JERSEY CITY, NJ (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | Two former
New Jersey City University men's soccer standouts, defender
MOHAMED CONTEH (Trenton, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro North) and goalkeeper
Sheldon Parkinson (New Rochelle, NY/Herbert H. Lehman (Bronx, NY)) will be in action tonight when they suit up in third round of the
2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup at St. John's University's Belson Soccer Stadium.
Conteh and
Parkinson, both members of the Brooklyn Italians of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) will face the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL). The winner of the match will face the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer next month.
The Cosmos are the defending 2013 NASL Soccer Bowl champions—a team that included former NJCU All-American and two-time New Jersey Athletic Conference Midfielder of the Year in
Edison Bilbao (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep). However,
Bilbao, who recently signed a new professional soccer contract in Malta, will not play in the game on May 28.
If Brooklyn wins, it plays at the Red Bulls on June 11. The Cosmos would host the Red Bulls on June 14 with a victory. Based on the weighted structure of the U.S. Open Cup, NASL-level clubs enter the field for the first time in round three with MLS teams joining the tournament in the fourth round.
Brooklyn was a 4-2 winner over the Jersey Express of the USL's Premier Development League (PDL) on May 14 in the second round, rebounding from a 2-1 second half deficit to advance.
Parkinson made nine saves in the win.
U.S. Open Cup Round 3 Preview 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.
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.
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.
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
