JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) |
New Jersey City University's men's soccer program will be well-represented in the
2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on May 14 when a pair of former All-New Jersey Athletic Conference standouts suit up for the Brooklyn Italians of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in its second round match against the Jersey Express of the USL's Premier Development League (PDL) at 8 p.m. at NJIT's Lubetkin Field in Newark.
Defender
MOHAMED CONTEH (Trenton, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro North), who concluded his two-year Gothic Knight career this season and former goalkeeper
Sheldon Parkinson (New Rochelle, NY/Herbert H. Lehman (Bronx, NY)) are both expected to start tonight for Brooklyn. The match winner faces the New York Cosmos, champions of the North American Soccer League (NASL) on Wednesday, May 28 at St. John's University's Belson Soccer Stadium.
Conteh, a 2013 First-Team All-NJAC and First-Team All-Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metro Men's Soccer All-Star, was a two-time All-Conference honoree for NJCU, having earned Second-Team All-NJAC and NCAA Division III NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region Third Team honors as a junior in 2012. A star at defensive midfield and in the back, he was a two-year team co-captain.
Conteh concluded his two-year career with 22 points on seven goals and eight assists while playing and starting 39 games and logging 3,193 minutes. He attempted 66 career shots (24 SOG) with a pair of game-winners. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Business Management major,
also was featured on ESPN Sports Center's Top 10 Plays on October 3, 2013 when the highlight of his long-range goal against Kean University was featured as the No. 8 Play of the Day on, making him the third men's soccer player ever featured on Sports Center. Parkinson, an athletic, 6-foot-5, 203-pounder, played for NJCU during the 2012 season before leaving school after his junior campaign to turn professional with the Phoenix FC Wolves of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) Pro. The Jamaican-born goalkeeper signed with Phoenix in February 2013, made his first professional start on April 14, 2013 and quickly became a fan favorite. He played in eight games for Phoenix in 2013, posting a 1.003 goals against average with 14 saves and one shutout.
At NJCU,
Parkinson earned Honorable Mention All-NJAC status in Fall 2012 despite missing a portion of the season due to injury. His most notable game as a Gothic Knight came in the ECAC Metro Quarterfinals on November 9, 2012 when he stopped four of seven Brooklyn College penalty kicks in a shootout to help NJCU advance to the semifinals after a 3-3 deadlock. In 13 games for NJCU he had a 2.34 GAA and 5-6-1 record, making 87 saves in 1153:35 minutes while facing 232 shots.
The 2014 U.S. Open Cup kicked off on May 7 with the largest field in the tournament's modern history (1995-present)—80 teams—including professional clubs at all division levels of U.S. soccer, including Division I (Major League Soccer) and Division III (NASL).
It is the 101st edition of the tournament that is recognized as U.S. Soccer's National Club Championship. The annual competition is open to all amateur and professional soccer teams affiliated with U.S. Soccer. The tournament has crowned a champion for 100 consecutive years dating back to 1914. MLS's D.C. United is the defending champion.
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