By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications

SALEM, Ore. -- Willamette University's Max Berner-Hays (Sr., D, Seattle, WA/Ballard HS) has been selected as the Northwest Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week for the week ending on Sunday, Sept. 5. The Bearcats achieved a 1-1 record during the week.

Berner-Hays led a solid Willamette defensive effort that limited Southwestern University (Texas) to three shots on target (out of 13 total shots) in a 2-1 win for the Bearcats on Friday. On Sunday, Willamette held perennial power Trinity University (Texas) scoreless until the 82nd minute in a 2-0 loss to the Tigers.

Willamette concluded the three-game road trip with a 2-1 victory against Occidental College on Monday, Sept. 6. The Bearcats improved to 2-1 with the win. All three games were played on the Trinity campus in San Antonio, Texas. Willamette is 14-2-1 in its last 17 games dating back to the final six games of the 2019 season. The Bearcats achieved an undefeated record of 8-0-0 during the 2020-21 season this past spring.

Up next for Willamette is a road trip to open NWC play at Whitworth University on Saturday, Sept. 18 in Spokane, Washington, followed by another NWC contest at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, on Sunday, Sept. 19. Both games are scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. (PDT).