Pirates topple feisty Norco, 5-2

COSTA MESA -- It must have been the lights at LeBard Stadium, as the Orange Coast College women's soccer team needed to overcome a very feisty Norco College squad en route to a 5-2 win over the visiting Mustangs on Tuesday night.

Lynette Romero and Iran Enriquez each had two goals, while Delani Guyot added a solo tally for the Pirates (3-3-1). Isabella Dabalack notched a pair of assists, while Kaitlyn Arciniega added a single helper as the Pirates overcame an early deficit with a gritty comeback.

Coast got things going in a high-scoring first half as Arciniega slipped a pass to Romero, who scored in the 12th minute, giving OCC a 1-0 lead. 

But the vastly-improved Mustangs (2-2) responded quickly with a pair of goals from Nathaly Losada (17th and 18th minute) to give Norco a 2-1 advantage.

The guests were on their way to a 3-1 lead in the 35th minute when Losada was fouled inside the OCC scoring area, giving the Mustangs a penalty shot opportunity. But Losada was denied by Pirate goalkeeper Bryana Esparza and the freshman's stellar night was just beginning. Esparza finished with nine saves, including four or five from point-blank, one-on-one range, keeping the Mustangs off of the scoreboard the rest of the evening.

OCC fed off of Esparza's strong play and tied things up at 2 with a botched clearing attempt by the Mustangs fell to the foot of Guyot, who calmly deflected the miscue into the back of the Norco goal in the 43rd minute. But the Pirates applied the dagger just before halftime as Enriquez took a feed from Dabalack and launched a perfectly-placed, 30-yard shot into the upper region of the goal in the 45th minute, putting the Pirates up 4-2.

Norco had several second-half opportunities to get back into the match, but Esparza would deny the Mustangs the rest of the way and in the 74th minute, a free kick goal by Enriquez capped off the scoring for the night.

Coast will return to action on Friday at home against Long Beach City College, beginning at 3 p.m.