University of Massachusets Athletics

Deren, McKenzie Share Dinn Brothers / UMass Athlete of the Week Honors

Deren, McKenzie Share Dinn Brothers / UMass Athlete of the Week Honors Men's soccer and football players honored.
Jeff Deren was named Dinn Brothers / UMass Athlete of the Week for the third time.

Jeff Deren was named Dinn Brothers / UMass Athlete of the Week for the third time.

Oct. 23, 2002

AMHERST, Mass. - Men's soccer player Jeff Deren (Chicopee, Mass.) and football player Anton McKenzie (Medford, N.Y.) were named co-winners of the Dinn Brothers / UMass Athlete of the Week announced today.

Deren was named Atlantic 10 and ECAC Player of the Week after scoring three goals and three assists over the weekend, while leading the Minutemen to a 1-0-1 mark. The senior forward also set school marks for career goals (41) and points (98) in the UMass' 7-1 win over St. Bonaventure on Sunday. Deren leads the Atlantic 10 in scoring with 36 points and ranks sixth nationally in points per game (2.57). For the season, Deren has 15 goals and six assists. It is the third time this year that Deren has won the award.

McKenzie came up big in UMass' 17-16 over then-No. 4 Villanova. The senior defensive back tallied a career-high 14 tackles, including 11 solo stops. He saved his biggest play of the game for one of the final plays, as he blocked a 38-yard field goal in the last minute to preserve the win. He was also named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week and the Coca-Cola Gold Helmet Award for his efforts against the Wildcats. For the season, McKenzie is third on the team with 60 tackles (47 solo, 13 assists) and is tied for the team lead in passes broken up with six.

DINN BROTHERS / UMASS ATHLETE OF THE WEEK:

  • Sept. 4 - Jeff Deren (Men's Soccer)
  • Sept. 11 - Jason Peebler (Football)
  • Sept. 18 - Stephanie Price (Women's Tennis)
  • Sept. 25 - Lindsey Bellini (Women's Soccer)
  • Oct. 2 - Derek Rhodes (Men's Soccer)
  • Oct. 9 - Jeff Deren (Men's Soccer) and Gerard Washington (Football)
  • Oct. 16 - Adrian Zullo (Football)
  • Oct. 23 - Jeff Deren (Men's Soccer) and Anton McKenzie (Football)