Makayla Spencer felt a little off her game in the first half on Monday when she and Manteca tangled with rival East Union at Dino Cunial Stadium.

So, she asked coach Justin Coenenberg for an additional 5-minute break coming out of halftime with the visiting Buffaloes nursing a one-goal lead. East Union pushed for the equalizer and came really close to getting it while Manteca’s midfield maestro watched from the sideline.

She re-entered and helped restore order for the Buffs, assisting two tide-changing goals in the latter half of a 3-0 victory.

Kailee Jackson scored the first-half goal, assisted by Leslie Gutierrez, in the 22nd minute. Spencer connected with Brooklyn Cornish with a corner kick in the 56th minute, then with Bianca Esparza in the run of play 3 minutes later.

“She’s a super special player,” Coenenberg said of Spencer. “We’re a different team without her, and she didn’t start the second half. When she came back out, she totally took over the game.”

The Lancers (2-2, Valley Oak League, 9-8-1 overall) were the aggressors to start the second half after Manteca controlled much of the possession in the first 40 minutes.

For 15 minutes in the second half, East Union had the Buffaloes on their heels. Four minutes in, right winger Andrea Guibor had the best look of the night for the Lancers but pinged her shot off the crossbar with Manteca goalie Tina Macomber off her line.

Shortly after, Emily Pires had an opportunity on a counter-attack, but her short-range attempt was blocked by Cornish. Guibor had another chance in front of goal on a left-to-right cross from Pires, and her volley went wide.

Spencer had seen enough.

“Even after they hit the crossbar, I still have trust in my team,” Spencer said. “I wasn’t really panicked, because I know they could bounce back from that even without me. But at the time, that did kind of make me want to go back in a little bit.”

Manteca (3-0-1, 13-3-1) converted on its first two shots of the second half.

The Buffs threatened to score on a counterattack headed by Spencer, Jackson and Layla Flannigan, but the East Union defense cleared it through its own end line to set up a corner kick. Spencer curled her cross perfectly toward the middle of the goal, where Cornish met it uncontested for the header.

“As soon as I put my hand up, I saw her running in and I was like, ‘That’s where I need to it,’” Spencer said.

Her assist to Esparza did not go exactly as planned, but she still got the intended result. Spencer spotted the freshman striker heading toward the penalty box unmarked and sent a high-arching early cross. The ball did not carry as far as Spencer had wanted, but it was misplayed by the nearest East Union defender, and Esparza hit it off the bounce and got the right carom off the crossbar for the goal.

“It wasn’t the ball it was supposed to be, but it ended up working out she followed through.”

East Union could not muster up another dangerous attack the rest of the way.

Save for the opening minutes of the second half, Manteca’s defense — anchored by the Pacific-committed Cornish along and freshman Miah Martinez in the middle — held firm in front of Macomber (four saves).

East Union played better than the final score line indicates, it just came down an unfortunate bounce off the frame that could have changed the game and a few lapses on the back end.

“We’re one of the best teams in the league, but the scores aren’t reflecting that,” EU coach Jason Silva said. “We’re not capitalizing on our opportunities, and we can’t take plays off.”

It doesn’t get easier for the Lancers with first-place Oakdale visiting on Wednesday, while Manteca travels to Central Catholic.