After the program won just seven matches in the past two seasons and a change in head coaches, the Pasadena City College men's soccer team has rebuilt its roster and have a new attitude under first-year head coach Henry Cabral. The Lancers open the 2016 season Friday, Aug. 26 in a 4 p.m. match at Norco College.
PCC returns five players from last season, one player from 2014, and two more from the '13 season as they join a talented group of incoming freshmen. Even though PCC returns All-South Coast Conference Second Team goalie Yusuf Elmasri, the Lancers top freshman is also a goalkeeper in All-CIF Division III selection Kristopher Guerra. The new netminder backstopped two CIF regional title teams at Cathedral High and passed up a scholarship to Cal State Northridge to play for the Lancers.
Letterman forward Oscar Vanegas, who scored three goals last year and was a Pasadena Star-News All-Area selection from Pasadena High, is expected to be one of the team's top scorers. Another potential go-to scorer is frosh forward Avo Haroutunyan, the Pacific League Player of the Year as a senior at Glendale High. Haroutunyan scored 23 goals this past season, playing against some of the area's best teams.
The return of two players from the 2013 Lancers playoff team will add veteran leadership in forwards Sarmeen Ibrahim and Diego Rodriguez.
At the midfielder position, PCC also has strength in first-year players Lucas Rodriguez (Kennedy High) and Nicaraguan international student Yader Rodriguez along with another frosh performer in Joshua Moran (Crescenta Valley HS). Manuel Chavez (from Blair High) is a strong playmaker who is expected to help the team offensively.
On the defensive side, an impressive duo is El Monte High product Jesus Garcia and PHS' Alexander Hernandez, who made this year's Star-News All-Area First Team. A steady starting defender from last year returns in Julio Campos.
Other players of note are Star-News All-Area choice and frosh forward Alfredo Maciel (Monrovia HS) and two All-Pacific League First Team selections from Glendale in midfielder Joshua Arevalo and forward Pablo Buenrostro. Sophomore midfielder Adam Alonzo and letterman defender Orbel Golanians add to the team's impressive depth.
Cabral is carrying perhaps the largest roster in Lancers history with 27 players and excited about the team's prospects.
"We are very pleased with our recruiting class and the type of players that have returned for us," Cabral said. "While the South Coast Conference is the toughest conference to play in the nation, we feel we are really ready to compete. We have two strong goalies and more offense than we've had in a few years. If some players aren't getting it done for us, we can go to the bench and bring in a player hungry to make a difference. That was one area we've been lacking. It will be fun to see how this team evolves."
The Lancers' 2016 pre-conference schedule is impressive as it includes CCCAA state champion Oxnard and SoCal quarterfinalist Cuyamaca. The team's SCC North Division slate is as hard as it gets--two matches each v. last year's No. 1 South seed Chaffey, No. 2 Rio Hondo, and state semifinalist Mt. San Antonio.
[Photo--Oscar Vanegas returns at forward for the Lancers in 2016.]