Pima College women's soccer lands nationals spot after missing out last year

After missing out on the national tournament and even having to work at the event last year, Pima College women’s soccer finally has its chance.

No. 6-seeded Pima (12-4) returned to the NJCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Championships after missing out last year when it was at Kino North Stadium. This year, it is in Huntsville, Ala.

“I know that the girls that were returning really had their eyes set on wanting to return to nationals, obviously last year, we hosted it, but were not in it,” said Pima women’s soccer head coach Kendra Veliz. “So that was a big motivator for them — they actually had to work the tournament last year and so (laughs) that was one of the biggest motivators is ‘hey, we want to be playing here, we can do this, let’s go get it.’”

This year, the Aztecs lost 2-1 in overtime to Phoenix College in the region final, so they had to hope for an at-large bid.

“It’s very stressful, I’d say because you’re at practice and you’re like, you don’t know if it’s your last practice,” said Pima sophomore forward Lizzie Walker. “You don’t know if it’s your last time being able to play with these girls on the field and so it’s very just stressful and not being sure what’s gonna happen next.”

After Phoenix won the automatic bid, Pima seemed to be competing for a spot with Scottsdale, which it went 2-1 against in the regular season. The 12-team tournament features eight district/region champions and four at-large bids.

“I think with the number of at large bids and being in competition with Scottsdale, because we were so close with them on a number of measures, we weren’t sure what was gonna have more weight and as it turns out they chose us both, which I think is kind of rare to have two from the same region,” Veliz said.

No. 6 seeded PCC opens Pool C play on Sunday at 2:15 p.m. against No. 3 seed Heartland (Ill.).

In 2021, the No. 4 Aztecs tied No. 1 Heartland 2-2 in the national championship match but lost 4-2 on penalty kicks.

Their other pool play match is against No. 10 Pensacola State (Fla.) on Monday at 2:15 p.m.

The tournament consists of a group stage, and then the winners of each pool play in the semifinals and then the finals.

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On the men’s side, also at Huntsville, Pima earned the No. 1 seed after winning the Region I Division II title for the first time since 2020-21.

“It’s obviously really exciting,” said Pima sophomore defender Uriah Burrell, a Catalina Foothills grad. “Last year we didn’t get to go and seeing (the men) go and supporting them. But now we get to support each other and be in Alabama together and just be all happy and be like ‘OK, we’re supporting our one school in Tucson, a small school that people kind of doubt;’ and just to see both teams go and be able to be competitive at a high level and just supportive of each other is really exciting.”

The PCC men will open in Pool A against No. 12 Pellissippi State (Tenn.) on Sunday at 9:15 a.m. Pima, winners of 11 in a row, plays its other pool play match on Tuesday against No. 8 seed Mississippi Gulf Coast at 9:15 a.m.

The tournament’s format is the same as the women’s. Pima won the national championship in 2018 and 2021.

“Obviously with them being the No. 1 seed, very high expectations for them,” Veliz said. “We’re matched up with Heartland again … the team we lost to in the PKs in the nationals, so I think that’s set up for a great contest; these girls weren’t there to experience it, but I was.”

Walker, who went to Canyon del Oro, said the women’s team is close this year, like sisters.

“This year was definitely a step up,” said Walker, who scored 14 goals in 15 matches. “I mean, last year we were a very young team. We had mostly freshmen, so we didn’t exactly know what it was like being a college athlete. I think now this year we had exactly an even amount of freshman and sophomores, so there was just enough leadership and just experience to lead the freshmen into being college athletes and so I think that was a lot better this year for sure.”

Corner kicks

• On Monday, four Pima women’s players were selected to the All-ACCAC and Region I, Division II teams. Walker was first-team All-ACCAC/Region I. As was sophomore defender Ariela Sanchez-Hermosillo, who went to Sahuaro, and sophomore midfielder Solaris Graves, who attended Ironwood Ridge. Freshman defender Kamalani Peralta, a Tucson High alumna, was second team.
• On the men’s side, sophomore defender D’Andre Pickett won ACCAC/Region I Division II Player of the Year. He went to Tucson High. Sophomore midfielder Brandon Sanchez and sophomore midfielder and forward Ismael Ruiz were also first-team All-ACCAC/Region I. Sanchez is a CDO grad and Ruiz hails from Tucson High. Sophomore midfielder Frank Castro and sophomore goalkeeper Jose Carlos Ortiz, of Nogales, were second team.