Today, Nov. 15, Rio Hondo women’s soccer is ready to make history. As Pasadena City rolls into Rio for a South Coast Conference matchup at 6 p.m., the Roadrunners have an opportunity at perfection for the second season in three years.

Been There, Done That

In 2017, head coach Jennifer Tanaka was the architect of a perfect 8-0 conference record. Tonight, Rio is on the path to an identical tally on a night where Sophomores will be celebrated during the last SCC game.

The team is ranked no. 2 in Southern California for power points from the California Community College Athletic Association for now. If the Roadrunners are able to stay inside the top four following Pasadena, Tanaka will be the home coach throughout So Cal Regional Playoffs.

“We need to work defensively as a team to keep the ball out of the net and offensively,” Tanaka said about her team’s focus going into the final phase of the season. “We want to play our attacking game to create and finish our opportunities.”

The Weapons

Adding to the 14 she had going into the game against East Los Angeles last Friday, Sophomore Vivian Viramontes bagged three more goals. The defense, meanwhile, hasn’t allowed a goal since Oct. 22 against Long Beach City and has 11 shutouts this season.

The 10 Sophomores in the roster will feature in their final conference game this evening and with mixed feelings — looking forward to playoffs while saying goodbye to their last regular season.

After the Pasadena game, Tanaka and her team will be looking forward to Tuesday, Nov. 19 — the CCCAA seeding meeting which will determine the Roadrunners next opponent. The playoff bracket will show the road to the State Championships for Rio.

Same End, New Results

Following the last undefeated SCC, the Roadrunners went on to defeat Fullerton in the first round before losing to Santiago Canyon. With the goal-scoring power of Viramontes and Freshman goalkeeper Anaguisel Ramos’ .61 goals against average, this time around, Tanaka and Co. may be celebrating a deeper run.

“Playing hard on both ends of the ball is a necessity if we want to earn results,” Tanaka said. “Our goals include continuing to compete at our best and doing all of the little things that have and will give us an advantage.”