Five players from Tucson, including four Tucson High graduates, scored goals for the Pima women’s soccer team in its 5-0 victory Monday over Sussex County (N.J.) to open the NJCAA Division II national tournament at the Stryker Sports Complex in Wichita, Kan.
The No. 6 Aztecs (14-1-5) earned the victory in pool play. They will play No. 3 Normal (Ill.) Heartland on Tuesday at 2:15 p.m., Tucson time. The winner will advance to the national semifinal round.
Pima produced five different goal scorers against Sussex County as sophomore Kristal Navarro (Tucson) broke the scoreless tie in the 7th minute with her shot right in front of the net.
“With it being our first game of the tournament, it was really important for all of us to share the load, and important for our confidence as a team, and individually, for us to able to get a goal. It feels good,” Navarro said in a Pima press release.
Sophomore Samantha Mendez (Tucson) made it to 2-0 in the 27th minute. Freshman Yajaira Cervantes (Tucson) provided the cross pass to the middle of the box and Mendez scored on a header.
Cervantes scored her goal with an assist from freshman Ava Dagnino (Salpointe) in the 30th minute as the Aztecs took a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime.
Dagnino added insurance in the second half as she scored in front of the net in the 67th minute.
Freshman Gabrielle Mendoza (Tucson) helped seal it with her shot inside the box from the right side in the 82ne minute.
·Sophomore Kamalani Peralta (Tucson) talked about the team’s backfield that helped secure their eighth shutout win of the season.
“We had a really strong back line, and we were able to maintain our line and keep them (Sussex) offsides and find our out-wings,” Peralta said. “We were also able to connect forward and get those combinations in.
Sophomore Phoebe Knisley (Canyon del Oro) finished the game with four saves.
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