COSTA MESA – The Estancia boys soccer team is too quiet and timid at times, according to Coach Robert Castellano, and sometimes it lacks intestity.
It happened again Wednesday night, Castellano said, against Sunny Hills.
Castellano made his feelings known to the team during halftime of the nonleague game against the defending CIF-SS champion.
Estancia (5-5-1) didn’t back down in the second half, and Luis Milano delivered the winning goal as the Eagles defeated the visiting Lancers, 2-1.
“That was a big win for us,” Castellano said. “That is what I want our program to strive to be. I respect them so much. I liked that we wanted to get that W, and that we weren’t going to be happy with a tie.”
The Lancers’ Bronny Toledo tied the score 1-1 in the 59th minute. Amaury Maldonado set up the goal with his his corner kick to the top of the 6-yard box. The Eagles tried to clear the ball, but it went to Toledo.
The Eagles took the lead in the fifth minute when a moment of miscommunication between a Sunny Hills defender and the the team’s goalkeeper led to an own goal.
“It was a lucky goal,” Castellano said, “and the goal they scored was a mistake on our part.”
The Lancers (9-5-1) had a chance to tie the score in the 78th minute when Colton Wert sent a cross to Randy Perez at the far post, but Jesus Rodriguez made the save for the Eagles.
In the Sunset League:
Fountain Valley 2, No. 3 Los Alamitos 0: Zachary Young and Ethan Mack each scored a goal for the host Barons (6-2-2, 1-0-0).
No. 9 Edison 3, Marina 1: Dom Bair, Chase Bullock and Zac Ingalls each scored a goal to help lead the visiting Chargers (12-2-0, 1-0-0).
Contact the writer: ddottore@scng.com
