High School Female Athlete of the Week: Desiree Mendoza the spark plug for Estancia soccer

Estancia High girls’ soccer senior Desiree Mendoza comes with a strong family pedigree in the sport.

Her father, Esaul, was a 2000 Estancia boys’ soccer graduate and an electric player for coach Steve Crenshaw’s Eagles, despite a height of just 5-foot-7. He scored an Orange County-best 47 goals for Estancia his senior year, earned Pacific Coast League co-MVP honors and helped the Eagles win the CIF Southern Section Division 4 title.

Esaul Mendoza went on to play at Vanguard University. Desiree was born not long after, in September 2002 to her mother Karol.

And not long after that, she was dribbling a soccer ball. She played “the beautiful game” by age 3.

“I just remember loving the game,” Desiree Mendoza said. “I don’t mean to be cocky or anything, but I was really good at a young age. I just loved already beating the players, scoring goals, meeting new people. That’s how I met a lot of my friends.”

Five inches shorter than her father at 5-2, Desiree Mendoza is creating her own legacy for the Eagles girls’ soccer program. The UC Irvine-bound senior striker was Orange Coast League MVP last year, and nothing seems to be stopping her from earning the award again as a senior. Mendoza has helped keep Estancia (8-6-2, 6-1-1 in league) in league title contention.

Heading into the final two matches of the season, the Eagles sit in second place in league, three points behind rival and defending champion Costa Mesa (7-0-1 in league) and two points ahead of third-place Santa Ana (5-1-2). Should Estancia beat Calvary Chapel on the road on Monday, the Eagles would go into Wednesday’s home league finale against the rival Mustangs knowing that a win would secure at least a share of the league title.

Mendoza, a left-footer who didn’t play in the preseason due to a left ankle injury, is excited for the possibilities. She has eight goals and 14 assists in eight matches this season.

“My season was about to start, and it just all hit me,” she said. “This was my last time playing for Estancia on this field and everything. I told myself I’m just going to give it my all, have fun and just try my best. This is my last chance to win league and hopefully pass the second round of CIF. I’m really hoping to be able to do that my last year.”

Estancia girls’ soccer has not advanced to the CIF quarterfinals since ```1993, before her dad attended the school. The Eagles came close in 2017, Desiree Mendoza’s freshman year, but couldn’t hold a two-goal lead on the road and lost 3-2 to Mission Hills Alemany in the second round of the Division 4 playoffs.

Mendoza, Estancia’s first NCAA Division 1 soccer signee since Alba Barrios went to Cal State Fullerton five years ago, has the talent to help coach Josh Juarez’s Eagles go on a deep postseason run. They are unranked in Division 4 this year.

Mendoza is one of three team captains along with senior center back Ana Ruiz and versatile senior Wendy Milan, who plays both defense and forward. At the club level, she helped the Southern California Blues win the U18/19 national championship last year. That team included other talented players like Corona del Mar High senior Megan Chelf (University of Arizona) and Reilyn Turner (UCLA) who formerly played at Laguna Beach.

“Boy or girl, she’s one of the best, if not the most talented player that I’ve ever coached,” Juarez said. “It’s been a lot of fun just to try to find ways to build her character, and build her level of play on the field.”

Estancia bounced back from a 2-1 loss at Costa Mesa on Jan. 14, and is undefeated in five league matches since. Mendoza, who scored 22 of her 28 goals in league last year, has had her scoring totals down, but her assist numbers are up.

“This year, other teams have really been focused on her,” Juarez said. “To me, it’s just like getting an assist every game. When somebody puts their best player or puts multiple players on her, then it opens things up for her teammates just to be able to step up.”

Two decades after her father achieved glory as an Estancia senior, Desiree Mendoza hopes to do the same thing. But it starts with the team’s success, not her own.

“My freshman year, the seniors would take leadership and always encourage us,” she said. “I was really quiet. I wouldn’t say I found my voice yet. But years passed, and Josh put me as captain last year. I was more confident and I found my voice.”

Desiree Mendoza

Born: Sept. 11, 2002

Hometown: Costa Mesa

Height: 5 feet 2

Sport: Soccer

Year: Senior

Coach: Josh Juarez

Favorite food: Tacos

Favorite movie: “The Chronicles of Narnia” series

Favorite athletic moment: Scoring a difficult goal in an Orange Coast League match against Laguna Beach in 2018.

Week in review: Mendoza scored in both matches as the Eagles earned two league wins, 3-1 over Calvary Chapel on Jan. 21 and 3-1 over Saddleback on Jan. 23.

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