Lancers Men's Soccer Looking To Get Better In 2024

Coming off its first winning season (9-8-4) last year since 2019, the Pasadena City College men's soccer team is looking to build toward becoming a possible playoff team this year.

Josiah Lucio heads in the game-winning goal in PCC's season opener on Friday (photo by Richard Quinton).
Josiah Lucio heads in the game-winning goal in PCC's season opener on Friday (photo by Richard Quinton).
August 24, 2024
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Coming off its first winning season (9-8-4) last year since 2019, the Pasadena City College men's soccer team is looking to build toward becoming a possible playoff team this year.

Under head coach Francisco Cantero, the Lancers are hoping also to create more goals this season. PCC averaged a litte more than two goals a game in 2023 but take away eight penalty kick goals and the Lancers offense didn't generate the type of overall offense needed to compete against the better state programs.

On Friday in the season opener, Pasadena found some quick strike ability in the open field as a header goal by freshman defender Josiah Lucio in the 86th minute gave the Lancers a 3-2 win over Moorpark at Robinson Stadium. 

Lucio, the team's tallest player at 6-foot-4, scored following a free kick send in by frosh forward Ariel Hernandez. Letterman midfielder Jorky Aguirre got control of the ball deep in the Moorpark zone and placed a cross pass to a waiting Lucio for the winning score.

"It was a perfect service by Jorky to Josiah for a scrappy win to start the season," Cantero said. "I'm glad we can start the season on a positive note. We do have to better throughout the 90 minutes."

 PCC returns 13 sophomores, five of them returning starters including All-South Coast Conference Second Teamer in Aguirre. Three return from the 2022 squad in creative midfielder Diego Lazo and solid defenders in Jordy Aviles and Diego Flores. 
 
Cantero said: "Starting from the backline we have players like Andrew Perez, Alek Kaprielian, Flores and Aviles who bring good experience to challenge our opponents. In the midfield we return Aguirre, Jose Perez and Alex Petrossians who will look to control games. Finally, some key forwards we are returning are Angel Nolasco, Angel Ballesteros, and Lazo."
 
The team's freshmen class has some blue chippers in starting goalie Axel Espinoza, who was an All-CIF Division 7 Player of the Year on a Covina High CIF champion team, midfielder Ronaldo Garcia, an All-Los Angeles City Division 3 player on a champion team at Esteban Torres High, and Hernandez, another All-LA City player off the Torres squad. 

"Ronaldo brings a box-to-box midfielder mentality to help be creative and dangerous on the attack," Cantero said. "Ariel is a true striker and can be a consistent threat in the attack that we expect to score goals for us. Israel Gonzalez (Monrovia High) is an exciting forward and can provide great service plays to our strikers. We also like David Canales (Esperanza) to be an exciting midfielder in the rotation."
 
Cantero believes he has a deep backfield in adding frosh defenders in Lucio (John Marshall HS), Jeremiah Alomo (Rosemead), Fabian Gomez (Roosevelt), and Sebastian Messner (John Marshall). Rayshon Robert (Marshall Fundamental) will back up Espinoza at goalkeeper. 
 
PCC is carrying 29 players overall as the large roster is rounded out by lettermen in goalie Gabriel Ponce, midfielder Martin Ceja, defender Steven Palacios, and incoming freshmen in midfielders Yahir Gomez (Mountain View) and Jose Garcia (Roosevelt), forwards Dominic Quijada (Burroughs, Burbank), Frank Rodriguez (Schurr), and Cristian Villegas (Marshall Fundamental), and defender Josue Villa Zavala (Schurr).
 
In the Moorpark win, Lazo gave PCC a 1-0 lead on a blast from the 20-yard line and in the 24th minute. After the Raiders tied it, Ballesteros made a nifty play after a pass from Aviles as he eluded a defender and got Moorpark goalie Jonathan Rivera out of position to roll in a shot for a 2-1 advantage eight minutes before halftime. 
 
PCC next hosts Victor Valley on Tuesday, Aug. 27 in a 4 p.m. kickoff at Robinson Stadium. The team's 9-game, South Coast Conference regular season begins on October 8 in a home match v. defending North Division champion Mt. San Antonio.