Sheldon Parkinson
Parkinson, an Honorable Mention All-New Jersey Athletic Conference selection, was the hero as NJCU advanced to the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Metro Tournament semifinals on November 9 with a thrilling shootout advancement past Brooklyn College.
In a quarterfinal game that was postponed twice because of a Nor’Easter, and did not end until after midnight, he only made one save in regulation or overtime, but his performance in a penalty kick shootout was nothing short of sensational. Parkinson stopped four of Brooklyn College’s seven penalty kicks, edging the Bulldogs, 4-3 in seven shootout rounds following a 3-3 double overtime tie.
After BC scored on its first two shootout chances, Parkinson dove and batted away a chance struck towards the left post, three feet off the ground. NJCU took a 3-2 lead. BC went the other way with its fourth shot but once again Parkinson made the save, diving towards the near right post. Parkinson then had a chance to win it himself as the shooter before his chance was stopped.
The next shooter for Brooklyn went low and right, but Parkinson again used his 6-foot-5 frame and massive reach to knock the chance away. After NJCU missed on its third consecutive chance to end it, Parkinson went back between the posts and smothered his fourth penalty kick—a shot towards the left post—before NJCU finally advanced at 12:02 a.m. on its seventh PK opportunity.
Less than 15 hours later NJCU had to turn around and face Richard Stockton College in the ECAC semifinals. NJCU led 1-0 at halftime but was gassed from the night before, losing 5-1. Parkinson made 10 saves in 80:44 of action, including eight in the first half to preserve a shutout at the time.
In an injury-ridden junior season, Parkinson still proved to be a dynamic addition to the club. He played in 13 games (all starts) and made 87 saves versus just 30 goals against in 1153:35 of action. While his goals against average of 2.34 can largely be attributed to facing 232 shots on the season, he did own a .744 save percentage and reached double figures in saves in three outings, with a high of 12. He finished the year with a 5-6-1 ledger.
He wrapped up the season as the NJAC leader in saves per game at 6.69—almost two stops per game higher than any other keeper in the league—and he was third overall in total saves, ranking six saves shy of the NJAC lead in that category despite playing in eight fewer games than the league leader (Matt Broomall, Rutgers-Newark, 93 saves). Parkinson also ranked 12th in save percentage and 15th in goals against average.
