PITMAN, N.J. (NJCUGothicKnights.com) | For the third consecutive year, New Jersey City University senior center midfielder Mallensy Vargas (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) has been named First-Team All-New Jersey Athletic Conference, in voting by the league's 10 head coaches announced this week. Vargas concludes her all-time great Gothic Knight career as an overall four-time All-NJAC selection.
 
Vargas becomes the first Gothic Knight to ever be named First-Team All-NJAC three times and the fourth NJCU women's soccer player to earn a spot on an All-Conference team in four seasons playing in Jersey City. 
 
Jennifer Albuja was previously the only multiple-time First-Team honoree (2007 and 2011). Albuja (First Team: 2007 and 2011; Honorable Mention: 2008 and 2011) and Brittany Hoffman (Honorable Mention: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) were the other four-time All-Conference honorees. Katie Feehan was Second-Team in 2007 and a three-time Honorable Mention selection (All-NJAC in 2005 and 2006; All-Independents in 2004).
 
"Mallensy has been a pleasure to coach," said fourth-year head coach Anthony Tuesta. "It's very impressive what she's been able to accomplish in her four years at NJCU. All the records she's reached and all her achievements are a testament to the kind of player and person she is. I've never seen such a committed, determined player. She's been unselfish on the field and a great leader on and off the field."
 
Vargas was the 2016 NJAC co-Rookie of the Year. She earned Second-Team All-NJAC distinction that season before taking home First-Team accolades in 2017, 2018 and 2019. She was this year's runner up for NJAC Midfielder of the Year laurels.
 
Vargas finished her career as the program's third all-time leading scorer behind only Albuja and the late Julia Caseres. In 61 career games (58 starts), she produced 139 points on 59 goals and 21 assists. She notched five game-winning goals this season, bringing her final career tally to

14 game winners. She logged 5,072 total minutes of action in an NJCU uniform. Vargas notched nine career hat tricks including three in 2019, and netted 15 braces (six in 2019). 
 
The 2019 season was her best statistically, as she had career highs in goals (19), assists (9) and points (47). While she was consistent throughout her four years—never scoring fewer than 13 goals or 29 points—her previous season highs were 14 goals, six assists and 32 points. She had a career-high 92 shots this year (48 on goal), finishing her four years with 290 shots and 154 on target. A defensive nightmare, in her career she has had 10 or more shots in a game seven times and 13 or more four times. She was successful on 7-of-8 penalty kicks in her career..
 
Vargas is also a two-time All-ECAC performer, taking home First-Team honors in 2017 for all regions the ECAC covers and Second-Team status in 2018. A 14-time NJCU Athlete of the Week and a five-time NJAC Offensive Player of the Week in the last three years—including once this year—Vargas was named the NCAA Division III National Player of the Week on September 17 after producing 29 points in one week—the most in the same calendar week in NCAA Division III history. In a four-game span from September 9-15, she scored or assisted on 13 consecutive NJCU goals and of the 18 goals NJCU scored that week, Vargas contributed to 17 of them. She was later named the ECAC Division III Metro Player of the Month for September, 2019.
 
As a freshman in 2016, Vargas was featured on the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 for her golden goal against Rutgers-Newark. Well known for her footskills, Vargas has a national presence on Instagram with nearly 19,000 followers.
 
A Criminal Justice major, Vargas will pursue a professional soccer career after graduating from NJCU and eventually may opt to become a coach.
 
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