The road to Tucson is nearly upon us and the Panthers have plenty of momentum after winning the Region IV Tournament. The bracket has been revealed and the Panthers are the No. 4 seed for the National Tournament in Tucson, Arizona. The number four spot is where the Panthers have been ranked in the previous two polls.
They will face the likes of No. 5 seed Pima and or No. 9 seed Southeastern when the pool play begins on Monday, November 14 at the Kino North Complex. The tournament runs from November 14-19 and is hosted by Pima Community College, who are the defending NJCAA Division II national champions. It is a 12-team national tournament that features the top 11 ranked teams in the current poll plus Massasoit.
This was the fourth time coach Juan Franco has won the Region IV Championship and they are looking for more postseason success than ever before with their special squad.
"We have prepared every single athlete to improve day by day physically and mentally and we have injected the winning mentality," said Franco.
Knocking off Prairie State (who also made the tournament as at an-large bid team) 2-1 in overtime, thanks to the game-winner by Rafael Silverio has helped give the team an opportunity to compete for a national championship. He credits coach Franco and his teammates for all the success.
"I'm super proud of my team for what we accomplished. We did history together against the odds and we did it in style! Being undefeated, Conference, Region IV, and the Midwest District champion after a crazy comeback," said Silverio.
On the season, Silverio has scored at least one goal in eight straight games. That includes two games against Rock Valley where he helped lead the Panthers to narrow victories in both matchups.
"Rafael Silverio is very skillful forward! He's lefty more than right footer but he can use both of his feet very well. He scored a magnificent goal for the win in the Region IV Championship with his right foot," said Franco.
The season total is at 18 goals for Silverio, which ranks eighth in the NJCAA Division II. No. 9 for the Panthers has been so proud of his teammates and knows they have all made him a better player.
"I'm so grateful to be part of this team of warriors and blessed that I'm having a great season helping the team. Scoring the game-winner goals in Semifinal and Final is something that I'll never forget. I couldn't have done it without the help of my coaches and teammates that somehow are making me a better player," said Silverio.
The Panthers have battled all season long to reach this special moment for the program. Head coach Juan Franco has now guided four teams to a Region IV championship (2014, 2015, 2018, 2022).
The Panthers are hoping the fourth time's the charm as they head to Tucson.
"It feels different because even though we had some ups and downs during our season we're still keeping our goals as a priority. And for that reason together to become stronger as a team to stay undefeated. It doesn't matter who scores," said Franco.
Being ranked No. 4, the Panthers have won 16 straight games. Those wins include current Top 20 teams such as Prairie State, Rock Valley, and Waubonsee.
Coach Franco has enjoyed watching the team achieve many of its goals with sensational production in Region IV matchups. The success goes back to the preseason where they defeated Heartland, 2-1. Heartland was seeded No. 6 in the National Tournament. They also tied Parkland as well to start the season and have since rattled off 16 in a row.
"I made a plan since I started recruiting for this fall. I put in my mind to creating the best team ever. I let my recruiters know what I want and what I need. I started to build up a team around great athletes from last year like Rafael Silverio, Luis Escalante, Okuma, Rosito, Chris, Pedro, and Matheus Milani just to mention some of them. And it works with the creativity of freshmen Bachir Bouamama, and amazing goalkeeper Gabriel Moreira, also new recruits Jean Leonardo, Juan Sanchez, Diego Rodriguez, Andreas Sanches, Leonardo Couto just to mention some of them, it just works," said Franco.
The excitement is through the roof for these Panthers and the potential is on another level. The road to Tucson all begins next week and if the past few weeks were any indication, the postseason journey should be a thrill ride.
"The journey wasn't easy at all, but it was worth it. Seeing our hard work during those months paying off is amazing. We deserved it so much," said Silverio.
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