WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Monmouth University men's soccer freshman goalkeeper Eric Klenofsky (Lincoln Park, N.J./DePaul Catholic) has been named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Defensive Player of the Week for the fourth-straight week, the league office today announced. Klenofsky posted his sixth and seventh shutouts in the last eight games as the Hawks moved to 7-0-2 in MAAC play this week with a tie at Manhattan and a win over Niagara to clinch at least a share of the 2013 MAAC Regular Season Championship and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming MAAC Championships. The Hawks are unbeaten at 7-0-2 since Klenofsky took over the starting role in net.
Klenofsky made four saves at Manhattan on Wednesday and two more against the Purple Eagles to push his goals-against average to a microscopic 0.201 and his saves percentage to .909 on the season. His goals-against average easily leads the NCAA (next closest – Navy's Gavin Snyder [.363]), while he's just .002 behind Snyder in save percentage.
Against Manhattan, Klenofsky was tested early, diving to punch a shot over the crossbar in the ninth minute and sprawling to make another save in the 12th minute. Klenofsky also made the save on a point-blank opportunity from the Jaspers' Tommy Amos in the 59th minute and stopped Dan Laguna Kennedy in the 65th minute.
In the Niagara game, Klenofsky cleaned up a Nicholas Watson header in the first half and completed the clean sheet with a save of a Callum Willmott shot in the 83rd minute. His emergence as the Hawks' starting goalkeeper is a major reason for Monmouth's success in conference play, as the Hawks are a league-leading 7-0-2 in games he's started between the posts this season.
The Hawks conclude MAAC regular season action Saturday, when they travel to Canisius. Kickoff from Demske Sports Complex in Buffalo, N.Y., is scheduled for 7 p.m. The MAAC Championship will begin Friday, Nov. 15, at Fairfield University's Lessing Field. Along with the Hawks, Iona and Quinnipiac have clinched berths in the tournament, while Manhattan, Fairfield and Siena remain in contention for the fourth, and final, berth.
