Gallardo Hat Trick Powers State #3 Women's Soccer To Win At SBCC

On Tuesday, the Pasadena City College women's soccer team returned to the place where their historic 2023 season ended in a 3-2 loss in SoCal Regional Round 2--Santa Barbara City College. This time, the state #3-ranked Lancers reversed the result as sophomore midfielder Charlie Gallardo scored the hat trick and an assist in a 4-2 victory over the #17 Vaqueros.

PCC stays perfect at 6-0 this season, but its streak of shutouts ended at five games and at 502 minutes of play. The program matched its best start since the 2017 team also opened at 6-0.

Last year, PCC head coach Terryn Soelberg directed the Lancers to a school-record 17 wins and the college's first playoff victory since 2001.

The Lancers took a 1-0 halftime lead when Gallardo punched in a rebound shot off a Delilah Vazquez attempt in the 33rd minute

SBCC tied it seven minutes into the second half before Vazquez made a steal at the 35-yard line, then sent a perfect left-footed pass by a SBCC defender into the box to a waiting Gallardo, who ripped in her second goal in the 60th minute.

The Vaqueros tied it again at 2-2 in the 73rd minute when PCC goalie Francesca Agliolo tried to kick out a loose ball that was deflected and led to an uncontested score deep in the box.

Just four minutes later, PCC took its third and final lead of the game as Gallardo sent a pass to Isabela Guerrero, who booted a perfect shot into the upper net. It was Guerrero's first goal since she scored two in the '23 season opener at Moorpark when she was then lost for the season due to a leg injury in that contest. It was the 12th career goal for Guerrero, who was the team's leading points scorer two seasons ago.

In the 83rd minute, Gallardo completed her hattie as Angely Puga took a corner and slid a pass to the sophomore team captain who roofed a shot from inside the box. It's the first 3-goal game by a Lancer since Megan Schmidt on Aug. 30, 2022 v. Norco. 

After leading the team in scoring last year as a freshman, Gallardo has five goals and two assists already this year and is now 19th on the Lancers All-Time Scoring List with 38 points (15 goals, eight assists). Guerrero is tied for #22 on the list with 33 points.

PCC is 3-0 on what is a 5-game road trip that continues on Friday, Sept. 13 at Orange Coast College. Kickoff is 2 p.m.

MOST RECENT LANCERS HAT TRICKS

Megan Schmidt v. Norco, Aug. 30, 2022
Juanita Diaz (4 goals) v. East Los Angeles, Nov. 5, 2021
Mia Bedoyan v. East Los Angeles, Oct. 12, 2021
Juanita Diaz v. Victor Valley, Sept. 7, 2021
Katy Coats (5 goals) v. West Los Angeles, Sept. 27, 2019
Katy Coats v. Norco, Sept. 11, 2019
Katy Coats v. Mt. San Jacinto, Sept. 6, 2019
Katy Coats (5 goals) v. Imperial Valley, Aug. 27, 2019
*Chloe Twitchell v. Glendale, Sept. 13, 2017
Sandra Ambrosio v. ECC Compton, Oct. 21, 2016
Sandra Ambrosio v. ECC Compton, Nov. 6, 2015
*Ani Hemelians v. ECC Compton, Sept. 30, 2014 

*--natural hat tricks (3 consecutive goals for team)