Fast Facts: A second-year co-captain and three-year starter at center-midfield…After earning Honorable Mention All-New Jersey Athletic Conference distinction as a freshman in 2002, the quarterback of the soccer team led by example in 2003 as he collected First-Team All-NJAC honors…He was the catalyst of the NJCU midfield, and registered all eight of his points in the form of assists, two shy of the NJCU single-season record…Had six game-winning assists as a sophomore…His ball distribution led to many game-winners….He finished the season tied for third in the NJAC in assists and assists per game (0.40)…He enters his junior season with 13 career assists which ranks fourth in school history, and is well within reach of the career record of 23…The player who is looked at to give NJCU direction on the field.
2003: A First-Team All-NJAC and Second-Team Division III NSCAA/adidas® All-Metro Region pick by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America…Named to the All-Tournament team at the Keene State Tournament…Ranked sixth on NJCU with eight points, all by providing a team-best eight assists, which was just two shy of the single-season record…Six of his eight assists set up game-winning goals, and five assists came on a game’s first goal…Overall, he was ranked third in the NJAC in assists and assists per game (0.40), and was tied for seventh in assists during NJAC games…Played in 20 games with 15 starts…Missed two games early in the year with a painful foot injury…Saw 1174 minutes of action…12 shots attempted (six SOG)…Started 13 straight games from September 6 thru October 18…Only started one of final six games when his injury returned…Did not play August 30 vs. St. Joseph’s-Patchogue or September 3 at Hunter College…(09/06): Returned from injury, and assisted on the game-winning goal in a 1-0 upset of host Keene State College (NH) in the Keene State/Diadora-Dunkin’ Donuts Soccer Showdown…(09/07): Added his second game-winning assist in as many days to help NJCU blank Norwich University (VT), 2-0, in the Keene State Tournament, and was named to the All-Tournament team…(09/24): Responsible for a third game-winning assist as NJCU upset Kean University, 1-0, in Hillside…It was NJCU’s first regular-season road win at Kean since 1975…(10/04): Tallied fourth assist of the year in a 9-0 rout of NJAC foe Rutgers-Newark…(10/10): Credited with his fifth assist of the year and fourth on a game-winner as NJCU scored at 72:12 of the second half before upending Susquehanna University , 2-0, to make Kevin East the winningest coach in school history…(11/02): Posted his first two-assist game of his career—both in the first 15 minutes of the game—as part of NJCU’s 9-2 blowout of Farmingdale State, giving him seven helpers in the year…He assisted on the game’s first goal, and then the third goal, for his fifth assist on a game-winner…(11/12): Came off the bench to provide an assist on the eventual game-winner just over six minutes into the second half…Assist was his eighth of the year and sixth on a game-winner…Assist helped lift NJCU into the ECAC Semifinals.
2002: Selected Honorable Mention All-NJAC…Previously named NJAC Rookie of the Week…Started 19 games and played in all 20 as a freshman, logging 1503 minutes, the fifth highest total on the team and the most of any non-defender…Ranked seventh on the team in scoring with one goal and five assists for seven points…His five assists were tied for fourth on the team…18 shots (six SOG)…Started first 13 games of his career, and the final six of the season…Played in every minute of five games…(09/08): Notched his first career point, an assist that set up the game-winning goal, in a 1-0 win over Ferrum College (VA) in the North Carolina Wesleyan College FalClassic…(09/14): One assist in NJCU’s 14-1 blowout of Hunter College…(09/21): Had an assist in NJCU’s 4-0 victory over Mount St. Mary College…(10/12): In only non-start of year, NJCU fell to SUNY-Farmingdale, 1-0…(10/27): Had one assist in a loss at #4-ranked Rowan University…(11/02): Registered a career-high three points, including his first career goal and one assist, while contributing to both NJCU scores in a 2-1 win over William Paterson University…Had a season-high three shots…Opening the game at 4:57 with his first career goal…Go-ahead assist broke a 1-1 second half tie…Loss was WPU’s first on its home field during the season…(11/03): Selected as the NJAC Rookie of the Week for his performance against WPU…(11/04): Selected as NJCU’s men’s student-athlete of the week for the first time in his career.
High School: A June 2002 graduate of Clifton High School…Played three seasons of varsity soccer for head coach Fernando Rossi…His Clifton Mustang team finished the 2001 season with a 21-1 mark and were ranked No. 1 in the state in the final Star-Ledger poll on November 8, 2001…Gonzalez earned both Second-Team All-State and Honorable Mention All-State mention during his career…Clifton advanced to the state semifinals each of the three seasons Gonzalez was on the varsity roster (1999-2001).
Club: Played for NJCU Kevin East’s Y-League Ironbound Strikers U-17 team in Newark since in 2001 and 2002, in addition to East’s Pasco club team in Wayne in 2000.
Personal: Born on December 10, 1984 in Medellin, Colombia…Full name is Johan Esteban Gonzalez…Nickname is “Totono”…Parents are Ester Lopez and Alex Gonzalez…Has a 12-year-old sister, Luisa Fernanda Gonzalez…Major at NJCU is Business Administration-International…Intends to pursue a masters degree after graduating….Would like to play pro soccer at another level once career at NJCU is complete…Lists “God” as his hero…Uses both feet equally on the field…
Favorites:
Hobbies/interest: Reading, volunteering, jogging, biking, climbing, dancing, anfdmetaphysics
Hero/Idol: God
Song: Medellin, Life
Music Artist: Lenny Kravitz, Mozart
Movie: Scarface
Food: Pasta
