For the first time since October 2014, the University of Denver men’s soccer team lost a game.

It came on Friday night, as Furman managed to hold off the Pioneers, thanks in large part to the latest Player of the Week.

MORE: Men's DI Top 25 | 2021 Boys IMG Academy Top 150 update

Former FC Dallas goalkeeper Ben Hale, healthy after missing the 2016 season due to an ACL tear suffered in the 2016 Development Academy championship game, made four saves on the way to the double overtime victory.

Player of the Week: Ben Hale, Furman

Hale also made seven stops in Sunday’s victory over Air Force, another 1-0 win on the road, making it an impressive week for the Paladins.

Check out who joins Hale on the rest of the TDS Team of the Week.

Men’s Team of the Week (August 28-September 3)

GK Ben Hale, Furman – With Hale in goal now, things are trending up for the Paladins after he missed the entire 2016 season. Furman is rolling early on in the season after knocking off Denver away from home.

D Josh Bauer, New Hampshire – The sophomore defender played every minute of a pair of wins for UNH, including a 2-0 road upset against ACC side Boston College.

D Moe Mustafa, Bowling Green – In a 3-0 week, Mustafa was a key element to his team’s sweep. The junior defender scored a pair of goals, and contributed to a trio of clean sheets as the team’s strong start to the season continued.

D Hjalmar Ekdal, UNC Wilmington – So far the early returns have been impressive for Ekdal in the opening weeks of his collegiate career. The Swedish freshman scored the game-winning goal in Friday’s 1-0 upset win against UNC, going the full 90 minutes.

D Wouter Verstraaten, Pacific – Pacific flew all the way to the East Coast for a pair of matches at the JMU Invitational, coming away with wins in both. Verstraaten grabbed the winners in the last 10 minutes in both, as they defeated Virginia Tech 1-0 and James Madison 2-1.

D Tim Kubel, Louisville – The outside back scored two game-winning goals last week, as Louisville beat Butler and Georgia State to remain unbeaten at the start of the season.

M Jorge Quintanilla, West Virginia – A junior college transfer that’s been a big part of West Virginia’s strong start to the season, Quintanilla’s assisted on three goals as the Mountaineers defeated Wright State 4-1.

M Luis Argudo, Wake Forest – Needing just 41 minutes against Saint Louis to make an impact, Argudo scored twice and added an assist in the road win for the Demon Deacons.

M Trevor Swartz, Indiana – A scintillating start to the 2017 campaign continued over the weekend, as the Hoosiers scored a combined eight times in wins against San Francisco and South Florida. Swartz chipped in a goal apiece in each game.

M Fredinho Mompremier, Fairleigh Dickinson – Life in Division I has suited Mompremier just fine at the moment. He scored the winning goal for FDU in a 3-1 in against Manhattan, and setup a goal in another 2-0 victory over Yale.

F Afonso Pinheiro, Albany – The Brazilian played a big role in Albany’s offensive outburst over the past week, as he scored three total goals and added an assist in two games. Those were both wins against Rhode Island and George Mason.

Honorable Mention: F Ifunanyachi Achara (Georgetown), F Gordon Wild (Maryland), F Jason Wright (Clemson), F Jad Arslan (West Virginia), F Edward Opoku (Virginia)

---

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

ECNL Girls N. Atlantic Players to Watch

Women's NCAA Tournament Round Two Preview

Best of Men's College Soccer Week 13