In 1998, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram didn't exist. Professional sports icons Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky were still playing in the NBA and NHL. Tom Brady was a relative unknown playing football at the University of Michigan. Soccer great Mia Hamm was named U.S. Female Athlete of the Year. And in '98, the Pasadena City College women's soccer team scored in double digits, setting a school record with 18 goals in a win over Compton.
On Tuesday at Robinson Stadium, the Lancers reached double figures for the first time since that game 23 years ago in routing East Los Angeles College, 12-0, in the team's first South Coast Conference victory.
First-year head coach Terryn Soelberg's squad improved to 4-9 and 1-2 in conference action.
PCC jumped out to a 7-0 halftime lead v. the hapless and winless Huskies (0-9, 0-3) and tacked on five more in the final 45 minutes. Mia Bedoyan scored the hat trick to lead six different Lancers to reach the back of the net. Olivia Aguilar added two goals and two assists, Devin Zamora scored two goals and a helper, Juanita Diaz tallied two goals and an assist, while Gabby Morales and Michaela Misik each scored a goal. Priscilla Lucero contributed two assists and also reaching the box score with assists were Jaqueline Gonzalez, Melissa Badillo, and Avery Romero.
Pasadena ripped 35 shots at the ELAC goal and scored the only goal it would need in the seventh minute when Zamora tapped in a long ball by Diaz. Bedoyan knocked in a short airborne cross from Aguilar less than a minute later for a 2-0 lead. Maybe the prettiest goal of the game was when Diaz headed in a corner kick by "Jacky" Gonzalez in the 32nd minute.
The Lancers shooters got off a number of strong kicks that included blasts between 15 and 20 yards for scores by Diaz, Bedoyan (twice), and Morales. Unfortunately for ELAC, PCC's scoring was capped by a Huskies' own goal on a botched clear out in the game's final minute.
For the Huskies, goalie Cori Franco made 12 saves and defender Alondra Cortez frequently made defensive breakups.
PCC snapped a 4-game losing streak and broke out of a scoring slump that resulted in just three goals in that stretch. Diaz, a freshman midfielder, is the Lancers top scorer thus far with 17 points (seven goals, three assists).
Pasadena next plays at Mt. San Antonio College, seventh in the SoCal Region in power points and last ranked #17 in the CCCSIA State Top 20, on Friday night at 7 p.m..