In the history of Pasadena City College men's soccer team, the Lancers have hosted playoff games, but always off site due to not having a regulation field. The school reconfigured the field to a proper width a few years ago to set up Wednesday's first-ever postseason home game at Robinson Stadium as #15 seed PCC faces #18 Bakersfield in a SoCal Regional Round 1 game. Kickoff is 2 p.m.
The Lancers (13-8 overall) placed second in the South Coast Conference North Division at 5-4, then lost two games to close out the regular season in the SCC Tournament played Nov. 8 and 12.
PCC is one of seven teams from the highly-competitive SCC to make it to the playoffs as part of a 24-team field. It's the first playoff appearance for Pasadena since 2016.
Like the Lancers, playoff opponent Bakersfield (11-6-5) was a second place team from its league--the Western State Conference South Division. On Oct. 4, PCC rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to beat the visiting Renegades.
If PCC gets by Bakersfield again, it goes right into the Lion's Den in travelling to face #2 Mt. San Antonio. Pasadena is 0-2 v. the SCC North champion Mounties losing at the Walnut campus, 5-0, in the fifth place final of the SCC Tournament on Nov. 12.
Pasadena is 9-8 in its postseason history and had a tremendous run in '16 as the #7 seed when it advanced to the regional finals third round, defeating Chaffey and Golden West before losing to Oxnard. Lancers head coach Francisco Cantero was an assistant on the staff that season.
CANTERO NAMED COACH OF THE YEAR, SIX PLAYERS MAKE ALL-SCC NORTH
Cantero, in his second season in charge of the program, was selected as SCC North Coach of the Year after guiding the team to the most victories by a Pasadena squad in 16 years. Cantero is 22-16-4 in his two years directing the program. His two plus .500 seasons are the first time the progam had back-to-back winning seasons since 2003-2004 under Cherif Zein.
Making All-SCC First Team were second-year forward Angel Ballesteros, redshirt sophomore forward Diego Lazo, and sophomore midfielder Jose Perez.
Selected Second Team were sophomore defender Jordy Aviles, frosh midfielder Ronaldo Garcia, and first-year forward Ariel Hernandez.
Ballesteros and Lazo are tied for the team lead in scoring as both have scored 10 goals and each have collected four assists. Hernandez has scored six goals, four game-winners, Perez has a goal and five helpers, Garcia also five assists. Aviles is the team's most consistent defensive player, clearing out many potential scoring chances by opponents.