Coast, Santa Ana play to a draw

Bryce Alderton

The Orange Coast College men’s soccer team faced two battles on its

home turf in Tuesday’s Orange Empire Conference showdown with

first-place and undefeated Santa Ana.

The Pirates dueled the team a game ahead of them in the conference

standings while struggling, along with the Dons, to keep their

emotions on an even keel during the physical contest.

After two hours, Orange Coast found itself no better or worse in

the standings, but confident it had given Santa Ana a scare following

a 3-3 tie. The Pirates’ three goals were the most the Dons, who had

outscored their previous opponents, 15-4, had allowed this season.

The Pirates (6-3-2, 4-1-1 in the OEC) led, 3-0, three minutes into

the second half following Jose Serpas’ team-leading ninth goal off an

assist by Will Sanchez.

But the Dons (9-0-2, 5-0-1), led by Hamilton Lopez’s two goals,

kept the pressure on the Pirates’ defense to thwart the upset bid.

“We were the better team,” Coast sweeper Sean Bedier-Prairie said.

“In the second half they wanted it more and that is what the game’s

all about. You have to stay focused and keep composure and we didn’t

do so at one point.”

Coast, which lost starters Miguel Ochoa and Will Guzman to

injuries early in the contest, started strong with Matt Schirmer

opening the scoring in the 11th minute with his fourth goal this

season from an assist by John Gauthier.

Former Costa Mesa High standout Irwin Salas made it 2-0 in the

42nd minute after taking a pass from Greg Brown, who needled a pass

between two Santa Ana defenders.

The Pirates’ lead grew with Serpas’ aforementioned score to start

the second half, but the momentum was short lived.

Lopez’s first goal came on a penalty shot after he drew a foul

that Pirate coaches questioned, which cut Coast’s lead to 3-1 at the

51-minute mark.

“Three-zero is a lot different than 3-1,” Pirate assistant coach

Glenn Strachan said.

The call was one of many that coaches from both sidelines

questioned as the game grew more physical.

Midfielder Alfredo Mondragon sped through the middle and took a

pass from Rene Corona to make it 3-2 in the 65th minute.

The Dons evened the game in the 75th minute as Lopez -- well

within the 18-yard box -- found the back of the net after teammate

Jaime Adame lofted a pass into a crowd of players.

The Pirates played a majority of the second half on their heels,

Strachan said.

“We sat back too much on defense instead of attacking. We got

nervous,” Strachan said.

Bedier-Prairie pleaded to his teammates in the game’s final

minutes to stay focused.

Neither team scored in the final 15 minutes, but there was no

shortage of fireworks.

The Pirates nearly broke the tie when freshman Michael Reid’s

diving header went wide left while teammate Eli Solis’ free kick from

20 yards out hit the crossbar.

The Dons appeared to take a 4-3 lead late in the game after Lopez

knocked the ball into the goal following a free kick from roughly 30

yards out.

But referees disallowed the goal, ruling Lopez ventured offsides.

Tempers continued to simmer after the Dons scored the equalizer.

A Santa Ana player, apparently not going for the ball, shoved an

opponent near the Coast sideline 10 minutes after the Dons’ third

goal. Pirate Coach Jason Smith asked the referee to eject the Santa

Ana player, but his wish wasn’t granted.

Referees flagged a Pirate a minute later for tripping an opponent

as they both went for the ball.

Coaches from both sides kept their teams from going any further

than exchanging menacing stares during play stoppages.

“[The players] have to protect themselves and [the Pirates] did a

good job not getting caught up in it,” Strachan said. “It is easy to

lose control.”

Strachan said the Pirates learned a lot from the game heading into

Friday’s clash with Fullerton, which entered play Tuesday 2-1-2 in

conference, to conclude the first round of OEC play.

Guzman apparently twisted his right knee and Ochoa pulled a

hamstring, Strachan said. Guzman, a center midfielder, walked

gingerly along the sidelines with a wrapped knee.

“We can play with anybody,” Strachan said. “We just need the

confidence to finish off games and keep [the momentum] going.”