KANSAS CITY, Mo. (NJCUGothicKnights.com)  | New Jersey City University senior center midfielder Mallensy Vargas (North Bergen, NJ/Memorial) produced offense at one of the greatest rates ever seen in NCAA Division III history last week and for her efforts, she takes home the top honor in collegiate soccer. After Vargas produced an unthinkable 29 points on 12 goals and five assists in a four-game span, she was the clear-cut selection as the NCAA Division III Women's Soccer National Player of the Week from the United Soccer Coaches, the association announced on September 17. 
 
In what has been a remarkable month in the history of NJCU athletics, Vargas is the first Gothic Knight women's soccer player ever to be named Division III National Player of the Week, but she's not the first NJCU player this year. The award comes a week after NJCU's other center midfielder, men's soccer senior Joe Burgos, secured National Player of the Week accolades on September 10.
 
Vargas was previously named New Jersey Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week on September 16 for the fifth time in the last three years. She's the second woman in the country this year to be named National Player of the Week.
 
Full winners list: https://unitedsoccercoaches.org/eight-honored-as-college-players-of-the-week/ 
 
In a week in which NJCU went 4-0-0 to improve to 5-2-0 on the year, Vargas amassed scoring that would be an impressive total for an entire season for most players. Her 29 points is believed to be the most points in the same calendar week in NCAA Division III history. Vargas was involved in every NJCU goal in the final three games of the week, either scoring or assisting the last 13 consecutive NJCU goals and of the 18 goals NJCU scored in four games this week, Vargas contributed to 17 of them. 
 
The National Player of the Week award comes as no surprise for Vargas, who is currently the NCAA national scoring leader among men or women in all divisions—I, II or III—in total goals (14), goals per game (2.33), total points (33) and points per game (5.5). She also ranks second in NCAA Division III in game-winning goals (3), sixth in Division III in total assists (5), 15th in assists per game (0.83), 17th in shots on goal per game (3.5) and 29th in shots per game (5.5).
 
She registered three consecutive hat tricks—her seventh, eighth and ninth of her career— during the week and four braces and has now tallied five consecutive braces dating to the first week of the season. Vargas scored three consecutive game-winning goals and now has 12 for her career. She has 14 goals and five assists for 33 points in six games this year and 125 points in her career (54 goals, 17 assists).
 
The three-time All-NJAC standout led NJCU to a 5-2 home win over previously unbeaten College of Mount Saint Vincent on September 10, scoring three goals with one assist for seven points in the first half. She only attempted four shots, putting three on goal and all went into the goal. She did not play in the second half.
 
24 hours later on September 11, she helped NJCU hand Cedar Crest its second loss of the season, notching an incredible nine points on a career-high four goals and one assist in 83 minutes. She was responsible for 10 shots, with six on goal in the road win.
 
On September 14 in a 6-3 road win at Penn State Brandywine, Vargas was busy in just 68 minutes of action, recording another nine-point effort with three goals and three assists. Of her seven shots, three were on goal.
 
Finally, on September 15 in a 2-1 win at Lehman, she scored both of NJCU's goals. She had a first-half Goal Olimpico—curling a corner kick untouched into the far upper right corner on a kick from the left endline, before adding the eventual winner in  the 63rd minute.
 
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