Guerrero Caps Wild 2nd Half Scoring Bonanza As Women's Soccer Edges COD, 4-3

The Pasadena City College and College of the Desert women's soccer teams hooked up in one of the wildest halves of the 2022 season on Friday as Isabela Guerrero capped a 6-goal, second-half frenzy tapping in a pass by Devin Zamora to give the Lancers a 4-3 win at Robinson Stadium.

PCC improved to 4-5-1 while Desert is now 4-4-3. 

Trailing 1-0 after the first 45 minutes, Olivia Aguilar got the party started 4:25 into the second half with a blast from the 18-yard line that snuck into the left corner, tying it at 1-1. Gabby Morales assisted on the score.

In the 68th minute, COD's Dalaina Johnson, the state's leading goal scorer, headed in her second goal of the game and 19th of the season to regain the Roadrunners advantage. Five minutes later, Megan Schmidt took a lead pass Guerrero and fired in her team-leading sixth goal. In the 77th minute, Zamora controlled the ball into the corner of the box and sent a perfect cross pass to Aguilar for her second goal of the game and PCC's first lead at 3-2.

Less than two minutes later, Desert responded when first a PCC defensive wall blocked a free kick from the 16-yard line by Zaynah Cortez. The ball landed on to the foot of Narali Lopez, who launched the game-tying goal into the upper right corner from 20 yards away. 

With nine minutes left, Zamora dribbled into the far corner of the COD goalie box then found a wide-open Guerrero at the goal-line as she knocked in the game winner for her fourth goal of the year. 

PCC came up with perhaps the defensive play of the game when Johnson stormed deep into the Lancers goalie box, but was met by Tiana Teets, who broke up the scoring chance in the 88th minute. Seconds later a free kick from the 20 by Maggie Esqueda hit the cross bar that preserved the PCC lead.

Trying for the hat trick, Aguilar hit the cross bar as well on a free kick from the 12-yard line just before the final whistle.

"So proud that we put four goals away in a half and that we were able to come back after a rough first half," said PCC head coach Terryn Soelberg. "In the second half, we got our center midfielders involved which opened up a lot more options for us offensively. We played the second half all the way through, never giving up even when Desert kept scoring as well."

In the first half, the Lancers best scoring chance came on a breakaway by Morales in the 32nd minute but her short-range shot was reeled in by Desert goalie Jessica Uribe. Later in the 65th minute, Echeverrie came up with her best save, stopping a breakaway attempt by Monserrath Bedolla Guzman. Echeverrie finished with five saves. 

On Tuesday, PCC lost to visiting El Camino, 5-1, in a non-conference counting game (both teams are members of the South Coast Conference). A Zamora 1-timer goal from Morales gave PCC an early 1-0 lead. Allison Sibley led ECC with two goals as the Warriors ran away with the victory. Katy Cabral-Sinardi was a brightspot for the Lancers as she blocked three shots.

Next Tuesday, Oct. 4, the Lancers (3-1 in their last four games) will open SCC play with a 4:30 p.m. game at Los Angeles City College.