Women’s Soccer: Long Beach keeps playoff hopes alive with 4-0 win over Pasadena

Freshman Savannah Christensen (Lakewood HS) scored a pair of goals while sophomore Joanna Perone (San Pedro HS) had two assists to help lead the Long Beach College women's soccer team to a 4-0 South Coast Conference win over visiting Pasadena City College on Tuesday. The win improved LBCC to 9-6-4 overall and 6-4-3 in conference play.

The Vikings kept their Southern California Regional Playoffs hopes alive as they face a must-win game in their regular-season finale on Friday (Nov. 13) at East Los Angeles College. Both Long Beach and East Los Angeles will be playing for an at-large berth into the playoffs.

On Tuesday, Long Beach jumped on Pasadena early and put the game out of reach with three goals in the first half.

Perone helped get the Vikings on the board in the eighth minute. She raced down the right sideline before finding freshman Miranda Kaekul (John Burroughs HS) with a cross pass in front of the net. Kaekul redirected Perone's pass by Pasadena goalkeeper Natalie Martin for a 1-0 lead.

Christensen was up next, scoring the first of her two goals. In the 29th minute, Perone fed Christensen with the breakaway pass that she nailed in for the 2-0 advantage.

Christensen gave LBCC a commanding 3-0 lead with her final goal in the 40th minute. She took a long pass from sophomore Sydney Castillo and dribbled through three PCC defenders before beating Martin for the goal.

Freshman Leighton Smith (St. Joseph HS) scored the Vikings' final goal off the assist from sophomore Janessa Martinez (Narbonne HS) just moments before the game's final whistle.

Sophomore goalkeepers Evelyn Fierros (Bishop Amat HS) and Isabella Reynoso (Lakewood HS) combined for the Vikings' seventh shutout of the season. Fierros posted four saves while Reynoso needed to make just one in the second half.

Prior to Tuesday's game, LBCC honored its 12 sophomores playing in their final regular-season home game.