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Sports

Mustangs Defeat Palos Verdes 18-11 to Earn Spot in LAX Championship

Mira Costa shrugs off penalty-plagued first half to advance past rival Palos Verdes onto Southern Section title championship game Saturday.

It has been no secret among the members of the Mira Costa boys lacrosse team that their main aim is climbing the playoff mountain and earning championship rings.

The Mustangs took one emphatic step Tuesday night, claiming the U.S. Lacrosse Division 1 North Title with an 18-11 win over rival Palos Verdes, putting themselves in position to realize their ultimate goal.

While the Mustangs jumped out to one of their patented quick starts with an offensive assault on the Palos Verdes’ cage, it was the veteran team's ability to rebound from adversity in the second half that earned them the victory.

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In what was a whistle-dominated first half, characterized by big hits and hard-fought battles for possession, Mira Costa was able to score six unanswered goals to begin the second quarter to take a 9-3 advantage.

During the Mustangs' run, lead attackman Dakota Randall (five goals) displayed his offensive wizardry scoring four straight goals, three of which came in less than a minute.

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First, Randall scored at 6:53 in the second, as he spun to his left and found the top right corner of the net. Then, he was able to bounce a shot home at 6:22 and whipped another goal past Palos Verdes goalie Grant Cigliano at 6:06.

“I’m just glad to be back [stress fracture in his back].  I have been trying to get out here all year and it feels good to put some goals on the board, especially against a rival in a big game,” Randall said.

The Mustangs looked to have things in hand, but numerous penalties eventually caught up with them as Palos Verdes made the most of their opportunities with the extra man and went on a 5-1 run to end the half led by Zach Fixen and Graham Francis (three goals each).

“That was heart-attack type of intensity. We were a man down almost the entire first half,” said Mira Costa head coach Chris Jewett.

From a 10-4 lead to 10-8, not only was the scoreboard close, but also the wave of momentum seemed to be overwhelmingly in the Sea Kings’ favor.

Jewett stressed the importance of playing the ball and not the man to avoid the staggering 12 penalties that the Mustangs were whistled for in the first half.

“I just told the guys we had to settle down and possess the ball. Every time we had possession we scored. We needed to play the ball and not the body, that’s where all the penalties were coming from,” Jewett said.

The Mustangs coach’s words were put into practice as his team came out disciplined, drawing just one whistle in the second half with a defense that ratcheted up its pressure in the second half.

Chris O’Brien, who has been up to the task all season in replacing Randall’s scoring load, continued to show that no stage is too bright for him, scoring twice out of the break to push the Mustangs' lead to 12-8.

“We really clamped down on them," said O'Brien. "Our defense really stepped up in the second half. Alec Weaver stepped up on faceoffs. It was a great all around effort."

The Mustangs defense continued its brilliant play and goalie Jon Mayfield provided stellar play between the pipes, rejecting several shots from point-blank range.

“I knew we had it in us to stay strong, it was rough," said Weaver. "We didn’t want to let it happen again when we had them here [PV won 12-11 earlier in the year at Mira Costa]."

O’Brien added two more goals in the fourth and finished with a team-best six as the Mustangs remained comfortably in front on their way to the 18-11 win, their second victory of the year over Bay League foe Palos Verdes.

Mira Costa will face the winner of Wednesday’s Foothill vs. Saint Margaret’s contest in Orange County for the chance to win the U.S. Southern Section title.

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