ROSEVILLE, Ill. – Penn State men's soccer redshirt junior Brandon Hackenberg was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office Tuesday.
Against Ohio State in the conference opener, Hackenberg helped goalkeeper Josh Levine fend off 16 shots by the Buckeyes, only allowing one goal and no shots in the overtime period.
The Palmyra, Virginia, native has been a rock for the Nittany Lions on the backline in 2019, starting all six games and contributing to two shutouts.
The honor marks the first Big Ten weekly award of Hackenberg's career and the first of the season for Penn State men's soccer.
Hackenberg is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and was named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar during the 2018-19 academic year.