Hood might have just have graduated the best defenseman in the 11 year history of it's men's lacrosse program.
James Weger left as the Blazers' all-time leader in caused turnovers (177) and ranked second in ground balls (258). Weger's next closest competitor in caused turnovers is George Mineff, who forced 77 turnovers between 2008 and 2011, and Weger has posted the team's top four campaigns in caused turnovers.
Regarding ground balls, Weger trailed only Randolph Clark, a faceoff specialist who collected 425 loose balls between 2011 and 2014. Weger also ranked second in games played with 66 (Adam Patterson played in 68 games between 2010 and 2013).
Asked if Weger will be remembered as best defenseman in program history, coach Brad Barber replied: "This program's going to be around for a long time. I would say that up until now, he is the best defenseman this program has ever had and he will always be one of the best defensemen this program has seen. Am I confident saying he will be the best defensive player in this program's history? I don't know. We're a young program, and I plan on being here for the long haul. So I hope to see a lot of great defensemen in my time here, and James Weger will certainly rank among the top defensemen in the history of Hood College."
Weger, who registered 64 ground balls and caused 35 turnovers this past spring, earned Commonwealth Conference honorable mention honors for the second year in a row, but Barber contended that the Blazers' 6-10 record overshadowed Weger's value as one of the league's top defensemen.
"James was a diamond in the rough for this program," Barber said. "He came in and started right off the bat and had a great mentality where he was continuously trying to improve and didn't shy away from competition. At times when we played the best teams in the conference, I would look out there and go, 'Wow, we have the best defenseman on that field.'
"James calmed guys down, he shut guys down, he was a huge motivator for our young guys, he was a huge help to [senior goalkeeper] Joey McCulloh and inserting himself on defense. We're going to miss James just because of what he has accomplished in his years here. … In four years, James has really racked up a lot of individual accolades, which speak to his character and his play. Do I see guys who will be able to emulate his play? Yes, but we'll never have another James Weger."