GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Duke senior attackman Dyson Williams earned Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week honors, and Virginia sophomore goalie Matthew Nunes notched Defensive Player of the Week.
Williams recorded six goals and dished out an assist to lift Duke to an 18-15 victory over Syracuse and the ACC title. A native of Oshawa, Ontario, Williams scored at least one goal in every quarter as Duke never trailed in the game. With Syracuse surging on a 4-0 run in the fourth quarter to cut the lead to two, Williams netted a man-up score for what proved to be the game winner. His six goals marked the third sock trick of his career and the second this season. He iced the victory with an assist on Duke’s 17th goal.
Nunes was sensational in net for the Cavaliers in wins over Lafayette and No. 1 Notre Dame. For the week, the native of The Woodlands, Texas, registered a 63.5 save percentage, including a 70.4 percent mark against the Irish. Nunes turned in a career-high 19 saves against Notre Dame and collected a game-high eight ground balls in UVA’s second win of the season over a No. 1 opponent. The 19 saves matched the second most by any ACC goalie this season. Nunes and the UVA defense held Notre Dame to just eight goals, the Fighting Irish’s fewest in over a year.
All five ACC programs are ranked in the Inside Lacrosse poll, with Duke regaining the No. 1 spot, followed by Virginia (2), Notre Dame (3), North Carolina (17) and Syracuse (18). In the USILA top 20, Duke is No. 1, with Virginia (2), Notre Dame (3) and Syracuse (T20) following while North Carolina is receiving votes.
The regular season concludes this weekend. The final league game of 2023 comes at noon Saturday when Notre Dame travels to North Carolina, with ACC Network televising. On Sunday, Duke plays Merrimack at 1 p.m. in a neutral-site game in Bethpage, New York.
2023 ACC Offensive Players of the Week
Feb. 7 – Brennan O’Neill, Jr., A, Duke
Feb. 14 – Joey Spallina, Fr., A, Syracuse
Feb. 21 – Brennan O’Neill, Jr., A, Duke; Connor Shellenberger, Jr., A, Virginia
Feb. 28 – Payton Cormier, Sr., A, Virginia
March 7 – Brennan O’Neill, Jr., A, Duke
March 14 – Xander Dickson, Sr., A, Virginia
March 21 – Pat Kavanagh, Sr., A, Notre Dame
March 28 – Connor Shellenberger, Jr., A, Virginia
April 4 – Brennan O’Neill, Jr., A, Duke
April 11 – Pat Kavanagh, Sr., A, Notre Dame; Joey Spallina, Fr., A, Syracuse
April 18 – Jake Naso, Jr., FO, Duke
April 25 – Xander Dickson, Sr., A, Virginia
May 2 – Dyson Williams, Sr., A, Duke
2023 ACC Defensive Players of the Week
Feb. 7 – Will Mark, Sr., G, Syracuse
Feb. 14 – Grayson Sallade, Gr., SSDM, Virginia
Feb. 21 – Jake Naso, Jr., FO, Duke; Petey LaSalla, Gr., FO, Virginia
Feb. 28 – Wilson Stephenson, Gr., LSM, Duke; Cade Saustad, Sr., D, Virginia
March 7 – Liam Entenmann, Sr., G, Notre Dame
March 14 – Liam Entenmann, Sr., G, Notre Dame
March 21 – William Helm, Gr., G, Duke
March 28 – Cole Kastner, Jr., D, Virginia
April 4 – William Helm, Gr., G, Duke; Will Lynch, So., FO, Notre Dame
April 11 – Chris Fake, Gr., D, Notre Dame
April 18 – William Helm, Gr., G, Duke
April 25 – Liam Entenmann, Sr., G, Notre Dame
May 2 – Matthew Nunes, So., G, Virginia