(Phoenix, AZ) The Pima Community College men’s soccer team (16-3) came up short in its repeat bid for the Region I, Division II Championship on Wednesday.
The No. 2 seeded Aztecs took the lead and was forced to rally but No. 1 seeded Phoenix College scored two unanswered goals as Pima fell 4-2.
Freshman Leonel Gutierrez (Salpointe Catholic HS) put the Aztecs on the scoreboard in the 35th minute when he drove in a shot in front of the box.
The Bears (18-1) tied the game in the 38th minute with a goal from Fredy Alvarez. Phoenix College went up 2-1 after Sergio Jaramillo scored four minutes later as the Aztecs trailed at halftime.
Sophomore Robert Castaneda (Nogales HS) tied the game at 2-2 in the 53rd minute as he converted on a penalty kick.
The Bears retook the lead four minutes later in the 57th minute when Tiernan Nicewander scored. Nicewander added an insurance goal in the 86th minute.
“It was a good game on both sides. We had a better game from the last time we were here (3-0 loss on Sept. 6),” Castaneda said. “They’re a good team, No. 1 in the country.
“A game like this, it shows the intensity of how it’s going to be over there (at the National Tournament). The intensity of the teams, the players; they’re hard and big. We learned a lot.”
The Aztecs finished with five shots on goal while the Bears had seven. Sophomore Alex Cristerna Oleta (Tucson Magnet HS) finished with five saves.
The Aztecs are forced to wait for the NJCAA Division II National Tournament Selection Show to see if they will receive one of the four at-large bid. The Selection Show is TBA.
“The squad is new, there’s not even 10 returners from last year (seven returners) and we have a bunch of transfers and freshman. It’s not easy putting a team together and making it this far,” sophomore midfielder Sebastian Guzman said about why Pima should get an at-large bid. “The work that we put in is crazy, in the summer and throughout the season, it’s been work, work, work. Every single day, no days off.
“I hope the season is just starting. I hope we make it to Nationals and I think we deserve it by the way we’ve worked and the way we’ve handled things.”
Pima goals: Leonel Gutierrez (Robert Castaneda) 35th minute; Castaneda (penalty kick) 53rd minute.
Press Release courtesy of Pima Aztec Athletics – Raymond Suarez
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