With a completely different squad due to the graduation of so many key performers from last season's SoCal Regional Finalist team, the 2025 Pasadena City College women's soccer team already has given Region Coach of the Year and Lancers HC Terryn Soelberg a reason for high expectations
The Lancers opened up the '25 season by scoring all three of their goals in an 17-minute span during the second half of a 3-0 victory at Bakersfield College on Friday.
PCC has 22 freshmen, but one is part of a talented midfielder sister duo of Alexandra Lopez and Isabella Lopez. While both are from Gabrielino High, the elder Isabella, nicknamed "Bela" originally played first at Bethany College five years ago and is returning to play college soccer this year for the Lancers.
Against Bakersfield, both netted goals as did frosh newcomer Emily Martinez (Crescenta Valley HS).
PCC returns seven sophomores, five from last year's record-setting group. Returning outside defender and team captain Rachel Mentaze (goal, four assists), forward Raylyn Laney (three goals, two assists). attacking midfielder/team captain Adamari Polanco (three goals, one assist) lead that group along with redshirt letterman outside defender Alyssa Avila (2023 squad) and midfielder Nadia Aguilar (led returning players with four goals, four assists).
In the opening shutout, the Lancers peppered the Bakersfield goal with 23 shot attempts to just six for the Renegades. Lancers first-year goalie Gaioi Mahe (Wiseburn Da Vinci HS) made three saves in her collegiate debut, playing all 90 minutes.
On the first goal in the 62nd minute, Aguilar fired a shot from just inside the top of the 18-yard box that was stopped by Bakersfield goalie Addyson Evens, but Martinez tapped in a rebound for a 1-0 PCC lead. In the 71st minute, Alexandra "Xuxi" Lopez received a split ball from frosh midfielder Isabella Nersesyan with Lopez driving in a quick shot.
Then eight minutes later, it was Bela Lopez turn as she received a touch pass by Nersesyan and finished and upper net attempt to cap the scoring.
"We battled the heat for sure, and it's tough to get a result like that when you're battling a good team and the environment," Soelberg said. "In the first half, we had plenty of opportunities to finish, but we just didn't execute that well. In the second half, we came out with the intensity needed to put it away."
On the squad's outlook, Soelberg said, "Hard not to be optimistic about this squad. I see a lot of potential already so early in. We will rely on an our few but strong returners to bring their experience into a tough schedule. We had an amazing season last year, but we will always strive to be better than we were before."
Soelberg's starting 11 in the opener included freshmen in centerback defenders Caley Orona (Arcadia), Kristina Snowden (Marshall Fundamental), and Anika Medina (West Covina), forwards in Esmeralda Jaquez (also from Marshall) and Maxine Scott (Pasadena High), midfielder Kira Muramatsu (Mark Keppel), Mentaze, Polanco, the Lopez sisters, and Mahe.
Soelberg indicated that Nersesyan was one of her top recruits who exhibits "strong vision and high soccer IQ" while also high on the defensive prowess of Orona and Snowden.
The rest of the Lancers '25 roster is made up of defenders in lettermen Angie Grigoryan (2023 team) and Presley Gomez, redshirt frosh Jada Ruvalcaba, and newcomers Mariah Guerrero (Bishop Amat) and Jasmin Aviles Corado (Muir), forwards in freshmen Daniela Olvera (Muir HS), Iris Pollard (South Pasadena), Danika Rodriguez (Burroughs), and Talula Sky Lucas-Allen (Alhambra), first-year midfielders in Aolani Dominguez (Verdugo Hills High) and Alyssa Araya (Glendale), and frosh goalies Marycarmen Olvera-Gomez (Royal HS) and Lilian Childs (Rowland).