Led by new head coach Francisco Cantero, a playing men's alumnus, the Pasadena City College women's soccer team will try to rebuild and look to improve at a steady pace during the 2018 season. The Lancers bring back an All-South Coast Conference First Team defender in Alexxis Molinar and three others from last year's squad. Fourteen newcomers are a part of a 20-player roster.

Molinar had two goals and two assists and was the only freshman to start all 20 games on a '17 PCC team that finished 10-7-3 overall. Midfielder/goalie Yulissa Macias (two goals last year) and defenders Amanda Avila and Jocelyn Carranza also return. The freshmen class is highlighted by midfielder/forward Katy Coats, who is an All-CIF Division 5 performer out of Maranatha High, and defender/midfielder Jillian Demasi, who played last year at Arcadia High.

PCC opened the season Thursday in a 4-1 loss at Los Angeles Valley College despite a goal by Coats just four minutes into the game to take an early lead. She drove in a 20-yard shot after receiving a pass by midfielder Erica Perez (Marshall Fundamental). LA Valley tied it right before halftime on a long throw-in and then shot from the top of the 6-yard box by Suzie Estrada. The Monarchs took control offensively and peppered many attempts at PCC goalie Samantha Martinez (Burbank Burroughs HS), who made nine saves, including a goal-stopper in the 35th minute. LAVC tallied three goals in the second half to complete its victory.

"We played really well for about 20 minutes and then we just ran out of gas," Cantero said of the opener. "Some of the teams we will play already have games under their belts, so I think we learned some things that should help us from this loss."

Pasadena travels to face Allan Hancock today (Friday, Sept. 7) in a 4 p.m. match in Santa Maria. On Tuesday, Sept. 11, the Lancers play their home opener against Palomar College, a 4 p.m. start at Robinson Stadium.