Having been in good form, the Spartans entered the match with College of the Desert (8-1-5) on a four game unbeaten streak including three consecutive wins in PCAC competition. The two teams traded blows and played the first half to a 0-0 tie. In the 55th minute the Spartans opened the scoring on a long set piece driven into the box by freshman Heron Martinez which found sophomore Rafael Carneiro who scored on a well directed header to the back post.
College of the Desert turned up the intensity following the MiraCosta goal and scored the equalizer several minutes later. The team teams traded blows throughout the second half after that, until an attacking sequence in the Spartan box led to a penalty kick for the Road Runners. Sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Clayton came up big and made an emotional save to keep the game tied 1-1.
Towards the end of the match the center official announced two minutes of extra time would be played. With less than a minute left the Spartas lost the ball at midfield and the Roadrunners countered, scoring a goal that kept their PCAC title hopes alive. The late goal left the Spartans crushed, hoping to finish their season by extending their unbeaten streak.
In the match MiraCosta had a number of strong scoring opportunities that didn't come to fruition. In addition to Carneiro's goal Lucca Mina and Nahun Ayala both put significant pressure on the visiting College of the Desert team.
The Spartans will play their last conference game on Friday at San Bernardino Valley College at 3PM.