BRUCE NEVES is the NJCU Men's Athlete of the Week for the first time this season and the second time in his career after the junior goalkeeper came up with huge contributions in goal last week as the Gothic Knights went 1-0-1, with a 1-0 win over Richard Stockton College on September 30, and a 1-1 road tie with Kean University on September 27. NJCU is unbeaten in eight consecutive games entering the week.
In the win over Stockton, the Ospreys outshot NJCU 20-6, but despite being pressured all game, the two instances in which Stockton did put the ball on target, Neves, a 2005 All-Region selection, came up with huge stops.
At 63:03 of the second half, Stockton had a great chance on a blast from the right wing, which Neves tipped up and out of play. At 84:53, the Ospreys pinpointed a header on target that appeared to be a certain goal, but Neves was positioned perfectly, and made what proved to be a game-saving stop in the center of the net. With the two saves, Neves posted his third shutout of the season and the team’s fourth.
In NJCU’s 1-1 tie at Kean, Neves again was key, making a season-high seven saves. Among his most important stops came early in the first overtime, as Kean had a solid scoring opportunity on a 2-on-1 with Neves, before the keeper made a game-saving stop at the six-yard marker.
For the season, he ranks tied for second in the league in shutouts, fifth in the NJAC in goals against average (0.85), seventh in shutouts per game (0.33), and ninth in save percentage (.742).
