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After quickly going two goals down, the Lancer men’s soccer team rallied back, striking two goals to level the score by the end of the first half.  But in the second half the Rio Hondo Roadrunners scored two more unanswered goals, to beat the Lancers 2-4 in their last pre-season game at Rio Hondo on Sept. 20.

Despite the loss, the Lancers displayed two new goal-scoring talents. With Ruben Vera finding himself unmarked in the Roadrunners 18 yard box, Irving Rosales crossed the ball, and Vera was able to make a quick diving header back across the keeper into the bottom corner of the net.

“Irving crossed the ball,” said Vera, “Those are my specialties, a header from the side. I have been improving; the first game I played not to my level. Hopefully I will start playing better.”

The second goal by the Lancers looked deceptively simple. Surrounded by two Roadrunner players at the top of the 18-yard-box, Yeyson Caballeros brought the ball to his feet, spun 180 degrees and launched it into the top left corner of the Roadrunners goal. The keeper had no chance.

During the pre-season, the Lancers dominated most of their games, but were unable to score. PCC had more goal scoring opportunities than Lionel Messi scores goals, but were unable to find that final finishing quality to put the ball in the back of the net. In this game the Lancers did not have as many scoring chances, but they were able to take advantage of those chances.

“It showed that we are getting together,” said Rosales. “Everything’s coming together, I think it went well … it’s a pretty good team. I’m not really to worried about our defense like they are saying, I am more worried about our offense, but we came together well.”

Rio Hondo’s Jesus Garcia showed off his goal-scoring prowess scoring both goals in the second half. The first was a simple looking header just inside the near post, and the second a sharp shot from 18 yards out into the top corner.  The other goal scorers for Rio Hondo were Emmanuel Varela and Rigoberto Arrendon.  There were four yellow cards; three for Rio Hondo and one (AP style) for the Lancer’s Luis Flores.

The Sept. 20 game against Rio Hondo was the last pre-season game, and the Lancers finished with a record of 0-6-1. With the end of the pre-season and the first conference game coming up the Lancers can shrug off their pre-season record and look to the future.

“Honestly I think we are going to do pretty good [in the conference],” said Rosales, “We play El Camino, we should take that, because they tied [Rio Hondo] … I feel like we are going to have a new start, and we’ll do good.”

 

 

 

 

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