Sounders FC is mourning the loss of one its own. Former USL Sounder and University of Washington forward Brett Wiesner drowned in Ocowonomac Lake near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he grew up and played professionally for Milwaukee Wave United. He was 31 years old.
Sounders FC will honor Wiesner with a moment of silence prior to tonight’s U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal against the Portland Timbers.
“The Sounders are a very close-knit family and it’s devastating to lose a member of our family, especially at such a young age,” said Sounders FC Owner and General Manager Adrian Hanauer. “Brett was a hard-worker and was well-liked by all of his teammates. He was big part of the local soccer community and it was great to watch him at UW and bring him into the Sounders family. Our thoughts go out to Brett’s family and friends in this difficult time.”
A regular with the U.S. Youth National Team, Wiesner was the Gatorade Wisconsin State Player of the Year as a senior at Brookfield East High School before enrolling at the University of Washington in 2001. There, he played under Dean Wurzburger and Jimmy Gabriel and finished his collegiate career with 15 goals in 66 matches for the Huskies.
He played one season with the Sounders in the USL, logging 128 minutes in 12 matches for the team that went on to win the USL championship.
“The big picture for me is that a young man had his life cut short. Whether he was on our team for one game or 100 games, it’s just sad that somebody at age 31 passes on,” said Sounders FC Assistant Coach Brian Schmetzer. “It’s a shame that that has to happen and that family has to go through losing a son. We have always tried to have good people in our organization and when you surround yourself with good people and one of them goes, you’re going to get an outpouring of emotion.”
According to reports, Wiesner was among seven friends on a boat celebrating the Independence Day. He and a friend jumped into Ocowonomac Lake for a swim. When Wiesner did not resurface, they searched and called local police. His body was recovered around 1:15 p.m. local time on Saturday.
Wiesner is survived by his parents, Fran and Linda, and older sister Rachel.
