give up,” junior left fullback Dana Gentling said. “I wouldn’t give up. We were like, ‘No way are we losing this game, so we’re definitely pushing.’ ”

The Mustangs were winless through their first four league matches. They had three ties and suffered their first league loss to Estancia in 13 years. But they sprang back after beating Laguna Beach Jan. 24, the team Costa Mesa leaders Gentling, Roche, and Marina Lazos deemed most difficult to beat. That turnaround was the beginning of a five-game win streak that culminated with Thursday’s win and the league title. Mesa has won the past two OCL titles and won four straight Golden West League crowns before that.

“Everyone thought this was their year for beating us,” Johnston said. “These girls worked so hard all year long. They kept improving, and they became a very good team. It was their hard work that did it.”

Johnston said it took awhile for the team’s newcomers to learn his complicated scheme. Johnston favors using two stoppers and makes players recover when a defender moves up to mark someone. The Mustangs also had to memorize a variety of sets for corner kicks.

But the late-term dividends from the style Johnston employed were worth the long adjustment period.

Estancia (10-7-2, 5-2-2 in league), which trailed Costa Mesa by one point, defeated Laguna Beach Thursday to secure second place. Estancia will be the OCL’s only other representative in the CIF Southern Section Division III playoffs.

The pairings for the CIF playoffs will be released Monday.

Last season, the Mustangs exited the playoffs after the first round. They were Division III co-champions with Walnut in 2003.

“We came together,” Lazos said. “We realized that we needed to pick it up the first couple games. We weren’t doing so well, and we picked it up and we bonded a lot. We came a long way.”

SORAYA NADIA McDONALD may be reached at (714) 966-4613 or at [email protected].