PITMAN --- The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its men's soccer weekly honors for the week ending Oct. 4.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KEVIN CONTRERAS • Montclair State University
Junior • Forward • Northvale, NJ / Northern Valley Old Tappan
Contreras has been named NJAC Offensive Player of the Week after totaling five goals and an assist, good for 11 points, as Montclair State went 3-0. The junior scored four of his five goals in NJAC play. He found the net twice in a 5-0 win over New Paltz, then scored twice more, including the game-winner, in a 4-2 victory at Rutgers-Newark. He opened the week with a goal and an assist in a 7-0 rout of Centenary. Contreras put 11 of his 14 shots on target while playing just 119 minutes across the three games. He currently leads the NJAC in conference-only goals (4) and is up to nine goals total – second in the NJAC – for the season.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MATT MACERI • The College of New Jersey
Sophomore • Defender • Cedar Grove, NJ / Seton Hall Prep
Maceri has been selected as NJAC Defensive Player of the Week after anchoring a TCNJ back line that forced opponents into low-percentage looks all week as he played all 180 minutes across two conference matches. Maceri and the Lions’ defense allowed just five combined shots on goal, including just two shots on goal as TCNJ picked up a huge conference point in a 1-1 draw with No. 3 Rowan. Maceri went the full 90 again in a 4-1 win over Kean, where the Lions' defense once again kept its opponent off-kilter, allowing only three of Kean's 10 total shots to be on goal. He also contributed offensively with a goal and an assist against the Cougars. Maceri leads TCNJ in minutes played and ranks second on the team in goals (4) and points (10).
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
ZAHRA-DEEN AMADOU • Rutgers University-Newark
Freshman • Forward • Jersey City, NJ / Dickinson
Amadou earns NJAC Rookie of the Week for the second time this year after totaling eight points on three goals and two assists in two conference games. The freshman recorded six points in a 6-1 win over William Paterson, scoring twice and adding two assists while putting all three of his shots on target. He followed by scoring Rutgers-Newark's first goal in a 4-2 loss to Montclair State, finishing with four shots, three of them on goal. For the week, Amadou put six of his seven shots on target. He currently ranks second in the NJAC in overall points, with six goals and four assists for 16 points.