Big Lead Disappears In 4-4 Tie For Men's Soccer

No lead is safe at Robinson Stadium. The Pasadena City College men's soccer team learned that lesson Tuesday after jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the game's first 12 minutes and holding a 4-1 lead after 35 minutes. Visiting Los Angeles Harbor bombarded the Lancers with numerous scoring chances over the final 55 minutes and rallied to gain a 4-4 tie.

PCC's overall record fell to 5-7-2 while Harbor is 3-6-7. The game was a South Coast Conference crossover that does not count toward conference standing.

Harbor outshot the Lancers, 25-11, overall and picked up the tying goal in the 88th minute. Dylan Perez fired a throw-in from the sideline near the 10-yard line that found its way into the net past goalie Steven Sandoval. 

The Lancers scored on four of their first six shots, including the first three in an 11-minute span. Just 92 seconds in, Anthony Jimenez sent a cross inside the box and David Vazquez-Mena connected on a leaping 1-timer kick for a 1-0 lead. In the ninth minute, Harbor was called for a foul in the box and Jimenez ripped an upper corner penalty shot goal for a 2-0 advantage. Then in the 12th minute, Jimenez sent a lead pass to Vazquez-Mena, who blasted a drive from the 27-yard line into the center of the net as PCC celebrated a 3-0 lead.

After Harbor responded in the 20th minute to cut it to 3-1, Lucas Rodriguez took a free kick from the 21-yard line and Edson Pulido perfectly redirected the kick into the Seahawks net to build the Lancers lead back to three goals. 

From that moment on, Harbor peppered the Lancers and kept the ball mostly in the PCC side of the field. Perez's ability to make pin-point throw-ins confused the Pasadena defense. All of the last three goals by the Seahawks were directly following his throw-ins. In the 34th minute, Perez followed up his own throw-in and ripped a short-range shot just under the bar to cut it to 4-2. In the 74th minute, Chris Corea picked up his second goal of the game one-timing a throw-in by Perez. And then it was the late throw-in that simply found its way across the line for the deadlock score.

Sandoval made eight saves but did not get much help from the Lancers field players. Vazquez-Mena finished with two goals and Jimenez a goal and two assists. Jimenez, a sophomore forward, leads the team in goals (seven), assists (five) and overall points with 19. JImenez nearly picked up a third assist v. Harbor sending Romio Sislian in on breakway, but Rodrigo Piteau's only save of the game was a big one as he got a hand on Sislian's corner attempt just six minutes into the second half. 

PCC, just 1-4-1 in its last six games, host Chaffey in a SCC North Division contest on Friday, Oct. 26 at 4 p.m. The Lancers are 1-3 division play.