CLAREMONT, Calif. - Senior defensive midfielder Ben Bacdayan earned the SCIAC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week Award for games through Sunday, Oct. 12, the conference office announced today. 

Bacdayan, who has emerged as a regular starter for the Stags in recent weeks, had a huge defensive play when he cleared a ball off the line with a sliding save off a corner kick with five minutes left in regulation to preserve a 3-3 tie with Occidental on Saturday. He also scored his first career goal to put CMS ahead 3-2 early in the second half, a 30-yard rocket that deflected off the inside of the left post and in. 

CMS also defeated Caltech on Wednesday 2-1, with the only goal coming on a penalty kick, as the Stags held Caltech to only seven shot attempts. The four-point week helped CMS get back in the thick of the SCIAC Postseason Tournament chase. 

The Stags will be back in action on Wednesday night when they host Stanton in a non-conference game, before facing Pomona-Pitzer in a big Saturday night home game at 7 p.m.