Men's Soccer Steady In Recent Ties

The Pasadena City College men's soccer team is doing what it has to to remain what will likely be a playoff-qualifying group in head coach Henry Cabral's first season in charge of the Lancers. PCC played to a hard-fought 0-0 tie at East Los Angeles on Tuesday after earning a 2-2 tie against visiting Rio Hondo on Nov. 4.

The Lancers are 10-4-5 overall and finished 3-2-3 in South Coast Conference North Division play. Both of PCC's conference losses are against Mt. San Antonio, the No. 1-ranked team in the state in this week's poll. Surprisingly unranked, PCC is 0-0-2 against No. 9-rated Rio Hondo, but does have losses against No. 8 Oxnard and No. 9 Taft. 

In the all-important power points ratings which ultimately determining seedings, PCC is No. 14 in the state and No. 7 in the SoCal region. The Lancers are 5-1-2 in their last eight games.

Against ELAC, Pasadena freshman goalie Kristopher Guerra made seven saves as the Lancers shut out an opponent for the eighth time this year. 

On Friday against Rio Hondo at Robinson Stadium, the Lancers let a 2-0 halftime lead slip away as the Roadrunners tied it in the 88th minute on a header goal by Alex Saenz off a corner a kick by Angel Flores. PCC led on goals by Artin Almary, who drove in a shot on a cross from Diego Rodriguez at the 16th minute mark, and Jesus Garcia, who headed in a corner kick by Alexander Hernandez in the 35th minute. 

In a game played Nov. 1, Yader Rodriguez scored in the 28th minute and Guerra totaled nine saves in a 1-0 win at Chaffey. 

The Lancers are currently in second place in the 5-team SCC North, and would need Chaffey to either tie or defeat Rio Hondo on Nov. 11 to keep that place. If Rio Hondo (9-3-8, 2-1-4) wins, PCC would finish in third place. Mt. SAC clinched the division title by defeating Rio Hondo, 1-0, on Tuesday.

Pasadena closes the regular season in a SCC crossover game at Long Beach City College on Thursday, Nov. 10 at 3 p.m.

[Photo--Lancer Pablo Buenrostro has been a regular starter in Coach Cabral's lineup, image by Richard Quinton.]