After a school-record 17 victories and a historic playoff victory over state power Mt. San Antonio last year, the Pasadena City College women's soccer team is poised again to be a regional contender this season.
Lancers head coach Terryn Soelberg returns 16 lettermen and added three transfers for an incredible 19 second-year collegiate players to go with seven incoming freshmen as the team has an opportunity to challenge for a South Coast Conference North Division title as well as a long run in the postseason.
Among the returners are five All-SCC performers in PCC Women's Athlete of the Year for 2023-24 and First Team midfielder Charlie Gallardo, who led the team in scoring with 10 goals and six assists, First Team defenders Itzel Nunez and Destiny Delgado, Second Team midfielder Delilah Vazquez, and Second Team defender Tatiana Grigoryan. Also returning is the team's leading scorer from 2022 season--Isabela Guerrero (nine goals, nine assists, then two goals in the '23 season opener only to have her season cut short due to injury).
Adding to the talented lettermen are dangerous scoring threats in Angely Puga (seven goals, six assists), Hailey Hull (eight goals, four of those game-winners), and Alexa Espinoza-Gutierrez (six goals, six assists).
Puga helped PCC open the '24 season on Friday with a 1-0 win at Irvine Valley College. She ripped a 22-yard drive into the upper corner in the 57th minute to break a scoreless tie. The goal came after frosh midfielder Monique Arciniega delivered a good shot on goal that was stopped but Puga intercepted a clearing attempt to rip her big shot.
The team's goaltending is all returning lettermen in Francesca Agliolo (11-3-2 record, 72 saves, 1.18 goals against average), Natalia Portillo (5-0-2 record, 48 saves, 0.56 GAVG) and Layla Hoyo.
The transfer group has extreme talent in defender Sydney Esquival, who started 13 games at NCAA Division II Newman University (Wichita, Kansas) in 2022 and is originally from Crescenta Valley High and midfielder Ashley Vera, an All-SCC First Team player on Rio Hondo College's 2021 North Divison champion team. Vera was an All CIF-Southern Section Division 6 selection at Pasadena's Marshall Fundamental in high school. Another local talent returning to the area is redshirt frosh forward Mackenzie Dawes, who attended but did not play at NCAA Division III Connecticut College back in 2021. She was a 3-time, All-Rio Hondo League player at San Marino High, scoring 29 goals combined in her sophomore and junior seasons.
"We have the potential to be as good or better than last year," Soelberg said. "The talent is there, but we will need to stay focused, play our system and minimize mistakes. The difference this year to last season is that we have all these returners who last year were at times unsure of themselves and now have the confidence going into this season from their freshmen success."
The team's freshmen corps includes defenders Rachel Mentaze (Verdugo Hills) and Julie Ruiz (Sierra Vista), and midfielder Adamari Polanco, who all worked their way into the opening day Lancers starting lineup. Another top freshman is Raylyn Laney, a talent from Holy Names in Oakland who scored 16 goals her senior season.
The '24 roster is rounded out by lettermen in midfielders Samantha Shahin, Claudia Soos, and Hallee Cervantes, and forward Karla Sandoval as well as freshmen in Arciniega (Montebello High), midfielder Nadia Aguilar (Burroughs, Burbank), the younger sister of former Lancer Olivia Aguilar (2-time, All-SCC performer in 2021-22), and defender Presley Gomez (Woodrow Wilson HS).
In the season opener, Puga's game-winner came after frosh midfielder Monique Arciniega delivered a good shot on goal that was stopped but Puga intercepted a clearing attempt to rip her big shot.
"We dominated the first half but just couldn't really connect," Soelberg said about the match. "Francesca made a few big saves to keep us in the game. We were little more creative in the second half, but give Irvine Valley credit as it was well organized. But I think playing on the road is always an adjustment after we had practiced all pre-season at PCC. We look forward to returning for two home matches."
PCC returns home on Tuesday, Aug. 27 in a 4 p.m. match v. Bakersfield at Robinson Stadium. The Lancers won't begin SCC play until October 8 when they have a rematch of the epic SoCal Regional Second Round overtime won by PCC against Mt. San Antonio. The teams faced each other three times last year, all at Mt. SAC, but this time PCC will play at home v. the Mounties.