ROCK HILL, S.C. --- For the second time this season, Tusculum University junior goalkeeper Nicolas Leite has been honored by the South Atlantic Conference as the WePlayed Sports Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, for the week ending Sept. 17.

Leite made a total of five saves in two victories last week for the Pioneers, a 3-1 win at Belmont Abbey on Wednesday and a 2-0 victory over 16th-ranked Coker on Saturday. The Santo Andre, Brazil native had three saves in the shutout win over Coker, which snapped a 19-match regular-season winning streak for the Cobras and gave the Pioneers their first win over a ranked opponent in seven years.

Leite, who was also Defensive Player of the Week following the opening weekend of the regular season, has four shutouts in six matches this season to rank tied for second in Division II. He leads the SAC and ranks eighth in Division II with a 0.33 goals against average, and is second in the SAC with a .895 save percentage.

The Pioneers (5-1-0, 1-1-0 SAC) host Mars Hill on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at Pioneer Field, then travel to Catawba to face the Indians on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.