They call him Papa Weber.

"Yeah, I guess I'm the old man on the team," said the elder statesman.

For four years, senior defender Kyle Weber has worked hard on the field at practices but was relegated to cheering from the sideline at games.

And that made Saturday night all the sweeter.

On Senior Night versus West Virginia, Weber not only made his first start of the season, but also his first start in four years as a Golden Eagle.

"I haven't had much of a playing career so to speak," Weber said.

Yet when his name was announced in the starting lineup before the start of the match, Weber received the loudest ovation from the home crowd.

While Weber may not have logged many minutes in his collegiate career, he has found a way to endear himself to both his teammates and the fans.

"Kyle knows his role on the team," said junior midfielder Bryan Dahlquist. "He gets us ready to play every game."

A model of hard work and gritty effort in practices, Weber motivates his fellow Eagles both through his actions and his words.

Or at least the words of his, shall we say, supportive followers.

"He always has the rowdiest fans," Dahlquist said.

After playing the first 13 minutes of the game, Weber was subsituted out of the game and did not return before halftime. The crowd was not happy.

"Give me Weber, or give me death!" demanded one of the senior defender's supporters as the Golden Eagles returned to the field to begin the second half.

As time wound down, the crowd seemed more concerned with seeing Weber return to the field than they were with the outcome of the game.

As both teams substituted players in and out, a group of supporters began chanting, "Weber! Weber! Weber!" begging head coach Steve Adlard to send in their man.

With two minutes remaining in the match, Weber strode up to the check-in table to the delight of the boisterous crowd.

From that point on, every time Weber touched or even came near to the ball, the fans roared with approval, helping their dedicated senior savor every moment.

"Kyle keeps this team together," said senior midfielder Blair Kohlmeyer. "He's a great guy, and he deserves to be out on the field."