Playing State #1,3,5 Teams Takes Toll on Men's Soccer

The Pasadena City College men's soccer team played outstanding defense in a 2-0 loss to state #1-ranked Cerritos on Oct. 14, then suffered through rough defeats v. #3 El Camino and #5 Mt. San Antonio last week. The Lancers are just 1-5 in the South Coast Conference.

PCC (7-7-2 overall) have won just once in the past seven games as the team's offense has run dry in being outscored 23-3 during this stretch. The three powerhouse SCC opponents have a current combined record of 39-6-2. 

"We've worked on finishing, worked on making offensive plays to the net, but we've run into some super-talented teams," said PCC head coach Gerry Mora. "The reality is we had to make adjustments just to keep a team like Cerritos at bay. We did a great job against them, but we got sloppy v. El Camino and then it got worse against Mt. SAC. Our passing was a strong point in pre-conference play and now that part of our game has failed us so far in conference."

Against undefeated Cerritos at PCC, the Lancers were outshot, 28-5, but only trailed 1-0 through 75 minutes. Kobe Sanchez's second goal of the game sealed things for the Falcons in the 76th minute. PCC goalie Kristopher Gutierrez was at his best with 10 saves, including four spectacular stops in the second half. Center back defender Diego Flores had several blocks and made a defensive kick-out save to rob a goal from Gabriel Oropeza in the 40th minute. Osmar Rojas also saved a goal heading out a header shot in the 65th minute.

PCC's best chance to score was in the 54th minute by Cerritos goalie Steven Ruiz made a leaping save on a premium shot attempt by Jose Gonzalez from the 9-yard line. 

At El Camino on Oct. 18, the Warriors scored twice in the game's first seven minutes as PCC was blanked, 5-0. ECC outshot the Lancers, 24-6. 

On Friday at PCC, Mt. SAC, the top team from the SCC North Division, handed the Lancers a 7-1 setback. Jordy Aviles broke a team 286-minute scoring drought, driving in a free kick goal from the 11-yard line right before the game's final whistle. Edward Castro, last year's state tournament MVP, scored two goals and added an assist for the Mounties. Mt. SAC scored five goals in the second half but also had two goals called back on offsides in the first half.

Gutierrez made a sensational save on a penalty kick by Andrew Vasquez in the 58th minute, but PCC's defense was nowhere to be found as the rebound went right back to Vasquez for an easy goal. 

PCC's top scorer Esai Matchan, who was stopped on a close-range header in the first half, has been held off the scoresheet in the last three losses and limited to just five shots in that span. When Matchan, who has a team-leading eight goals and four assists, nets a goal, the Lancers are an impressive 5-0-2 this season. Rojas, a top playmaker with four goals and seven assists, has been credited with just one shot attempt in the last three games as well. 

"We had to take chances later in the Mt. SAC game and it led to some breakaways for them. It was probably our worst effort of the year. Too many breakdowns on our side of the field." Mora lamented on the performance. 

The seven goals allowed was the most against a PCC team since 2018 in a 7-0 loss v. Cerritos. 

Players who have stepped up in recent games are a short list that includes sophomores Gutierrez, Flores, and midfielder Kareem Browne. 

Pasadena hopes to get back on track when it travels to face East Los Angeles College on Tuesday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is 4 p.m. following the women's game.