Serra solid in scorless tie

Adding to the pressure was Carrara scheduling Mountain View for a Tuesday afternoon matinee. The Spartans have been to three straight Central Coast Section championship games, winning the 2023 Division I title.

Despite all that, Serra put up a tremendous fight and showed it will not be an easy out once West Catholic Athletic League play begins next week after finishing in a scoreless draw with Mountain View (4-0-2 overall).

“It was a good game. Mountain View is a good team,” Carrara said. “Mountain View is the best opponent we’ve played this year. … It could have gone either way. I think it was a fair result.”

Serra (3-1-1) was coming off its first loss of the season on the Friday before Christmas, falling 2-0 to Burlingame after opening with three straight lopsided wins. But that Burlingame loss showed that there was another level for the Padres to achieve and they seemed to show it against the Spartans.

The Padres started fast, getting a flicked header on goal in the first minute off a throw-in, adding a corner and another throw-in in the first five minute.

But it was Mountain View that had the first opportunity to score when the Spartans went on a quick counter, kept alive when Michael Montoya fended off a challenge at midfield along the sideline, which sprung him loose for a long run up the flank.

His cross found Nicholas Garzino about 25 yards from goal and he hammered a shot off the right post in the fourth minute.

Despite the close call, the Serra midfield was engaged, applying defensive pressure and forcing three Mountain View turnovers in the opening 10 minutes. The Spartans, however, stayed poised and eventually evened out play in the midfield and by halftime, were on the front foot.

“Each game is going to have ups and downs,” Carrera said. “When it’s low, you try not to break. When it’s high, you try to ride the momentum.”

The Spartans applied heavy pressure in the opening minutes of the second half and it seemed like it was only a matter of time before they got a goal.

But instead, it was Serra that had its best chances during a flurry of opportunities that suddenly shifted momentum. In the 50th minute, Quincy Huang ran down a through ball that split the Mountain View defense, but he didn’t get much on a shot that went right to the goalkeeper.

A minute later, Alden Tang made a long run from midfield, before laying it off to Huang, who was unmarked about 25 yards from goal. But he drill his shot well wide. Two minutes after that, Huang and the Spartans goalkeeper collided on a ball in the air and the referee did not point to the penalty spot, despite protests from the Padres’ bench.

Like the first half, Mountain View had the best scoring chance in the second half, but a big play from the Serra defense kept the game scoreless with about 10 minutes left. The Spartans were quickly on the attack and a pass was sent over the top of the Padres back line and dropped right to Javier Teeter, who was behind the defense.

Serra goalkeeper Luca Betino met Teeter near the top of the penalty box where the two got tangled up, but Teeter still managed to poke the ball on the defenseless goal.

But right fullback Zack Heller was there to chase the ball down and clear it away from danger.

Carrara expects Heller to be part of the rotation and was getting the start Tuesday because a teammate was not available because of the holidays. Heller might have played himself into even more playing time.

“Great game (from Heller),” Carrara said. “He’s in the rotation. He’s an important part of this team.”

Carrara gave his team the next two days off to enjoy the New Year’s holiday, but the Padres will be back at it Friday in preparation for a 2 p.m. game in Woodside Saturday, followed by the WCAL opener against Mitty, Wednesday, Jan. 7 in San Jose.

“Ready for the (WCAL) grind,” Carrara said. “It’s a tough league.”