Katie Volk
Staff Writer
Tensions ran high as Mira Costa boys soccer beat Redondo Union 2-1 in an away game on Tuesday. The two schools met earlier in the semifinals of the South High Holiday Tournament on Dec. 22. Going into the game, both teams knew what was at stake.
“It’s just a dream atmosphere to play a rivalry game at night under the lights with all of our supporters there to watch,” said senior captain Nicolas Calderone. “Those are the moments that us players love to play under.”
The game went back and forth, with Redondo scoring first. The goal came minutes before the end of the first half, putting the score at 1-0 with Redondo in the lead.
“I’m realistic with our team,” said coach Al Brown. “There is nothing they can’t do. They have the same arms and legs and brains as any opponent. Work harder in your preparation than your opponent, and you’ll use those tools better than them in a game.”
Costa soon caught up in the second half after a mishandled ball by Redondo’s goalie led to a tap-in goal for senior forward Kayle Marsh.
“Scoring a crucial goal in a rivalry game is something that is unmatched,” said Marsh. “I was just glad to help the team.”
Later in the second half, senior and captain Kyle Stepcyzk was given his second yellow card and was sent off the field, leaving Costa to play a man down for the remainder of the game. However, according to Stepcyzk, he didn’t allow the play to get in his way from helping the team win.
“Whether I was in the game or not, I was still adamant on giving the team positive instruction and doing whatever I could to help them win the game,” Stepcyzk said. “I wasn’t worried at all and knew the team would be just fine without me.”
As the second half came to a close, the score stayed close, and finally the two teams went into overtime. Even being a man down, the team did not lose faith.
“Success is a result of preparation,” Brown said. “To be successful in soccer, you have to prepare for all possible scenarios, including the odds being stacked against you. Man down, goal down, no time, bad refereeing… all of it. Our team spends a lot of time training with handicaps and disadvantages. Touch limits, imbalanced teams, no fouls, you name it. We prepare for worst case scenarios so that we feel at home in them during a game.”
Senior goalkeeper Jack Walter was finally able to get the ball in his hands, and punted the ball down the field. Senior and captain Dylan Engels scored and won the game for the Mustangs.
“It happened so fast,” Engels said. “It could have been anyone in that position. Why Costa soccer is so good because of the emphasis on the team before the individual. I want this team to succeed.”
The Mustangs will play again this afternoon at 3 p.m., where they will face the Culver City Centaurs at Waller Stadium. The team’s record now stands at 9-1-2.
“I think that game is a good indicator of how our season has gone so far,” Stepcyzk said. “We’ve been a part of close games and have faced a ton of adversity, but through it all we haven’t lost sight of our goal as a team: winning Bay League and CIF.”
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