Rio Hondo Hands Men's Soccer 3rd Straight SCC Loss

Things have unraveled for the Pasadena City College men's soccer team. On Tuesday at Robinson Stadium, the Lancers lost their third straight South Coast Conference North Division game, 3-2, against RIo Hondo. PCC's winless streak is now at five games (0-4-1).

Pasadena (2-5-3 overall, winless in SCC play at 0-3-1) came out strong and took a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute. Mark Barrientos made a steal at midfield, passed to a streaking Marlon Flores, who set up Anthony Jimenez for a goal from inside the goalie box. The lead was shortlived as Rio Hondo tied only 30 seconds later on a 1-timer shot by Abel Machuca. 

In the 28th minute, Joey Knowles was whistled for a red card ejection after tripping up a Roadrunners player. With 10 players left the rest of the game, the tide turned toward Rio Hondo. In the 54th minute, Carlos Zarate gave Rio Hondo a 2-1 lead. Despite being shorthanded, the Lancers knotted it at 2-2 when Pablo Buenrostro crushed a shot from 20 yards that hit the upper back of the net in the 71st minute. Flores picked up his second assist.

Rio Hondo (8-3-2, 2-1-1) responded in the 78th minute as Zarate took a corner kick and teammate Joseph Fuentes found an open space in the middle of the field to fire in the game-winning goal from 22 yards away. With two minutes left, Kevin Deagueros put a shot just wide on a cross by Buenrostro and that would be PCC's last scoring chance.

The Roadrunners outshot PCC, 20-8, and had numerous opportunities. Lancers goalie Kristopher Gutierrez dazzled with eight saves.

On Friday, Oct. 6, Pasadena suffered a 3-0 loss at Mt. San Antonio. On Oct. 3 at Robinson Stadium, East Los Angeles scored twice directly off corner kicks in a 2-minute span early in the first half. ELAC won easily 3-1 as PCC finally reached the scoreboard in the 90th minute on Jimenez' rebound blast following a send-in by Thomas Flora. For the Huskies, Edward Robles assisted on all three ELAC goals.

Pasadena dropped all the way down to 16th in the current RPI regional rankings, but will travel to face state No. 4 Taft on Wednesday at 3 p.m. The Lancers return home Friday, Oct. 13 when they host a SCC crossover game against El Camino College. Kick-off is 2 p.m.