Difficult SCC North Route, '17 Season Ends For Men's Soccer
Despite playing top teams close and often trading scoring chance for scoring chance, the Pasadena City College men's soccer team couldn't get things to go their way in 2017. Host Rio Hondo handed PCC a 3-2 loss Friday in the season finale as the Lancers placed last in the ultra tough South Coast Conference North Division.
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Team Stats
Rio Hondo
| Game Statistics | Pasadena City | Rio Hondo |
|---|---|---|
| Shots (on goal) | 3 (3) | 8 (8) |
| Saves | 5 | 1 |
| Fouls | 0 | 0 |
| Corner Kicks | 0 | 0 |
| Offsides | 0 | 0 |
Despite playing top teams close and often trading scoring chance for scoring chance, the Pasadena City College men's soccer team couldn't get things to go their way in 2017. Host Rio Hondo handed PCC a 3-2 loss Friday in the season finale as the Lancers placed last in the ultra tough South Coast Conference North Division.
It is likely that all four teams that finished ahead of the Lancers will gain Southern California Regional Playoff berths in a field of 14. Rio Hondo was No. 8 in the most recent regional RPI ratings. This year's conference winner and defending state champion Mt. San Antonio is No. 3. PCC played a sound game Nov. 7 but settled for a 2-0 loss against the powerful Mounties at Robinson Stadium.
PCC finished 5-11-4 overall and 1-6-1 in the SCC North. The Lancers did well when scoring two or more goals (5-3-3) but their defense struggled at times and gave up two more goals 16 times in 20 contests. PCC's highlights this year included wins over Long Beach and East Los Angeles, two teams that are likely making the postseason.
Playing under acting head coach Gerry Mora, who took over the program a month into the season, the Lancers didn't even have a regular goalie their last two games as Thomas Flora, a freshman forward had to sub in and play with the team's three goalies all unavailable due to injury or academic issues. Flora played well, allowing just five goals in the team's last two losses to Mt. SAC and Rio Hondo.
Pablo Buenrostro scored a goal v. Rio Hondo, and finished the year by scoring a goal in five of the last six matches. The sophomore was the team's leading scorer with eight goals and one assist (17 points). Sophomore forward Yader Rodriguez, the leading scorer on last season's Lancers playoff team, missed most of the season due to injury but returned in the last few games and made a steal and scored his fifth goal (in 11 games overall) v. the Roadrunners. Rodriguez' 29 points (13 goals, 3 assists) in his career placed him tied for No. 20 on the school's all-time scoring list.