Top Defensive Player Honors Go to Senior Defender

TOWSON, Md. — Brandon Weiner (Derwood, Md./Col. Zadok A. Magruder), who accounted for Goucher's only goal in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Susquehanna, was recognized today by the Landmark Conference as the Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week for the final week of the regular season.

It was in the 75th minute that Lashaw Salta (Allen, Texas/Plano East) lofted a corner kick into the box where Weiner was able to head it into the left corner, creating a 1-1 tie. It was the senior defender's third goal of the season and 11th of his career.

Weiner also made several spectacular defensive plays during the contest, at least one of which prevented the Crusaders from gaining a two-goal advantage.

"Brandon's been doing that all year, actually pretty much his entire career," according to head coach Bryan Laut. "He's really one of the top defenders in the conference. Anything we get from him at the offensive end is sort of icing on the cake and he finished the regular season as one of our co-leaders in goals and the leader in points."

A draw, it turned out, was all Goucher needed to claim the fourth and final berth in the Landmark Conference postseason tournament, which gets under way with the semifinals on Wednesday. The Gophers, making their first appearance in the playoffs during the conference's eight-year existence, will travel to the nation's capital to take on top-seeded Catholic in one semifinal; the other semifinals matches Drew and No. 2 seed U.S. Merchant Marine Academy.

Both games are scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.