Late goal secures draw for Estancia boys’ soccer at Santa Ana
SANTA ANA — The Estancia High boys’ soccer team was in a hurry.
Just over two minutes remained. Goalkeeper Cesar Pedroza had the ball in hand and punted it long, taking a major bounce over Santa Ana’s back line.
Estancia forward Hector Garcia gambled, running in behind to retrieve it. He laid off the ball and a Santa Ana defender mistimed his clearance, allowing the ball to roll through to senior forward Taylor Demarais.
In one touch, Demarais slammed it into the back of the net from the top of the 18-yard box to knot the score at 2-2.
Estancia’s late equalizer against Santa Ana earned the Eagles a point in their quest to capture the Orange Coast League title. The 2-2 draw on Thursday afternoon wasn’t ideal for Estancia, but it kept them in contention.
“They had a lot more energy playing at home here,” Estancia coach Robert Castellano said. “It was a good learning lesson. We can’t choose when to come back into a game like that.”
Going into Thursday, with just three games to go, Estancia had a one-point lead atop the Orange Coast League standings ahead of Saddleback. Santa Ana was in third, three points back of Estancia.
With Saddleback beating Calvary Chapel 4-1, Estancia (5-5-4, 4-1-3, 15 points) fell to second, one point behind Saddleback (5-4-2, 5-2-1, 16 points).
The game got off to a fast start, with Estancia’s David Lopez sending a ball to the left wing to Kevin Flores in the second minute of the game. With space in front of him, Flores baited Santa Ana goalkeeper Pablo Rea to come out before Flores placed it past the keeper with the inside of his left foot.
“We still wanted to chase that second goal,” Castellano said. “We couldn’t get a rhythm because they were on our butts.”
Six minutes later, Santa Ana (3-7-3, 3-2-3, 12 points) tied the game. Brian Mendez Maravilla had space 30 yards from goal in the center of the pitch, took a touch to his right foot and rocketed a strike into the top left corner of the goal to make it 1-1.
Mendez Maravilla scored a second goal in the 65th minute — another right-footed strike to the top right corner this time — to make it 2-1.
Estancia’s players were tired. The temperature in the mid- to high-80s, an artificial turf field and just three available substitutes on the bench added up to an exhausting afternoon for the Eagles.
“I was tired the whole game,” Demarais said. “Coach had to pull me out to take a nice, little break.”
After an even first half, Estancia’s fatigue showed, but the Eagles managed to keep the Saints from scoring with Pedroza making several saves on a variety of chances. Then the payoff came.
After Mendez Maravilla’s second goal, Castellano switched the team’s formation to a 4-2-4, meaning the middle of the field would be left barren, but it allowed for Estancia to hit the long ball. That exact long ball led to the game-tying, point-securing goal.
“Nothing else was working, so we threw the kitchen sink at them,” Castellano said.
Estancia had chances to get a winner but was unable to force any saves.
Now the Eagles might need some other results to go their way as they close out the final two games of the season.
“We just need to treat them as if they’re our last games ever,” Demarais said. “This is my last season, so to make playoffs and do something there, it’s going to mean a lot to me and the program.”
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