Estancia freshman Heather Flores.

COSTA MESA-If speed, agility, and toughness are indeed vital characteristics for a success soccer player, then county soccer fans should begin to familiarize themselves with Estancia freshman forward Heather Flores.

That is if you can find her.

Despite being the smallest player on the field, Flores made a large impact throughout the Eagles’ 2-2 tie with Orange Coast League rival Costa Mesa Tuesday night.

With her team trailing 1-0 less than 10 minutes into the contest, Flores hustled down a pass from teammate Erin O’Neil and hit a shot past Mustangs senior goalie Jessica Rubright to tie the contest at 1.

The game-tying goal was the ninth of the season for Flores, which leads the team.

To her credit, Flores acknowledged the play was one of instinct.

“I just saw the ball and shot it,” she said. “I didn’t know what happened until afterward.”

Throughout the remainder of the contest, other basic instincts such as hustle, toughness, and determination that helped her continually out-race her opponents to loose balls and battle defenders much bigger than her for position on numerous runs toward the net.

Estancia coach Jessica Gatica acknowledged that from the first day of practice, Flores has not let her lack of size deter her from making her presence felt.

“She came out in December as the smallest girl in camp, but that didn’t stop her from anything,” recalled Gatica. “She is fiery and feisty, and has a lot of pride in herself and passion for the game. Heather is also super positive and a great girl to have around.”

When asked to describe what she brings to the team, Flores stated that she would like to be known as a player who gives supreme effort on every play.

“I just try to go hard and win every ball that I can,” she said.

Flores also believes that she has made big strides in her first season with the Eagles.

“The season has gone really well,” she said. “I’ve gotten more physical, and all-around, I think that I’ve become a better player.”

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