Football | 10/18/2015 11:06:00 AM

Montclair, NJ - Senior BILL SHIMKO earned his second consecutive New Jersey Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor on Sunday.He is the first Montclair State to earn the award in back-to-back weeks since linebacker Cornell Hunt in Weeks 2 and 3 in the 2007 season. It is also the first time MSU has won the award in consecutive weeks since 2012 when it captured the honor three straight times. 

Shimko helped the Red Hawks to their third consecutive victory as Montclair State shut down and shut out Christopher Newport in the second half en route to a 32-22 win on Saturday. MSU, which evened its record at 3-3 overall (3-2 in the NJAC), held the Captains to just 56 total yards in the second half on eight possessions (29 plays).

Shimko registered eight tackles and also picked off two passes, none bigger than his INT at the MSU 8 in the closing minute of the first half to thwart a CNU drive. At the time the Captains led 22-7 and the turnover sparked Montclair in the second half. Shimko posted three pass breakups as well and took over the NJAC in passes defended at 1.83 per game. Shimko is also the first MSU player to intercept two passes in consecutive games since last season when current teammate ERIC GARGIULO did it against William Paterson and Southern Virginia.

Shimko leads the Red Hawks in interceptions with four and is second on the team with 40 tackles