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Syracuse goalkeeper Russell Shealy earned Atlantic Coastal Conference Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season. This is the fourth week a Syracuse player has won a weekly award.

Unlike the first time he won the award on Sept. 20, Shealy shared the weekly honor with Virginia’s goalie, Holden Brown. Shealy made four saves in the Orange’s 3-0 win over Virginia Tech last week. The win was the graduate student keeper’s conference-best seventh shutout of the season. While the Hokies got point-blank opportunities throughout the match, particularly one in the 53rd minute, Shealy made kick saves and diving stops to preserve the clean sheet.

In 2021, Shealy posted a .667 save percentage and split time with fellow goalkeeper Lucas Daunhauer. But in 2022, Shealy has started all but one match, solidifying himself as the starter for Syracuse with an ACC-best .897 save percentage. Along with saves, Shealy leads the conference in goals against average with a mark of 0.33, allowing only three goals in nine games.

Shealy’s play has cemented No. 7 Syracuse as the top scoring defense in the country. The three goals that Shealy has allowed are the only scores conceded by SU in its 10 matches. The next closest team in the ACC is Duke, which has allowed five.