ACC Unveils First Men’s Soccer Player of the Week Honors for 2022 Season

GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Clemson junior forward Ousmane Sylla and Pitt junior forward Bertin Jacquesson were named Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Offensive Players of the Week, and Syracuse senior defender Christian Curti was selected the league’s Defensive Player of the Week, as the ACC announced its first weekly men’s soccer honors for the 2022 season.
 
Sylla scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in top-ranked Clemson’s 3-2 comeback win over No. 13 Indiana, recording his first career brace. His game-tying goal came on a beautiful strike across his body into the bottom corner, and the game-winner in the 80th minute was a blast from just inside the top of the box. In playing the full 90 minutes, the native of Dakar, Senegal, commanded the attacking zone throughout the match, beating defenders and lacing perfectly weighted balls through to the outside to create some of Clemson’s best chances.
 
Jacquesson netted a goal and an assist in No. 7 Pitt’s 2-1 victory over No. 2 Georgetown Thursday. A native of Lorrez-Le-Bocage, France, Jacquesson scored Pitt’s opening goal in the 10th minute to tie the game, 1-1, with a great strike from a bad angle to the right of the net. He then provided an assist on the game-winning goal as he placed a perfect cross into the box to find Valentin Noel, who buried the eventual game winner. Jacquesson moved into third place in Pitt program history for assists in a career with his 19th career helper.
 
Curti keyed a strong defensive effort as Syracuse opened the season with back-to-back victories, 2-0 over Iona on Thursday and 1-0 over No. 21 Penn State on Sunday. The Orange surrendered just six shots on goal in the wins. On Sunday, Syracuse out-shot Penn State, 29-10, as the Orange shut down the potent Nittany Lion attack. A native of Ontario, Canada, Curti played the full 90 minutes in both contests.
 
ACC men’s soccer returns to action Thursday with a pair of matches, as Duke plays host to Michigan at 5 p.m. and Virginia entertains James Madison at 7 p.m. That starts a busy stretch of 22 matches over a six-day span prior to the start of conference play on Friday, Sept. 9.