The best Pasadena City College women's soccer season in 11 years continues to get better for the state #12-ranked Lancers. PCC closed the 9-match, South Coast Conference regular season at 7-2 to take second place in the SCC North Division.
The Lancers, 14-4-2 overall, matched their highest finish ever in SCC play, last placing as high as second in 2012 (also in 1997 and 2001). Since 2016, PCC has had it rough in the difficult conference with just 11 league wins combined over six seasons.
"I'm very proud of the entire team and their effort throughout the season," said PCC head coach Terryn Soelberg. "For the most part, we were consistent in our play and competed hard with every opponent. We just want to keep this thing going into the playoffs."
PCC was seeded #3 overall out of the 10 teams in conference and will host a SCC Tournament game on Friday, Nov. 3 v. #6 Cerritos in a 4 p.m. kickoff at Robinson Stadium. The women's game follows the men hosting East Los Angeles at 1:30 p.m.
In the all-important power ratings index that determines postseason seeds for the SoCal Regional Playoffs, the Lancers are right now #7 (14th in the state).
The SCC Tournament determines only a potential automatic bid to the playoffs for the tourney champion. Automatic bids are earned by conference champions, which normally would go to this year's SCC South champ Long Beach CC and North champ Mt. San Antonio. However, PCC could garner a bid if it were to win the tourney (the other automatic bid will go to the division champion from the division that loses the title game).
On a 4-game win streak, the Lancers relied on a giant effort from Charlie Gallardo to defeat visiting El Camino, 4-1, on Tuesday. Gallardo set up two scores and tallied one goal as she helped PCC stay undefeated at home this year at 10-0-1.
"Charlie is such a standout player," Soelberg said. "Her work ethic is unmatched as she is running as much as nine to 10 miles a game."
In the 34th minute, Gallardo placed a perfect corner kick that was headed in for a 1-0 lead by Itzel Nunez. Less than three minutes later, Hailey Hull made a steal near midfield, Gallardo accepted the loose ball and dribbled on a breakaway, blasting in a drive on the run while entering the box to make it 2-0.
After El Camino cut it to 2-1 early in the second half, Gallardo read that the Warriors' goalie had come well out of the net and sent a pass to Angely Puga, who with the net wide open, sent in a bowling ball roll from the 30-yard line for the easy goal in the 69th minute. Puga added her second goal on a breakaway after a lead pass by Katy Cabral-Sinardi with six minutes left to cap the scoring.
PCC goalie Francesca Agliolo made three saves, her best on a sensational diving stop off a rebound by Claire Mahon a minute before halftime. Tatiana Grigoryan missed high on a penalty kick eary in the second half and Gallardo was denied on a tip save by ECC's McKenna Morey only a minute before the Nunez score. Both Destiny Delgado and Alexa Espinoza-Gutierrez made big defensive blocks to prevent ECC scores.
On Oct. 27, the Lancers honored their sophomores, then recorded the team's 11th shutout of the season, a 4-0 blanking over last-place East Los Angeles. Letterman Megan Schmidt scored two goals to add to her team-lead of 11, freshman Michelle Navarro added the team's first goal in the 12th minute, and transfer defender Riley Buck scored as well as the Lancers outshot ELAC, 38-1. Karen Chen made 17 saves for the Huskies and kept the game closer in score than it appeared on the field.
Charlie Gallardo drives a free kick during the El Camino victory
