Pasadena City College women's soccer head coach Terryn Soelberg knows what kind of team she recruited coming into the 2023 season. The Lancers continue to impress and their 2-1 upset victory over state #14-ranked Orange Coast on Friday night was an exclamation point to put the program back on the map among top teams.
"We have a deep squad with players who simply want the ball and go after it on every play," Soelberg said as PCC remains undefeated at 5-0-2. "We have two good goalies in Natalia Portillo and Francesca Agliolo, super-strong center backs like Destiny Delgado, and Itzel Nunez, then our midfielders are system players who can motor upfield but always looking to make the right decisions and the best pass available.
"Tonight, Delilah Vazquez, Charlie Gallardo and Hailey Hull were relentless, beating the opponent to the ball and moving on the offensive. Riley Buck is a veteran leader out there and she was racing all night as well. Our forwards are aggressive like Angely Puga, Michelle Navarro and of course our returning all-conference player in Megan Schmidt. We just want to keep this roll going."
After both teams played it even in the middle of the field in the first 30 minutes, Portillo came up with a huge save, coming out of the net to challenge OCC's Stephanie Serrato, knocking away a great scoring opportunity by the Pirates in the 32nd minute. Schmidt then nearly got PCC on the board three minutes later but her close-range shot was stopped by Orange Coast goalie Chloe Hernandez.
In the 67th minute, Navarro lifted a drive from the 12-yard line, but Hernandez made a tip save clearing the ball just over the bar.
That allowed Gallardo to take a corner kick with Nunez finding the ball first to knock it in for a 1-0 PCC lead.
In the 78th minute, the Lancers increased the lead to 2-0 as Vazquez, who all night used talented moves to get around OCC defenders, dribbled up field on a breakaway, making a pass to Hull. On a perfect give-and-go, Hull passed to Vazquez, who got it back to Hull for a 1-timer blast and goal.
OCC broke the shutout on the game's final play with a goal by Kaitlyn Eckert, but it was too little, too late for the Pirates (5-2-1). Agliolo made five saves in her final 45 minutes of play to earn the win while Portillo continued her amazing season with two saves (first 45 minutes) and lowered her goals against average to 0.33, the best among state leaders who have played more than 400 minutes.
PCC has risen in the state power points, now #13 in the state and sixth in the SoCal Region. It's most likely the Lancers will find a spot on next week's CCCSIA State Top 20 Rankings.
Pasadena remain perfect at Robinson Stadium at 4-0.
The Lancers did receive some tough news in learning that Isabela Guerrero, the team's leading points scorer last year and an All-South Coast Conference Second Team selection as a freshman, will be out the rest of the season due to injury. She scored two goals in the opening game in her only contest and will take a medical redshirt.
PCC will try to match its best start since 2019 (5-0-3) when it plays at Santa Ana College on Tuesday, Sept. 19 at 2 p.m. Soelberg was an assistant coach at Santa Ana from 2015-2019.
Nunez (18) with the Lancers first goal.
