Men's Soccer Scores Most Goals In 16 Years

The Pasadena City College men's soccer team kept the pressure on for 90 minutes and when it was over the Lancers had totaled an amazing 57 shots in a 7-0, non-conference victory over short-handed Imperial Valley on Thursday afternoon. The seven scores were the most by a PCC team in 16 years.

Pasadena evened its overall record at 7-7-2. Imperial Valley remained winless this year (0-14) after travelling with just 10 players for the contest. When one player got hurt with 20 minutes to go, the Lancers had an 11-on-9 advantage, which added to the shooting gallery at the Arabs goal.

Just 81 seconds into the game, PCC scored the only goal it would need when Asher Smith drove in a shot from the 14-yard line after taking a pass from Ernesto Angulo. In the fifth minute, Joseph Cortez rifled a blast from the 12-yard line (assisted by Adam Ure) for a 2-0 lead. In the eighth minute, it was Andres Velasquez who took a pass from Edson Pulido and while deep in the box deposited in a short attempt. Velasquez struck again in the 29th minute on a breakaway as he avoided two Imperial Valley defenders by making a cut to the center of the box and then knocked in his team-leading sixth goal of the year. 

PCC added to its 4-0 halftime lead in the 58th minute when Edwin De Jesus drove a shot from the 16-yard line into the corner of the net. Less than a minute later, De Jesus fed Favian Esparza for a 1-timer and a goal scored from the 7-yard line. In the 71st minute, Angulo capped the scoring with his fifth goal on a pass from Smith.

While scoring seven goals was an accomplishment that hasn't been done since PCC beat Cypress, 8-0, at Robinson Stadium in 2003, the Lancers might have approached their school record of 11 if not for brilliant goaltending by Imperial Valley backstopper Ernesto Pereda. The Arabs netminder made 24 saves, many on point-blank PCC opportunities inside the goal box or at the top of the box. The Lancers also hit several shots off the post and missed some easy chances on errant shots that went wide of the goal. 

Angulo, who finished with a goal and two assists, and Mario Urbina led the shooting parade with seven shots a piece. 

PCC goalie Bryan Espinoza made three relatively easy saves to post the shutout as IVC was able to only put four shots at the Lancers end of the field. Twenty-two Lancers participated in the contest and 16 of them were credited with shot attempts. 

Coach Gerry Mora's Lancers, 2-0-1 in their last three games, will next play at El Camino College on Tuesday, Oct. 29 in a 3 p.m. South Coast Conference game.