The No. 4-seeded Pima Aztecs battled through a hard-fought match against No. 5 Holmes (Miss.) Community College, winning by a 3-2 score at the NJCAA Division II national tournament at Wichita, Kan.
It is their second win in Pool D play, advancing them to 17-4 on the season and earning them a spot in the NJCAA Division II semifinals that begin Friday against an opponent to be determined.
Pima attempted 10 shots with six of them being on target compared to Holmes’ six with five being on target.
Goal keeper Angelina Amparano (Salpointe Catholic grad) had three saves.
The Aztecs got on the board first when freshman midfielder Caitlyn Maher (Catalina Foothills) scored off a rebound in the penalty box, making it 1-0 at the 24-minute mark.
Maher then assisted Mari Acosta (Sahuarita) with another goal 33 minutes into the match. The score remained 2-0 heading into the half.
Less than a minute into the second half, Ravynne Wilson scored a goal for Holmes (14-4-2) to cut the deficit to 2-1.
Pima responded four minutes later when Delaney Buntin (Cienega) scored to bring the score to 3-1.
At the 55-minute mark, Holmes defender K’lee Pittman scored to cut Pima’s lead to 3-2.
The Aztecs’ defense and Amparano took over from there.
Sophomore defender Brianna Gerhart (Tanque Verde HS) talked about the Aztecs staying sharp on the defensive side and what it means to be part of a team heading to the Final Four. #PimaSoccer #AztecTough #NJCAANationals pic.twitter.com/VPaOcCarL0
— PimaAthletics (@PimaAthletics) November 18, 2021
See what Litycia Espinoza (Sahuarita HS) had to say about the team stepping up and overcoming the second half surge from Holmes CC. How she felt about the second half and what mental toughness aspects she saw. #PimaSoccer #AztecTough #NJCAANationals pic.twitter.com/5aX1nuP1c0
— PimaAthletics (@PimaAthletics) November 18, 2021
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Nathaniel Martinez is an aspiring sports journalist who is a Sahuaro High School graduate and Pima Community College student. He has written for the Aztec Press at Pima. While at Sahuaro, he played football for longtime coach Scott McKee and he wrestled for the Cougars.
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