The Golden Eagles will be without a key fixture of the past two years when they step on the pitch next season, as sophomore forward Coco Navarro has left the program to play professionally according to head coach Louis Bennett.
Navarro has signed with the Real Monarchs, the USL Pro affiliate of Real Salt Lake, Bennett announced on Twitter.
Navarro arrived on campus as one of the highest ranked recruits in program history, ranked 38th nationally by Top Drawer Soccer. The Inglewood, Calif. native lived up to expectations, producing immediately at Marquette. He scored three goals and five assists in 21 games as a freshman, earning him a spot on the Big East All-Rookie team. Navarro is also credited with propelling Marquette to its first tournament victory, scoring the overtime winner against Akron in the waning minutes of extra time.
Prior to this season he was a member of the preseason Big East All-Conference Second team. However, his production slightly declined this season. His two goals and one assist was good for fifth on the team in points. Both goals were scored during non-conference play, against Northern Illinois and Drake.
Navarro is no stranger to the Real Salt Lake program. He played in five matches with the RSL reserve team in the spring of 2013. He scored the game winner in the team’s 2-1 victory over Colorado’s reserves on March 16th. Novarro also represented RSL-Arizona at the MLS Generation Adidas Cup the year prior.
The Real Monarchs, based in Sandy, Utah, will kick off its first season in the USL Pro later this year. Founded in 2011, the league is the third tier of the United States soccer pyramid. It is primarily used as a development league for Major League Soccer.
Navarro is the third Marquette player to move to the professional ranks in the United States this year. Defenseman Axel Sjoberg and Charlie Lyon were both taken in the MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado Rapids and the Seattle Sounders, respectively.
