NJIT Racks Up Four Major ASUN Awards
NEWARK, NJ--The NJIT men's soccer program racked up four major ASUN Men's Soccer Postseason All-Conference Awards, including nine Highlanders earning All-Conference honors, headed by Unanimous ASUN Player of the Year Rene White, the league office announced at the 2019 ASUN Men's Soccer Virtual Banquet held on the campus of NJIT Thursday evening.
The postseason ASUN teams are chosen based on regular season play and are selected by the seven conference head coaches.
White, the Highlanders redshirt junior forward, was selected Unanimous ASUN Player of the Year and named to the ASUN first-team.
Freshman Samuel Reisgys was named Goalkeeper of the Year and selected to the first-team and All-Freshmen team.
Alejandro Rabell picked up Freshman of the Year and was named to the All-Freshmen team.
Fourth-year head coach Fernando Barboto was selected ASUN Coach of the Year.
In addition to White and Reisgys, senior Andrew Nino earned first-team honors while four Highlanders — Joao Costa, Juan Zapata, Gerald Cubero and Thomas Radon were selected to the second-team.
Freshman Arrio Rusnak joined Rabell and Reisgys on the All-Freshmen team.
NJIT, which garnered the 2019 ASUN Conference Regular Season title and earned the top seed for the championships, will host the first round on November 8 and semifinals on November 10 at Lubetkin Field at Mal Simon Stadium.
Friday's quarterfinal match will feature No. 4 Stetson and No. 5 Lipscomb at 7pm. NJIT will play the winner of the No.4/No.5 match on Sunday, November 10 at 3pm.
Rene White | Unanimous ASUN Player of the Year; First-Team All-Conference
White tops NJIT's Division I record books as the career leader in goals with 33 and points with 70. An ASUN Conference second-team and All-Academic team honoree a season ago, White's 16 goals this season, ranks second in the nation, tops the ASUN and ranks second in NJIT's single season record book. His 34 points, ranks first in the ASUN, second in the NJIT Division I single season era (one-point shy the record) and tied for third in the nation.
He has scored 16 goals in 16 NJIT matches this season, netting his second career hat trick in the Highlanders 5-0 shutout victory over Jacksonville to clinch to ASUN Conference regular season title - the first-ever ASUN title for an NJIT team at the Division I level.
The 6-foot striker scored a pair of goals in four matches, including a game-winner in overtime in NJIT's 1-0 victory at VCU, for the programs first all-time win over the Rams.
He was selected ASUN Conference Player of the Week four times and College Soccer News National Team of the Week once.
Coach of the Year | Fernando Barboto, 4th season at NJIT
NJIT, picked seventh in the preseason poll, are the No. 1 seed for the first time in program history and won the league title just one year removed of finishing in seventh in the ASUN standings.
The Highlanders are in the ASUN Championship for the third time in program history and are 6-1-1 over its final eight matches of the season (four of those six victories being shutouts).
NJIT registered the programs first-ever win over Atlantic 10 opponent VCU in a 1-0 overtime victory and FGCU, 2-1, on October 26.
The Highlanders (8-4-4) have been ranked in the top 10 of the United Soccer Coaches Atlantic Region poll all season, with its highest ranking, week two at the No. 2 spot . In week 10, NJIT ranks fifth out of nine teams.
Samuel Reisgys | ASUN Goalkeeper of the Year; First-Team All-Conference; All-Freshmen Team
Reisgys tops the ASUN in save percentage (.763), ranks second in goals-against average (1.25) and sits in third in total saves (58).
The 6-foot-3 keeper has posted a 6-2-4 overall mark, 5-1-0 in league action, including four shutouts (three in conference action against North Florida, Liberty and Jacksonville).
NJIT is 6-1-1 over its final eight matches of the season (four of those six victories being shutouts).
Reisgys was named ASUN Defensive Player of the Week three times this season.
Alejandro Rabell | ASUN Freshman of the Year | All-Freshmen Team
Rabell, the Highlanders 5-foot-8 forward ranks in the top five in the ASUN in both goals and assists.
He combined for six assists, which ranks tied for first in the ASUN, 14 points (third in the ASUN) and four goals (ranks tied for fifth in the ASUN).
Rabell has notched an assist in the last four out of six matches for the Highlanders.
Andrew Nino | ASUN First-Team All-Conference
Nino, the Highlanders co-captain, played in 62 career matches, starting 46 in his four-year career at NJIT.
An second-team ASUN All-Conference honoree as season ago, Nino has combined for three goals, 15 assists and 21 points for his career.
His 15 assists ranks tied for first in the NJIT Division I era. This season, he has played in 14 matches, tallying one goal and six assists. His six assists ranks tied for first in the ASUN.
Joao Costa | ASUN Second-Team All-Conference
Costa comes to NJIT after playing one season at VCU in 2018.
He appeared in 15 matches, including 14 starts, notching his lone goal -- the game-winner at Lipscomb.
Costa helped keep opponents to a 1.25 goals against average on the back-line for the Highlanders.
Juan Zapata | ASUN Second-Team All-Conference
Zapata, a leader on-and-off the field, has appeared in 66 career matches, ranking in the top eight in the NJIT Division I era.
This season, he has played in 15 matches, including 14 starts. For his career, he has combined for one goal and three assists.
Gerald Cubero | ASUN Second-Team All-Conference
Cubero, a junior transfer, started every match for NJIT (16), netting five goals, which ranks tied for second on the Highlander team, two assists and 12 points.
His five goals ranks tied for third in the ASUN with teammate Thomas Radon and fifth in the league in points (12).
Cubero was named ASUN Player of the Week and College Soccer News National Team of the Week once.
Thomas Radon | ASUN Second-Team All-Conference
Radon started 15 matches for the Highlanders, netting five goals, three assists for 13 points.
His five goals ranks tied for third in the ASUN with teammate Gerlad Cubero and fourth in points with 13.
Radon scored a pair of goals in NJIT's 3-0 shutout over Liberty.
Arrio Rusnak | ASUN All-Freshmen Team
The Highlander central defender, appeared in all 16 matches, including 15 starts for the ASUN Conference regular season champions. Rusnak helped keep opponents to a 1.25 goals against average.
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