Sophomore midfielder EDISON BILBAO (Carteret, NJ/St. Benedict's Prep) is the first Men's Athlete of the Week of the 2006-07 year after he gave New Jersey City University a 2-0 lead just 53 seconds into the second half of a battle between nationally ranked teams on Sunday, September 3. Stevens Institute of Technology would eventually rally, 3-2, to win the championship of the Stevens College Classic. Bilbao starred for NJCU, scoring three points—a goal and an assist.
In a match-up of two NCAA Sweet 16 qualifiers a year ago, Stevens entered the game ranked #8 in the preseason D3Kicks.com national poll and 13th by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, while the Gothic Knights were ranked 11th and 19th, respectively, by the NSCAA and D3Kicks.
NJCU opened the scoring at 34:57 of the first half off a cross by Bilbao from the left endline. That 1-0 lead would last into halftime.
Moments into the second period, Bilbao buried a cross into the box from the near left wing at 45:53 for his third point of the game.
Bilbao did not score in NJCU’s season opening, 1-0 win over Roanoke College—a contest played in a torrential downpour while battling Tropical Depression Ernesto.
