Mark Gidjunis blossomed into a key cog in the Rutgers-Camden midfield as a freshman, starting 18 of his 23 games, scoring two goals and adding three assists for seven points.

        Gidjunis collected his first collegiate point when he assisted on the game-winning goal by Rodney Guishard during a 3-0 victory over Neumann College September 6. He also added assists against Philadelphia Biblical University (Oct. 5) and John Jay College of Criminal Justice (Oct. 9).

        Gidjunis saved his biggest performances for the post-season, when his play helped spark Rutgers-Camden to the ECAC Div. III Men’s Metro Soccer Championship title. In an ECAC quarterfinal game against City College of New York (Nov. 9), Gidjunis notched his first collegiate goal.

        Two days later, Gidjunis added his second career goal and made it his first game-winning tally. That goal, coming with 12:52 remaining in regulation, gave the Raptors a 2-1 semifinal victory over Richard Stockton College. The win advanced Rutgers-Camden to the tournament championship, which the Raptors won the following day with a 1-0 victory over New Jersey City University. His outstanding performance over the three-game tournament helped Gidjunis earn Rutgers-Camden’s Co-Raptor of the Week honor on November 13. Later that day he was selected as the final New Jersey Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week for the 2006 season.

       Gidjunis, who continues in a long line of former Cinnaminson High School athletes to play collegiate soccer at Rutgers-Camden, was a multi-sport letterman with the Pirates. He earned three varsity soccer letters and one varsity baseball letter at Cinnaminson High School. As a senior soccer star for Cinnaminson Coach Bill Dent, Gidjunis earned First Team All-Burlington County and Honorable Mention All-State South honors. He also was selected First Team All-Group 2 by the Courier-Postnewspaper.

        A strong performer in the classroom as well, Gidjunis ranked eighth in his Cinnaminson class of 197 and earned a Bloustein Scholarship.

        An Accounting major at Rutgers-Camden, Gidjunis had an outstanding freshman year in the classroom, earning Dean’s List honors both semesters and compiling a 3.955 GPA.

        Mark is the son of Mark and Donna Gidjunis of Cinnaminson.