MiraCosta Men's Soccer vs Edges Mt. San Antonio 2-1 in High-Stakes Battle

OCEANSIDE, Calif. — Fresh off an imposing campaign that saw them finish second in conference play and push deep into the 3C2A State Playoffs with a Sweet 16 appearance, the MiraCosta College men's soccer team enters the 2026–27 season positioned for another high-stakes run. They kept that momentum rolling with a hard-fought 2-1 home victory against Mt. San Antonio College on September 16.

MiraCosta Men's Soccer vs Edges Mt. San Antonio 2-1 in High-Stakes Battle
Recap Results Box Score
September 21, 2026
OCEANSIDE, Calif. — In a physical, high-intensity matchup featuring eight total cards, the MiraCosta College men's soccer team secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over Mt. San Antonio College in front of a home crowd of 150 fans.
 
The Spartans set the tone early in the first half. At the 32-minute mark, Michael Vela broke the ice to put MiraCosta up 1-0, scoring off a well-placed assist from Cesar Cruz. The defensive unit held strong for the remainder of the period, keeping the Mounties scoreless heading into halftime.
Mt. San Antonio answered back in the second half when Jivan Olazaba found the back of the net in the 72nd minute, assisted by Hunter Lemos, to knot the game at 1-1.
Undeterred by the equalizer, MiraCosta responded just seven minutes later. In the 79th minute, Braulio Ibarra struck an unassisted, game-winning goal to regain a 2-1 lead for the Spartans.
The closing minutes tested MiraCosta's resilience as physical play ramped up, resulting in a flurry of yellow cards and a late red card issued to the bench. Goalkeeper Christian Martinez stood tall under pressure, racking up 5 saves on 6 shots on goal to secure the win. Mt. SAC's Johan Aldana also recorded 5 saves in the losing effort.
With the victory, the Spartans prove they are primed for another deep postseason run in the 2026–27 calendar.