Then in the first overtime period, Duarte won a loose ball, carried it inside the 18-yard box and shot it just inside the far post for what turned out to be the game-winner.
It marked the 10th goal of the season for Duarte, who said his success is a culmination of hard work by the team all season long.
"The whole team has been working hard together," said Duarte, who has been playing soccer since he was 8 years old. "My strength comes from them helping me out."
You can't blame Duarte if he played with a little extra intensity against Santa Ana. After all, it could have been his last high school soccer game. This is Duarte's third year on the Estancia boys' varsity soccer team.
"It's my last year. It's one of those things where you really want to keep winning your senior year," he said.
Duarte, as a senior captain, has provided leadership all season for an Estancia squad that moved to 12-10-1 after Wednesday's wild-card victory.
"Everyone looks up to him," Estancia Coach Gannon Burks said. "He's a quiet leader who leads by example."
Pedro Duarte has been a good role model for younger brother Eric Duarte, a sophomore who is in his first year on varsity.
"He has taught me to play hard all the time," Eric Duarte said.
Pedro Duarte was a steady force up front in Estancia's wild-card win over La Habra. But Pedro and the rest of the team had trouble finding the back of the net despite ample opportunities -- including two penalty kicks. Pedro Duarte missed one penalty kick and Eric Duarte missed the other.
However, his younger brother, continuing to work hard like his older brother taught him, scored in the 78th minute of the game to allow the Eagles to advance.
