GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Clemson senior midfielder Quinn McNeill earned ACC Men’s Soccer Player of the Week honors Tuesday, while Wake Forest freshman goalkeeper Trace Alphin and Clemson senior defender Oskar Ågren shared ACC Defensive Player of the Week laurels in the final weekly honors for the 2021 season.
 
McNeill was a force in the midfield, recording a pair of goals as well as an assist in Clemson’s wins over No. 17 FIU and Louisville last week. The victory over Louisville earned the Tigers a share of the ACC Atlantic Division title as well as the No. 2 seed in the upcoming ACC Championship. His goal against FIU was sensational, as he dribbled at the defense, took a touch to his right and ripped a shot into the right side of the net. The native of Greenville, South Carolina, also scored the first-half equalizer against Louisville on a sliding touch off a cross to find the left-side netting. McNeill also played the key pass resulting in Mohamed Seye's goal against Louisville and was awarded the second assist.
 
Alphin made a career-high eight saves in a 2-0 shutout victory over Syracuse on Friday night. His eight saves all came in the last 25 minutes of action. The eight saves were also the most by a Demon Deacon goalkeeper since Alec Ferrell recorded eight in the 2016 ACC Championship game against Clemson. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native picked up his first clean sheet against an ACC opponent and his second of the season. Alphin now holds a 7-4-1 record as the starting goalkeeper this season.
 
Ågren played in all 180 minutes of action last week in Clemson's 4-0 win over No. 17 FIU and 5-1 win over Louisville. The Tigers were just the third team to record a clean sheet against FIU this season and snapped the Panthers’ seven-match unbeaten streak. The native of Malmö, Sweden, scored the first goal of the game against FIU on a well-placed penalty kick and also assisted on Ousmane Sylla's goal with a perfectly weighted through ball, sending the forward through on goal. The anchor of the Clemson defense from the center back position, Ågren stifled opposing forwards in both contests in the Tigers’ dominant defensive performances.
 
The ACC Men’s Soccer Championship begins Wednesday with first-round matches at campus sites. The tournament opens at 6 p.m. on ACC Network as No. 7 seed North Carolina entertains No. 10 Syracuse. No. 11 seed Virginia travels to No. 6 Wake Forest at 8 p.m. to cap off ACCN’s first-round doubleheader. No. 9 seed Boston College plays at No. 8 Virginia Tech and No. 12 NC State travels to No. 5 Notre Dame, with both matches streaming at 7 p.m. Wednesday on ACCNX.
 
The quarterfinal round features a quadruple-header on Sunday, Nov. 7, on ACCN and begins at 2 p.m. with No. 3 seed Duke hosting Virginia or Wake Forest. Top-seeded Pitt entertains Boston College or Virginia Tech at 4 p.m., while No. 4 seed Louisville plays host to NC State or Notre Dame at 6 p.m. The quarterfinals are capped off at 8 p.m. with No. 2 seed Clemson welcoming Syracuse or North Carolina.
 
The semifinals will be played Wednesday, Nov. 10, at campus sites, with the matches airing on ACC Network at 5 and 7 p.m. The championship match will be broadcast from WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, on ESPNU on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.

Five ACC teams are ranked in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll: Pitt (6), Clemson (9), Duke (13), North Carolina (18) and Notre Dame (23).
 
2021 ACC Offensive Players of the Week
Aug. 31 – Veljko Petkovic, Jr., M, Pitt
Sept. 7 – Stefan Sigurdarson, Jr., F, Boston College
Sept. 14 – Deandre Kerr, So., F, Syracuse
Sept. 21 – Jacob Labovitz, Sr., F, Virginia Tech
Sept. 28 – Matt Bailey, Gr., M, Pitt; Danny Flores, Fr., M, Virginia Tech
Oct. 5 – Thorleifur Ulfarsson, So., F, Duke
Oct. 12 - Daniel Russo, So., F, Notre Dame; Guilherme Feitosa, Fr., M, Pitt
Oct. 19 – Aboubacar Camara, Fr., F, Louisville
Oct. 26 – Milo Garvanian, Sr., M/D, North Carolina
Nov. 2 – Quinn McNeill, Sr., M, Clemson
 
2021 ACC Defensive Players of the Week
Aug. 31 – George Marks, Sr., GK, Clemson
Sept. 7 – Eliot Hamill, Sr., GK, Duke
Sept. 14 – George Marks, Sr., GK, Clemson
Sept. 21 – Eliot Hamill, Sr., GK, Duke
Sept. 28 – Eliot Hamill, Sr., GK, Duke
Oct. 5 – Charlie Asensio, Sr., D, Clemson
Oct. 12 - Philip Quinton, Sr., D, Notre Dame
Oct. 19 – Paddy Burns, So., D, Notre Dame
Oct. 26 – Alec Smir, Gr., GK, North Carolina
Nov. 2 – Trace Alphin, Fr., GK, Wake Forest; Oskar Ågren, Jr., D, Clemson