| NEWS |
  
 |
| FEATURES |
| ENTERTAINMENT |
  
|
| COLUMNS |
     |
| CONTACT US |
|
| HOW TO SUBMIT |
|
|
| BACK ISSUES |
|
|
caption:
|
PHS Grad Chanquin Standing Tall As Key Defender for NJCU Soccer
By Bill Alden
Osmar Chanquin may stand only 5' 4 but he has become a towering presence for the New Jersey City University men's soccer team.
Chanquin, a 2000 Princeton High grad, has emerged as a star at right back for the Gothic Knights who have ridden a stingy defense to a 7-1-2 start. The squad, which recently posted five straight shutouts and is unbeaten in its last nine games, has risen to No. 15 in the NCAA Division III national rankings.
For Chanquin, his stature has been no impediment to him excelling at the college level. "Size hasn't been a problem," said Chanquin, who was born in Guatemala. "I'm able to handle the bigger guys. I've been defending and attacking well this year, I think I have been one of our key defenders."
NJCU head coach Kevin East seconds Chanquin's self-assessment. "Osmar is doing an outstanding job for us, he's quick and tenacious," said East.
"He regularly guards guys who are six feet tall and he has no problem marking them. He actually wins most of the head balls, he has great timing and positioning."
In East's view, Chanquin's success is due as much to his maturity as his skills. "Last year, he would get frustrated if things didn't go his way, he would let his emotions get the better of him," added East, a Montgomery native who is in his sixth year coaching the Gothic Knights.
"He's much more composed this year, he thinks things through. He's making better decisions on the ball. He's playing simpler, last year he would try to do too much and that got him in trouble. Osmar is really reading the game well. He's improved a lot."
Chanquin, who played a year at Mercer County Community College before coming to NJCU, acknowledges that he had a bit of a learning curve to deal with as he made the transition to college soccer. "The biggest adjustment was the discipline in both training and the games," said Chanquin. "It's just more competitive at this level."
According to Chanquin, his PHS experience was good preparation for him for the rigors of playing at the next level. "I became a starter in high school as a sophomore," recalled Chanquin, who earned first-team All-CVC and second-team All-Mercer County honors during his years with the Little Tigers. "[Coach] Wayne Sutcliffe really helped me a lot, he worked with me on both my positioning and attacking."
Chanquin's current coach, East, says the defender's versatility has made him a team leader. "He's a two-dimensional player, he's good on attack and has been a big asset for us going forward," said East of Chanquin who has picked up two assists so far this season. "He doesn't say a lot, he leads by example. Osmar is a leader for us, he's one of our older guys and the others really look up to him."
Chanquin, for his part, is ready to lead the Gothic Knights into the postseason. "Our goal is to win the NCAA championship," asserted Chanquin. "We have one of those special teams. The team started growing in the preseason and we have really come together."
If the Gothic Knights can improve as much as their dimunitive right back, they stand to go a long way this fall.
