While the Pasadena City College women's water polo team did what it could keep up with state #4-ranked Long Beach City College, Lancers goalie Jackie Collier went about her business. Collier made 12 saves, many on point-blank opportunities, over the first three quarters and at least showed the visitors there would be no easy scores for the high-scoring Vikings on Wednesday.
Long Beach (14-2, 4-0 in the South Coast Conference) won 15-1 over PCC (3-9, 1-3) with Collier's shot-blocking holding LBCC to just one goal in the second period. Lancers second netminder Erin Coad added three saves in the fourth period, a few also likely ticketed for scores.
The Lancers avoided the shutout when Fernanda Alvarez scored on a penalty shot with 4:37 left in the game.
The Vikings outshot Pasadena, 37-10. Jillian Schultz scored six goals to lead LBCC.
PCC recently went 1-3 at the San Diego Classic Tournament played at San Diego Miramar College. The highlight of the tourney was a 10-9 overtime win by PCC over San Diego Mesa. Collier made 16 saves and Coad six more as the combined 22 is a school record for the team. The school-record for an individual was set by Hannah Hogue with 21 in a September, 2009 game against Palomar. Pasadena trailed 5-3, then took a 9-7 lead before the Olympians battled back with two goals in the final minute to tie it 9-9. At 1:14 of the first overtime period, Chloe O'Connor tallied her third goal for the game-winner. She added four assists and four steals. Alvarez added three goals, Lori Nalbandian two goals and Carolina Lopez scored one goal and had a stong defensive outing with four steals.
In the other San Diego tourney games, state #8-rated Sierra handed PCC a 20-5 loss while the Lancers were also beaten by Southwestern, 8-5, and Palomar, 9-2.
Collier leads the team with 76 saves and 19 steals while Coad has 45 saves. Alvarez is the team's top scorer with 28 goals while O'Connor has 20 goals and a team-best 13 assists.
PCC will host Rio Hondo College next Wednesday, Oct. 16 in a 3 p.m. SCC match at the Aquatic Center.