WEEK of: NOVEMBER 12-18, 2007
For the fifth time in his career and the third time this season, men's soccer junior forward CRISTHIAN ACUNA (East Newark, NJ/Harrison) is the NJCU Men's Athlete of the Week after he scored a game-tying goal—his second of the game—with 1:52 remaining in regulation, in a 3-2 overtime loss to Montclair State University in the NCAA Sweet 16 on November 17. Despite the loss, Acuna's goal is among the biggest in NJCU men’s soccer history.
Acuna's first goal moved him into third place in school history in total points, moving past Marc Palumbo (1999-02, 78 points), and his score later in the contest was his 25th goal and 81st point; he is now fifth in career goals.
The greatest season of men’s soccer in NJCU history came to a close at 18-5-1, with the Gothic Knights, ranked No. 7 nationally by the NSCAA.
Trailing 1-0 in the first half, Acuna, the 2007 NJAC Offensive Player of the Year tied the game at 32:06 of the first half on a beautiful play. Junior midfielder EDISON BILBAO (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict’s Prep), the NJAC Midfielder of the Year, sent a perfect thru ball on the ground on the right of the box, Acuna beat a defender and stuck a one-timer inside the right post for his 12th goal of the season. It was 1-1 at the half, with shots even at 4-4.
With 12:08 remaining, MSU gained a 2-1 lead. Just when the outcome looked bleak for NJCU, Acuna scored one of NJCU's greatest goals at 88:08. Sophomore midfielder JOHN BERNAL (Paterson, NJ/Inem (Medellin, Colombia) unleashed a diagonal thru ball from the midfield area onto the left wing, which Acuna collected, faked towards his right, and pounded a one-timer past the MSU goalkeeper and inside the left post to unleash pandemonium by the NJCU fans whom had driven three hours from North Jersey to observe the game. The goal was Acuna’s team-best 13th of the year.
Acuna finished the season leading the team in goals (13) and points (36) as the Knights scored 81 goals in 24 games—third most in single-season school history. He was third in assists (10), fourth in shots (55) and shots on goal (28). He also ranked second in game-winners (4), twice scored the first goal of a game and had one hat trick. He accomplished this while playing in only 19 games (14 starts) and 1,136 minutes, missing much of October with injuries.
In the final NJAC statistical rankings, Acuna listed first in points per game (1.89), second in total points (36) and assists per game (0.53), third in goals (13) and goals per game (0.68), fourth in assists (10) and shots per game (2.89), tied for fourth in game-winning goals (4) and seventh in shots (55).
|
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 |
|
10/01/2007 |
Marcelo Carpio |
Men’s Soccer |
10/01/2007 |
Lizzelle Cintron |
Women’s Volleyball |
|
|
|
|
|
Kelly Reilly |
Women’s Soccer |
|
10/08/2007 |
Nabil Wahbi |
Men’s Soccer |
10/08/2007 |
Jennifer Albuja |
Women’s Soccer |
|
|
|
|
|
Lizzelle Cintron |
Women’s Volleyball |
|
10/15/2007 |
Jonathan Bilbao |
Men’s Soccer |
10/15/2007 |
Lizzelle Cintron |
Women’s Volleyball |
|
10/22/2007 |
Edison Bilbao |
Men’s Soccer |
10/22/2007 |
Jennifer Albuja |
Women’s Soccer |
|
10/29/2007 |
Andre Viola |
Men’s Soccer |
10/29/2007 |
Lizzelle Cintron |
Women’s Volleyball |
|
11/05/2007 |
Jonathan Bilbao |
Men’s Soccer |
11/05/2007 |
Lizzelle Cintron |
Women’s Volleyball |
|
|
|
|
|
Kristina Figueiredo |
Women’s Bowling |
|
11/12/2007 |
Jonathan Bilbao |
Men’s Soccer |
11/12/2007 |
Lizzelle Cintron |
Women’s Volleyball |
|
11/19/2007 |
Cristhian Acuna |
Men’s Soccer |
11/19/2007 |
Vicki Spratford |
Women’s Bowling |
