INDIANAPOLIS, IN…New Jersey City University sophomore striker
JENNIFER ALBUJA (Union City, NJ/Hoboken) has become the first men's or women's soccer player in school history to win an NCAA Division III national statistical championship in an offensive category and has accomplished the feat in two statistics. In the final 2008 Division III women's soccer national statistical report recently released by the NCAA,
Albuja has claimed the 2008 national statistical crown in both goals and points per game.
Overall, the two national statistical crowns won by Albuja mark the 28th ever won by any NJCU athletic team in school history.
Albuja, who broke the New Jersey Athletic Conference single-season scoring record with 32 goals in only 19 games this season, and finished with 69 points, averaged 1.684 goals and 3.63 points per game for the season. She was named Honorable Mention All-NJAC this year after earning 2007 NJAC Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-NJAC distinction, and was a two-time NJAC Offensive Player of the Week this season.
At 1.684 goals per game, she had a healthy margin over Edgewood College freshman Elaine Gerry, who had 35 goals in 22 games, an average of 1.591 per game. Albuja and Gerry were the only two players to lead the nation in the category on a weekly basis during the course of the season.
Albuja's 3.63 points per game average edged out Maryville University (TN) sophomore Jessica Petersen, who had 34 goals and 11 assists for 79 points in 22 games for a 3.59 per game average.
Overall, Albuja's 32 goals equaled the third most total netters in the nation but were achieved in far fewer games. Her 69 total points, four shy of the single-season conference record of 73, were the seventh highest total in the nation.
Behind her efforts, NJCU set a single-season record with 66 goals, obliterating the previous single-season mark of 45 set in 1994, and the Gothic Knights finished 18th in the nation with a 3.47 per game scoring average. NJCU finished 9-10 overall, matching the single-season program record for victories.
“Players like Jennifer seldom come around and to have one like her who is on the same page as the coaches only betters this program,” said third-year head coach
ROBERT BIELAN. “She could have had more goals this season but was very unselfish. She deserves all of her accolades. She has done her program, her parents and her teammates proud.”
Meanwhile, freshman forward
NICOLE SARICA (Linden, NJ/Linden), who had a team-best 10 assists in 19 games, ranked 37
th nationally in assists per game for the year.
Albuja's two statistical titles marked the seventh by the women's soccer team. Amanda Cobb, the NCAA's all-time, all-genders, all-divisions leader in career saves, led the country in saves per game in 1998 and 2000, and the Knights led the country in saves per game as a team in each of those years as well. Gina Sgroi led Division III in saves per game in 2003—the last statistical title won by the program prior to this season.
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www.njcugothicknights.com—
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NJCU'S ALL-TIME NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL STATISTICAL CHAMPIONSHIPS (28)
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Year
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Sport
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Player/Team
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Category
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Statistic
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1976
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Men's Soccer
|
Dave Malefsky
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Saves Per Game
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15.82 (174 saves, 11 games)
|
|
1977
|
Baseball
|
Dave Malefsky
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Triples Per Game
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0.35 (8 triples, 23 games)
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|
1982
|
Baseball
|
Andy Ortiz
|
Strikeouts Per 9 Innings
|
16.5 (103 strikeouts, 56.1 innings
|
|
1982
|
Softball
|
Debbie Breen
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Doubles Per Game
|
0.50 (8 doubles, 16 games)
|
|
1982
|
Women's Basketball
|
Carla Gadsden
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Rebounds
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579
|
|
1982
|
Women's Basketball
|
Carla Gadsden
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Rebounds Per Game
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21.4 (579, 27 games)
|
|
1983
|
Baseball
|
Greg Selecky
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Doubles Per Game
|
0.61 (14 Doubles, 23 games)
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|
1983
|
Softball
|
Laura Doughty
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Bases on Balls Per Game
|
1.44 (26 walks, 18 games)
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|
1989
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Women's Basketball
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Doris Nicholson
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Field Goal Percentage
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.647 (205-317, 27 games)
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|
1993
|
Baseball
|
Paul Grasso
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Doubles Per Game
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0.59 (17 doubles, 29 games)
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|
1995
|
Men's Basketball
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TEAM
|
Field Goal Percentage Defense
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.370 (702-1897)
|
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1997
|
Women's Volleyball
|
Sheila Landa
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Service Aces
|
144
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1997
|
Women's Volleyball
|
Geovanny Gomez
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Service Aces Per Game
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1.264
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|
1998
|
Women's Soccer
|
Amanda Cobb
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Saves Per Game
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21.55 (237 saves, 11 games)
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|
1998
|
Women's Soccer
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TEAM
|
Saves Per Game
|
21.55 (237 saves, 11 games)
|
|
2000
|
Women's Soccer
|
Amanda Cobb
|
Saves Per Game
|
20.61 (371 saves, 18 games)
|
|
2000
|
Women's Soccer
|
TEAM
|
Saves Per Game
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20.61 (371 saves, 18 games)
|
|
2003
|
Women's Soccer
|
Gina Sgroi
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Saves Per Game
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18.73 (281 saves, 15 games)
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|
2004
|
Women's Volleyball
|
Lizzelle Cintron
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Total Kills
|
831
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|
2004
|
Women's Volleyball
|
Lizzelle Cintron
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Kills Per Game
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6.87 (831 kills, 121 games)
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|
2005
|
Women's Basketball
|
Latrese McNair
|
Steals Per Game
|
5.4 (145, 27 games)
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|
2006
|
Women's Basketball
|
Latrese McNair
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Steals Per Game
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5.1 (123, 24 games)
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|
2006
|
Women's Volleyball
|
Lizzelle Cintron
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Total Kills
|
846
|
|
2006
|
Women's Volleyball
|
Lizzelle Cintron
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Hitting Percentage
|
.496 (846-165-1372)
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|
2006
|
Women's Volleyball
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TEAM
|
Hitting Percentage
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.339 (2221-670-4574)
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|
2007
|
Women's Volleyball
|
Lizzelle Cintron
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Kills Per Game
|
6.04 (646 kills, 107 games)
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|
2008
|
Women's Soccer
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JENNIFER ALBUJA
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Goals Per Game
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1.684
|
|
2008
|
Women's Soccer
|
JENNIFER ALBUJA
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Points Per Game
|
3.63
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