Girls’ Soccer: Estancia stays in third
Calvary Chapel High girls’ soccer goalie Gabi Haw plays club soccer for Slammers FC, and so she knows several of the players on the Estancia High girls’ soccer team well.
When Estancia defender Lexina McDowell lightly ran into Haw in the first half of Tuesday’s key Orange Coast League game, the two Slammers players shared a laugh.
Haw wasn’t laughing as much later in the half, when she came off her line only to take a shot by Estancia senior co-captain Emily Rodriguez directly in the face. Yet, the standout save was huge in a game with no score.
“Obviously, she kept us in the game,” Calvary Chapel Coach Scott Larsen said. “She might be our MVP for the season. Honestly, I walked out to her and I basically said, ‘I think you might have just saved our chances for a league championship.’ She knew it. It was a big save.”
Estancia dominated scoring opportunities but Haw, who signed with Westmont earlier Wednesday, kept making saves. She made five of them in all as the teams played to a scoreless tie at Jim Scott Stadium.
It was the second scoreless result in two league games between the rivals who share the Eagles nickname. This one hurt Estancia (10-5-4, 4-1-2 in league), which stays in third place in league, three points behind Calvary Chapel (10-3-4, 5-0-2).
Calvary Chapel, ranked No. 4 in CIF Southern Section Division 5, moved into first place in league after Laguna Beach (5-1-1 in league) tied Costa Mesa, 0-0, in another game Tuesday. The Breakers are now in second place.
Estancia and Calvary Chapel shared the league title last season. This year, Estancia will likely have to win out and get help if it wants to earn another league crown. But the play Tuesday was encouraging to Estancia Coach Josh Juarez.
“Some days you’re not going to find the net, and today was one of those days, but I thought we played really well,” Juarez said. “I thought we played better today than we did the last time we played against them, and that’s our goal every game, just to improve on the last game. If we continue that, we’ll continue to have a good season.”
Estancia controlled the action in the midfield thanks to the efforts of junior co-captain Katarina Freiberger, junior Delani Guyot and sophomores Taby Smith and Annalysa Cowie. Juarez subbed in Cowie into a defensive midfield spot midway through the first half, which allowed him to move Guyot up to create offense.
“Those girls play hard and they play a lot of minutes,” Juarez said. “We ask a lot of those girls, and they’re up for the challenge every game.”
Estancia started gaining control later in the first half. Guyot had a perfect through ball to sophomore Lexi Osso, but the shot from the right was handled by Haw.
Rodriguez had another chance late in the second half after another through ball by Guyot, but this time the shot was over the cage.
The Estancia defense, led by senior co-captain Brandi White, Lexina McDowell, Sammie Haynes and Elizabeth Esquivel, was stout. Sophomore keeper Annie Mitchell needed to make just two saves, but Estancia also failed to score, despite a few long front-flip throw-ins by McDowell in the second half that went into the box.
Haw is the anchor of a Calvary Chapel defense that has earned shutouts in eight of its last nine games and allowed just one goal in league play.
The play also got chippy late, as Freiberger and Calvary’s Sarah Del Valle both earned yellow cards. Freiberger earned hers for retaliating after she was taken down by Calvary’s Isabella Beortegui along the Calvary Chapel sideline.
“Oh heck yeah,” Freiberger said when asked if she enjoyed the intense atmosphere of Tuesday’s game. “Games aren’t like that often. I think this was the biggest game of the season for both teams, and both teams stepped it up ... We played really well and fought really hard. I definitely think we dominated offensively. We had the numbers going forward.”
Estancia has three league games remaining, beginning with Thursday against rival Costa Mesa. Then, on Monday, the Eagles play host to Laguna Beach, which is the only team that has beaten Estancia so far in league. Estancia closes out league play at Godinez on Wednesday.
“Yeah, we want to win, but it’s good that we’re playing well,” Freiberger said. “Mesa’s next. It’s a big week. The energy’s still going to be there [Thursday]. We’re ready.”
