GNAC Men's Soccer Report: Week 5

(FOR THE WEEK OF SEPT. 24-30)

PLAYER / ROOKIE OF THE WEEK Bienfait Badibanga, Norwich (Fr., F - Burlington, Vt.) Badibanga was stellar as the Cadets went 2-0, scoring five goals and notching an assist for an incredible 11-point week in a pair of GNAC victories. Badibanga played a hand in every goal Norwich scored last week, registering his second collegiate hat trick plus an assist in a 4-0 win over Rivier. He also scored both goals in a 2-0 win over USJ. Badibanga's five goals and an assist helped Norwich stretch its unbeaten streak to 10 straight games to open the season. Norwich has yet to lose a GNAC regular-season conference game since the 2015 season.

GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK Jonathan Ferrarini, Emmanuel (Mass.) (Jr, GK - Hanover, Mass.) Ferrarini registered a solid week in net for Emmanuel, posting 13 saves on 16 shots in a 1-1 week. The junior notched his fourth win of the year in a 4-1 victory over Anna Maria, stopping three shots before keeping the Saints in a tough non-conference affair versus undefeated Roger Williams, stopping 10 shots in a 2-1 loss. He posted an .813 save percentage over 177 minutes of action.

WEEK 5 HONOR ROLL
Nick Fierro, Emmanuel (Mass.) (Jr, M - Katonah, N.Y.) -  Fierro put together a four point week for the Saints with all the action coming in a 4-1 victory over GNAC foe Anna Maria. The junior helped Emmanuel erase a 1-0 halftime deficit scoring a goal early in the second stanza before assisting on the game-winner and another insurance goal later in the frame to help EC improve to 3-1-1 in the GNAC.

Ken Niyonzima, Regis (Mass.) (Jr., M/F - Dracut, Mass.) - Niyonzima scored the first goal of each Regis match last week as the Pride went 1-0-1 in GNAC play. Wednesday, he converted on a header in the 27th minute to give Regis a 1-0 lead over Suffolk. Saturday's goal against Albertus Magnus came even earlier, as he scored in the fifth minute to put the home team on top, 1-0. Niyonzima is now Regis's leading goal scorer this season with four goals, tied for sixth in the GNAC. 

Diego Roman, Regis (Mass.) (Fr., B - Guaynabo, Puerto Rico) - The rookie scored the game-winning goal in Regis' 2-1 victory over Suffolk Wednesday afternoon. With the score tied at 1-1 in the 61st minute, Roman headed a free kick past the Ram goalie into the net for his first career collegiate goal. 

Gabriel Perez, Suffolk (So., M - Ecuador) - Scored both of Suffolk's goals in a two-goal, two-game week. The first, his first collegiate goal, came on a good penalty kick at Regis, while the second strike was at home versus Johnson & Wales. The rookie is now on a two-game point streak. 

GNAC MEN'S SOCCER WEEKLY ARCHIVE (2018-19)