It's not been the best of times for the Pasadena City College women's soccer team. The Lancers lost for the eighth time in the past nine contests on Tuesday, but PCC played with the type of intensity and offensive urgency against Compton that made the 3-2, South Coast Conference defeat seem like a step in the right direction for the squad.
"We played with heart and competitiveness today," said PCC head coach Terryn Soelberg. "Scoring in the opening seconds was a new feat for us. It had been a while since we scored first in a game as well. We are going to continue to work on finishing out a game.
Less than 30 seconds after the opening kickoff, PCC connected when Devin Zamora broke into the box and her shot was stopped by diving Compton goalie Meliza Lopez. Olivia Aguilar was in perfect position to net the rebound shot for a quick 1-0 lead for the Lancers.
At the seven minute mark, the Tartars responded when Jacqueline Luna drove a shot from the 20-yard line over the head of leaping PCC goalie Jesua Garcia to tie the game.
In the 22nd minute, the Lancers regained the lead at 2-1. Mia Bedoyan sent a cross to Aguilar, who was initially stopped face-to-face with Lopez, but Bedoyan alertly followed up and sent a rebound shot into the back of the net.
Defensive mistakes allowed Compton to score the game's final two goals. Just two minute before halftime, Garcia inadvertently played a ball outside the goalie box. With a close range free kick, Luna fired at Garcia with the ball coming right back to Luna, who finished off her second goal of the half.
It stayed 2-2 until the 65th minute when the Tartars Jazmin Jimenez stole the ball from a PCC defender deep in Lancers territory, then quickly ripped a shot from the 11-yard line for the game-winning goal.
PCC outshot Compton, 17-14, and nearly tied it with two minutes left when Lopez made a diving save on a 10-yard drive by Melissa Badillo. Aguilar led the offense with five shot attempts in easily one of her best games of the season. Zamora, Badillo, Angie Alvarado, Jaqueline Gonzalez, and Avery Romero were other standouts as the Lancers showed a sense of urgency in trying to net one in the second half.
Garcia made seven saves and Compton's goalie Lopez had nine saves.
On Oct. 22 at SCC South Division first-place Cerritos, the Lancers lost 2-1 despite a penalty kick goal by Juanita Diaz in the second half. Going back to Oct. 15, the Lancers had one of their best defensive games of the season and held state #12 Mt. San Antonio to just a 1-0 win.
"We had a great game against Mt. SAC," Soelberg said. "They scored off a corner kick, but we held them tough and we had some quality scoring chances too. Against Cerritos, we just weren't going to the goal as often as we should have. I liked what I saw against Compton. Certainly we showed a sense of urgency that is so important to success in soccer."
Diaz leads the Lancers in scoring with eight goals and three assists (19 points) in 17 games played this season.
Pasadena (4-13 overall, 1-6 in the SCC) is back in action on Friday, Oct. 29 at LA Harbor College, a 6 p.m. kickoff. The Lancers host Los Angeles City College on Tuesday, Nov. 2 in the regular season home finale at Robinson Stadium. Kickoff and a brief sophomores tribute takes place following the men's game at 4 p.m.