David Lima (’86) ranks as one of the best players in the storied history of the Westfield State men’s soccer program. The Ludlow native was an All-America nominee, a three-time All-New England and four-time all-conference selection. He was the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) player of the year in 1984 when he led the Owls to the second round of the NCAA national tournament.

Despite playing midfield his first three years, Lima ranks seventh on the Owls’ all-time scoring charts with 120 points (48 goals, 24 assists). During his senior season in 1984, he tallied 51 points and 23 goals, the third best mark in school history.

A big-game striker, Lima led the Owls to a 15-4-2 record in 1984 and scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over previously unbeaten Salem State – ranked third nationally – in the NCAA Tournament. He scored 35 points (14 goals, 7 assists) in 1983 when the Owls were 12-6-1 and participated in the ECAC Tournament.

Lima continued to excel on the pitch following his collegiate career. He played on the U.S. East Region National Select Team from 1984 to 1986, and was in the U.S. Olympic and national team player pool as one of the top 100 players in the United States. In 1986 he was the only New England player chosen to participate in the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival.

Lima was a two-time Luso American Soccer League first division all-star and played for six years on the Connecticut state all-star select team. In total, he played 15 years as a semi-pro player in three different leagues, and won multiple Connecticut Division I championships as a member of the Gremio Lusitano Club of Ludlow. 

Lima has been a player/coach for the Unity Athletic Club soccer team of the Pioneer Valley Summer Soccer League (PVSSL) for the past 30 years. He has led the club team to 11 PVSSL championships and garnered multiple league MVP and leading scorer trophies. He played alongside his son, Michael, for five years in the PVSSL, and with Michael earning MVP honors they led the Unity Athletic Club to the PVSSL championship in 2005.

Ranked the 20th all-time greatest Ludlow athlete by the Ludlow Register newspaper, Lima received professional tryout offers from overseas clubs in Holland and Belgium and six teams in the United States Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).

Lima was a standout player at Ludlow High School. During his junior year in 1979, he scored a goal the Lions’ 2-1 victory over Needham in the state championship game. He was an All-America nominee and an All-State and All-New England selection in 1980 when he scored a league-high 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists). Lima is being inducted into the Ludlow High School Hall of Fame on Sept. 25, 2011.

In addition, Lima coached championship youth and high school summer clubs from 1990 to 2003 and has been a soccer official for the past seven years. He successfully completed his NCAA collegiate referee exam in November of 2010.

Lima worked for more than 20 years as a licensed insurance adjuster after graduating from Westfield State with a degree in business administration. He has been employed since 2008 as a correctional officer in the Hampden Country Sheriff’s Department. He and his wife, Marcia, reside in Ludlow and will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary this year. Their son Michael played on two state championship teams at Ludlow High School and is a graduate of Franklin Pierce University, where he was a star player for the 2007 NCAA Division II national champions.