WEEK of: SEPTEMBER 17-23, 2007
For the second week in a row and fourth time in his career, junior forward CRISTHIAN ACUNA of the NJCU men’s soccer team has been selected as the NJCU Men's Athlete of the Week. He also earned the New Jersey Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row and second time in his career after he helped lead the Gothic Knights to a pair of conference wins during a historic week for the program.
Behind his goal-producing prowess, NJCU (7-2-0) improved to 3-0-0 in the league for the first time since 1964 and defeated Rowan University in Glassboro for the first time since October 17, 1972. NJCU, voted sixth in the league’s preseason poll, is in sole possession of first place in the conference.
Acuna contributed to four of the five goals NJCU scored last week, and had the game-winner in each win, finishing with two goals, two assists and six points. Acuna’s award marks the third consecutive week than an NJCU player has received the NJAC Offensive Player of the Week award.
Acuna, a 2006 First-Team All-NJAC and First-Team D3Kicks.com All-Region selection, now has 16 points in his last four games.
On September 19 when NJCU defeated Ramapo College, 2-1, in Jersey City, Acuna scored his eighth goal of the season and added an assist to move into second place in school history in helpers. He sparked the Knights’ offense as NJCU scored both of its goals in a span of 3:11 late in the first half.
His thru ball at 38:31 led to the first goal of the game, and gave him 27 career assists, breaking a tie for second place on NJCU’s career list that he shared with former All-American Chris Rosenthal.
Acuna extended NJCU’s lead to 2-0 at 41:42, scoring the eventual game-winner, when he received a feed from the right wing inside the box and rifled a shot in the net for the 20th goal of his three-year career and his 67th point.
On September 22, when NJCU rallied to defeat Rowan in Glassboro, 3-2, for its first win on the Profs’ field in 35 years, Acuna assisted on the game-tying goal and scored the game-winner, igniting the spark that in a span of only 1:43, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 win.
Trailing 2-1, at 64:40, Acuna slipped a pass onto the left wing to set up the game-tying goal with his seventh assist of the year. Moments later at 66:23, Acuna changed the game when he chipped a shot from the left wing over the opposing keeper’s head for the eventual winner—his fifth career game-winning goal.
Acuna increased his career totals to 21 goals, 28 assists and 70 points. He needs three more assists to equal NJCU’s all-time record, and moved into 10th place in school history in goals.
Overall in the NJAC statistic standings through September 23, Acuna leads the conference in points (25) by seven over any other player in the league, and is the NJAC leader in points per game (3.12), assists (7) and assists per game (0.88). He is tied for the NJAC lead in goals (9) and goals per game (1.12), ranks third in shots (29) and shots per game (3.62), and tied for fifth in game-winners (2).
—www.njcugothicknights.com—
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2007-2008 ATHLETES OF THE WEEK |
|
Men’s Athlete of the Week |
Women’s Athlete of the Week |
|
Date |
Name |
Sport |
Date |
Name |
Sport |
|
09/03/2007 |
Marcelo Carpio |
Men’s Soccer |
09/03/2007 |
Alex Johanesen |
Women’s Volleyball |
|
09/10/2007 |
Edison Bilbao |
Men’s Soccer |
09/10/2007 |
Jennifer Albuja |
Women’s Soccer |
|
|
|
|
09/10/2007 |
Lizzelle Cintron |
Women’s Volleyball |
|
09/17/2007 |
Cristhian Acuna |
Men’s Soccer |
09/17/2007 |
Lizzelle Cintron |
Women’s Volleyball |
|
09/24/2007 |
Cristhian Acuna |
Men’s Soccer |
09/24/2007 |
Lizzelle Cintron |
Women’s Volleyball |
