A glance at the Pasadena City College women's soccer team won-loss-tie record is not pretty. The Lancers are 1-11-4 overall this season and only 0-6-1 in South Coast Conference North Division games. A number of factors have contributed to the dismal season, but PCC interim head coach Francisco Cantero has used new game plans with a small roster to make the Lancers a tougher opponent.
Injuries that have kept top defender/sophomore Alexxis Molinar and other starters out of the lineup resulted in Cantero moving his top scorer Katy Coats to play center-back in several recent games. PCC has seen rematches against a number of opponents result in closer contests the second time around.
On Friday, PCC played a Mt. San Antonio team that had handed the Lancers an 8-1 loss earlier in division play. The Lancers were able to play solid defense throughout including some great individual plays by Coats and goalie Deanna Campos to keep the Mounties off the scoreboard. After Mia Wade scored on a header goal in the ninth minute, the Mounties didn't score again until the 82nd minute, again by Wade as PCC lost 2-0 at Robinson Stadium.
Campos made a number of spectacular saves, and finished with 13 overall. Coats had several defensive break-ups and had perhaps the play of the day, even though it didn't result in goal. In the 40th minute, Coats controlled a loose ball at the PCC 25-yard line and dribbled through and around six Mt. SAC players before having a shot attempt blocked by Mounties' defender April Clark inside the box. Only a minute later, Coats intercepted a ball inside the box and delivered a drive from 10 yards that nearly tied it but Mt. SAC goalie Jacqueline Botello made a leaping grab to preserve the 1-0 lead.
On October 30, PCC earned its first point in divisional play in a 0-0 tie at East Los Angeles College. Campos made five saves for her first collegiate shutout. The Lancers had three strong scoring chances including a drive by Coats that hit the far right corner post. In the 55th minute, Coats made a cross to Ashley Rivera with the goalie out of position but Rivera's shot was headed out at the line by a Huskies defender. In the 85th minute, Sophia Noriega took off on a breakaway her attempt was blocked by the ELAC goalie Adriana Huerta. The Lancers finished with a far better performance than their first meeting with East LA, a 3-0 loss on September 28.
On October 23, PCC's 2-0 loss to LA Harbor was an improvement from a 4-1 defeat handed to the Lancers by the Seahawks back on September 18.
Overall, the Lancers have gone a long time without a goal. PCC has been shut out in each of the last five games and hasn't scored since Coats tallied in the 84th minute of a 2-0 win over Compton on October 16. The scoreless streak is now at 456 minutes.
Next up for Pasadena is a 4 p.m. conference match at Rio Hondo College on Tuesday, Nov. 6.