Women's Soccer Survives Round 1 Thriller in Penalty Kicks

For 120 minutes, #15 seed LA Pierce and the host #2 Pasadena CIty College women's soccer team couldn't net a goal. In the ensuing penalty kick shootout, the Lancers fell behind early, but found a way to overtake the Brahmas, 4-3, to advance in the Southern California Regional Playoffs on Saturday.

The end of PCC's school-record, 10-game winning streak didn't matter as did the official 0-0 tie. All that mattered was the Lancers (18-1-2 overall) lived to fight another day in the postseason. On Tuesday, Nov. 26, Pasadena hosts #7 seed Ventura (16-3-4), a 3-0 winner over #23 San Diego Mesa on Saturday. Game time is 2 p.m. at Robinson Stadium. 

In the first-ever playoff game played on campus (the program did not have a playoff-regulation width field until a few years ago), PCC thought it had scored in regulation during the 79th minute when Charlie Gallardo's cross was kicked in by Delilah Vazquez, but after a brief celebration, it was discovered an offside was called nullifying the goal.

After neither team could score in the two, 15-minute, non-sudden death overtime periods, the contest went to penalty kicks with each squad given five opportunites.

Pierce's second goalie Karla Cruz made a diving save on Isabela Guerrero's opening attempt. Angely Puga converted on the second PCC attempt and tied at 1-1, the Brahmas' talented defender Brenda Medina went high over the bar to lose their round-to-round advantage.

The teams traded goals with Gallardo and Tatiana Grigoryan tallying for PCC and Hailey Chavez and Brianna Gutierrez scoring to keep pace for the Brahmas at 3-3. In the Lancers' fifth attempt, Sydney Esquival found the right corner. It all came down to Pierce's Isabel Morales, who placed a near-perfect shot over the head of PCC goalie Francesca Agiolo that rang off the cross bar and out as the Lancers players raced on to the field to celebrate advancing to the next round. 

"There are no easy opponents in the playoffs, and Pierce did everything it could with a good defensive game plan to keep them in it," said PCC head coach Terryn Soelberg. "We had plenty of opportunities to score in regulation and in overtime, and then we thought we scored too only to have it not count. It was nail-biter in the penalty kicks, but we kept our poise and Sydney got us that last one. If this game did anything it was prepare us for another tough battle next round v. Ventura."

Agliolo made the save of the game in regulation play at the 14-minute mark when she slid out at the top of goalie box to make a point-blank save on a breakaway shot by Candice Argueta. PCC outshot Pierce, 21-5, but strong defensive blocks and some excellent clearouts by Medina kept the game scoreless in regulation and in overtime. 

The Lancers recorded their 15th shutout of the season with continued strong play by the team's defenders in Itzel Nunez, Destiny Delgado, Grigoryan and Esquival. 

ON THE PITCH NOTES: PCC has never beaten Pierce in its history (0-5-1)...The game was the first time in the program's history of 12 postseason matches that a PCC playoff went to penalty kicks. It was the third that one went to overtime, including last year's upset win by the Lancers over Mt. San Antonio, 2-1...Agliolo is third in the state and tops in the region in both goals against average (0.36) and save percentage (.924)...PCC has only faced Ventura twice in its history (0-1-1)...If PCC wins on Tuesday, it would host in one of the two regional finals on Saturday, Nov. 30. Pasadena's football team is playing that night at 6 p.m. in the American Championship Bowl...A win means they would play either #3 Saddleback or #11 Santiago Canyon. Both of those teams knocked off the two regular seaon South Coast Conference champions with Saddleback defeating #14 Long Beach (South Division), 4-1, and SC upsetting #6 Mt. San Antonio (North), 2-1. PCC had defeated Mt. SAC, 1-0, on Nov. 14 to win the SCC Tournament.

The Lancers mob goalie Francesca Agliolo in celebration at the conclusion of the PK