In 2010, Bentley reached the NE-10 championship game for the first time in 16 years, losing 1-0 to Franklin Pierce, the top-ranked team in the nation. The Falcons enjoyed early success in 2011, with wins in five of their first six conference games. Although the season ended sooner than expected in the NE-10 quarterfinals, the program appears to be back among the class of the conference, after middle-of-the-pack performance for most of the previous decade.
A native of North Granby, Conn., Zeiner is a central defender for head coach Gary Crompton’s team, a position he has settled into over the past two seasons.
“Weston is a very talented soccer player, a complete college player,” says Crompton. “He has size, skill, tactical awareness, and toughness that are among the best in the country.”
The primary responsibility of the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Zeiner is to serve as the quarterback of the defense, directing traffic and making sure fellow defenders are positioned properly while clearing out danger from attacking players.
Though the Falcons haven’t been blessed with a natural goal scorer in recent years, having an anchor such as Zeiner on the back line to help limit scoring chances has been crucial to the team’s success. The junior has also contributed offensively, with 13 goals and six assists in his career – big numbers for a player at his position. The current season finds Zeiner serving as co-captain.
“He’s not a ‘rah-rah’ leader, but he shows up to every game and practice and works his tail off,” says Crompton. “Having a very talented player who is also one of the hardest working guys on the team makes my job easier.”
Perhaps as impressive as Zeiner’s prowess on the field is his 3.80 grade point average. In November, the College Sports Information Directors of America named the Accountancy major a second team NCAA Division II Capital One Academic All-American, an award that recognizes athletic and academic excellence. He was the first student athlete in Bentley soccer history to earn the distinction.
“I was brought up on the idea that academics always come first,” says Zeiner. “My family, close friends, teammates and coach Crompton have all taken an interest in my academics and pushed me to do the best that I can.”
Looking ahead to 2012, the team will return its core players and figures to lose only a couple of starters – gaining a head start on chasing that elusive conference championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
“If we continue to put the work in during the offseason, the outlook for next season is very positive,” Zeiner says. “We’re a very cohesive team and enjoy the time we spend together on and off the field, and I think that is a big key to our success.”
