Heading into this soccer season, most of the players on the Pima College men's team were freshmen. Coach David Cosgrove was looking for several players to tally goals.
He targeted freshmen Minh Vu to help shoulder the load.
The former Rincon/University High School standout has done more than that.
Vu leads the 11th-ranked Aztecs — and the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference — with 15 goals with two regular-season games remaining. He scored a goal and added an assist in Pima's 4-0 victory over South Mountain on Wednesday in the Aztecs' final home game before the postseason. Pima (14-3-1) holds a slim lead in the ACCAC over Yavapai (14-3) and Phoenix (12-1-3).
"We knew we had something special in Minh," Cosgrove said. "There was no doubt in my mind he was the top player coming into the program. He's lived up to all of the hype and all the expectations, and he's handled it well.
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"He has a knack for scoring big goals and really good goals. He's very consistent. People underrate his athleticism and strength."
In helping guide Rincon to three state title games, Vu said he generated interest from Grand Canyon, Denver and UNLV — and Grand Canyon offered him a full-ride scholarship — but his grades fell short of qualifying. So he opted to continue his soccer career at Pima, and he hopes to eventually play for a Division I school.
"That was my expectation, to come over here and do my best," said Vu, adding he wants to add weight to his 5-foot-10-inch frame. The college level of play "is a lot quicker and more aggressive, but that's going to help me out if I move on the next level."
Pima will play at No. 6 Yavapai and No. 7 Phoenix in its final two games. The conference champion earns the top seed, the right to host and a first-round bye in the region playoffs.
"We start regularly eight or nine freshmen, and 15 of our top 19 are freshmen," Cosgrove said.
"These kids have really responded to the challenges and the tradition we've had here for the last decade. Every day I sit back and I'm a little more impressed."
Other sports
• Antonio Fernandez was hired as the baseball team's hitting coach. Fernandez played third base in the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres minor-league organizations and has served as a volunteer coach at Pima and as an instructor for the Tucson Baseball Academy and Tucson Mountain Little League.
• New men's tennis coach Sharif Moustafa will teach hourly lessons at a 24-hour teach-a-thon fundraiser from noon Saturday to noon Sunday at the Tucson Racquet & Fitness Club. The event is full, but Moustafa said he is fielding donations for the team.
• The football team (0-6) has a bye week after losing to No. 7 Snow 21-13 last week in Tucson. "We're still playing with 18-19 freshmen, and we played one of the best teams in the country to the end," coach Pat Nugent said. "We were down 21-0 and could have folded. Our kids didn't quit. They haven't quit all year, and I'm real happy with their determination."
• The No. 13 women's soccer team beat South Mountain 5-2 to maintain first place in the ACCAC. The Aztecs (15-1) have two regular-season games remaining. "We think our best game is still in front of us," coach Kendra Veliz said. "We can play better as a team from front to back, defense to offense."
• The cross country teams compete today at the Mt. SAC Invitational in Walnut, Calif. The men are ranked 14th, and the women are 10th.
• The volleyball team fell to 9-12 after a 3-0 loss to Glendale on Wednesday.
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