SAN JOSE, Calif. – The San Jose Earthquakes announced today that the club has signed defender Nick Lima as a Homegrown Player to a multi-year contract. Lima, a native of Castro Valley, is the second player to sign a Homegrown contract with the Quakes, joining Tommy Thompson who signed ahead of the 2014 season.
Lima, 22, was a standout student-athlete at the University of California. As a senior, Lima started 16 matches and scored four goals, third most on the team, en route to being named NCAA Division I Men's All-Far West Region First Team and First-Team All-Pac-12. He was also selected as the Pac-12 Player of the Week on Aug. 29 for scoring two goals, including the game-winner, against Penn St. University.
“We’re very excited to add a promising young player like Nick to our roster,” said interim general manager Chris Leitch. “We have worked closely with Nick since he was in high school, through his time at Cal and with the First Team and PDL. He will make a great addition to the Quakes’ talented young core.”
In 2015, Lima received NCAA Division I Men's All-Far West Region First Team and First-Team All-Pac-12 honors after starting all 17 of Cal's matches, tallying two goals and four assists while helping keep four shutouts. He was also named Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 as a sophomore in 2014. During his four years with the Golden Bears, Lima made 51 starts in 70 total appearances and tallied six goals and nine assists.
“From what I’ve seen of Nick, both at Cal and in training sessions with the First Team, he’s capable of playing both sides of the field and likes to get forward and attack,” said Earthquakes head coach Dominic Kinnear. “He has a great competitive spirit and we’re very excited to see him in preseason with us in the coming months and beyond.”
In addition to competing for the Quakes Academy, Lima also played for the Earthquakes’ Premier Development League affiliate Burlingame Dragons FC during the 2015 and 2016 seasons and trained extensively with the First Team over the years. He attended Castro Valley High School where he was a two-sport athlete, excelling at both soccer and football.
Transaction: San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) – Earthquakes sign D Nick Lima as a Homegrown Player.
Nick Lima
Position: Defender
Height: 5-9
Weight: 177
Born: Nov. 17, 1994 in Castro Valley, Calif.
Hometown: Castro Valley, Calif.
Last Club: Cal
College: Cal
Citizenship: U.S.A.
