SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference has selected its first series of 2021 Men’s Soccer Player of the Week honorees for contests played from Aug. 26-29. Mercer claims both the offensive and defensive player of the week awards, with senior forward Dylan Gaither earning the Offensive Player of the Week honor, and goalkeeper Brant Zulauf earning the Defensive Player of the Week award.
 
Gaither earned the start in both of Mercer’s contests last week and played a vital role in the Bears’ 4-0 season-opening victory over Gardner-Webb, scoring three goals and notching an assist to advance Mercer past the Bulldogs. Gaither netted the first goal of Mercer’s 2021 campaign by burying a penalty kick in the 15^th minute. After holding a one-goal advantage for 10 minutes, Gaither assisted on the second goal of the match, passing the ball to Trevor Martineau to double the lead against the Bulldogs. Gaither, a native of Lilburn, Georgia, scored his second goal of the day off assists from Martineau and Natnael McDonald in the 51^st minute and completed a hat trick when he was assisted by Michael Ille and Angel Gonzalez for the final score of the contest in the 83^rd minute to seal the 4-0 victory over Gardner-Webb.
 
Zulauf assisted the Mercer Bears in nabbing their 4-0 victory over Gardner-Webb by saving all four shots on goal from the Runnin’ Bulldogs for the season-opening shutout. In Mercer’s match against Georgia State, Zulauf allowed just a 75^th-minute penalty-kick goal in the 1-0 loss. Zulauf, a native of Alpharetta, Georgia, finished the contest against Georgia State with a total of six saves, including an impressive stop in the waning minutes to keep it a one-goal game.
 
Mercer (1-1) travels to North Florida on Friday, Sept. 3, then will end the weekend with a match at FGCU on Sunday, Sept. 5.
 
Also nominated for offensive player of the week: Tarik Pannholzer (ETSU), Joey Skinner (UNCG) and Brandon Oddy (Wofford).
 
Also nominated for defensive player of the week: Josh Hancock (ETSU) and Marco Milanese (UNCG).
 
2021 SoCon Men’s Soccer Offensive Players of the Week
Aug. 31       Dylan Gaither, Sr., F, Mercer
 
2021 SoCon Men’s Soccer Defensive Players of the Week
Aug. 31       Brant Zulauf, R-So., GK, Mercer