Dave Cosgrove. Photo courtesy of Pima athletics
The top team in Tucson sports in the fall of 2017? It is once again Pima College’s men’s soccer team, coached by Dave Cosgrove, ranked No. 7 in the NJCAA.
The Aztecs, 11-1-3, are now 42-8-5 over the last three seasons in the most difficult soccer conference in the NJCAA. Pima has twice tied No. 4 Yavapai, and also tied No. 9 Arizona Western. When the ACCAC playoffs begin in two weeks they will essentially be a Final Four in itself; No. 14 Phoenix College last week stunned Yavapai 5-0.
Cosgrove’s club is led by Tucson High product Julian Gaona, who has 11 goals, and by University High grad Chris Cooper, who has six. The Aztecs, who were 16-3-1 and barred from playing in the Region championship game after a post-game altercation that the NJCAA later admitted was not Pima’s fault, added three significant Japanese players this season: Daisuke Takanaka, Hugo Kametani and Tatsuma Yuki have helped to make PCC a national championship contender.
