Andreas Blamo and Artur Czupryna Receive NJCAA Division III Weekly Honors

MANCHESTER, Conn. (Oct. 11) – Manchester Community College sophomore forward Andreas Blamo (WEST HARTFORD) has been named the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III Men’s Soccer Player of the Week and freshman Artur Czupryna (COVENTRY) the NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week for Oct. 1-7.

Blamo is the second MCC player to be named the NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Player of the Week this season, joining sophomore midfielder Jacob Marcus (NORWICH).

The 5-foot-10 Blamo, a 2005 first-team NJCAA Division III All-Region XXI selection, had five goals and two assists over the three-game week. He had two-goal games against MassBay Community College (10-0) on Oct. 3 and against Bunker Hill Community College (3-0) on Oct. 4. Blamo had a goal and an assist in a 3-0 road victory against Massasoit Community College, then ranked No. 12 in the NJCAA Division I men’s soccer poll, on Oct. 7. He has nine goals and seven assists in 10 games this season.

Blamo has 23 goals and 19 assists for 65 points in 26 career games. He moved past Jersson Diaz and Manny Meleounis (18) for second place on the career assists list on a flick pass against Massasoit CC. Blamo is two assists shy of tying the school record held by 2005 NJCAA Division III All-America midfielder Lamar Chancey. He is one point away from tying 2002 NJCAA Division III All-America forward Fotis Anastasiou (66) for third on the career points list.

Czupryna had three consecutive solo shutouts over the nomination period. He made 16 saves over the three games, including punching out a penalty kick headed toward the upper right corner in the final seconds of the first half against Massasoit Community College.

The 6-foot-5 Czupryna (0.65 goals-against average, .893 save percentage) has not allowed a goal in his last 343 minutes, 42 seconds of action. He has 4.5 shutouts on the season, 1.5 combined with freshman goalkeeper Roger Mason-Brown (LEBANON).

Blamo and Marcus have joined former forward Alverson Sargusingh (2004) and current Southern Connecticut State University forward Colin Jackson (2005) as NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Player of the Week winners from Manchester Community College since 2004.

No. 10 nationally-ranked Manchester Community College (9-1-1 overall), off to its best start in seven seasons under coach Jim Insinga, travels to Springfield Technical Community College for a 4 p.m. NJCAA Division III Region XXI game Thursday. The Cougars have reached the NJCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Tournament quarterfinals three out of the past four years (2002, ’04, ’05).