CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Duke senior attackman Brennan O’Neill earned Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Virginia junior goalie Matthew Nunes was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week.
 
O'Neill scored five goals and added two assists for seven points in a victory over Jacksonville on Friday. All five goals were unassisted. The five goals pushed O'Neill's total to 170 for his career, tying Matt Danowski for fifth all time in Duke history. The native of Bay Shore, New York, had a hat trick in the first quarter as Duke jumped out to a 7-2 first-quarter lead. He dished out two assists in the second quarter and added two more goals in the third quarter to record his 32nd career hat trick and his 26th game with at least five points. He has 17 goals and 11 assists for 28 points after four games this season, good for a 7.0 points per game average.
 
Nunes recorded a season-high 17 saves and surrendered only seven goals in UVA’s 14-8 win over No. 20 Ohio State. Nunes’ 17 saves are the most by an ACC goalie in a single game this season. The Woodlands, Texas, native held Ohio State scoreless in the second quarter, which allowed the Cavaliers to build up a 10-3 lead by halftime. He earned his 27th career win in net to tie for seventh all-time in school history.
 
All five ACC squads are ranked again this week in the latest USILA poll, highlighted by Duke rising to No. 1 and Virginia to No. 2. Notre Dame (6), Syracuse (8) and North Carolina (19).
 
This is a busy week in non-conference play for ACC Men’s Lacrosse. Syracuse plays a huge home game against No. 5 Army at 6 p.m. Wednesday on ACCNX. In a Friday ACC Network doubleheader, Duke plays host to No. 17 Penn at 5 p.m. and North Carolina entertains No. 14 Princeton at 8 p.m. On Saturday, Virginia welcomes No. 7 Johns Hopkins at 1 p.m. on ACC Network, while Syracuse plays host to High Point at 5 p.m. on ACCNX.
 
Three games are slated for noon Sunday: No. 3 Maryland at Notre Dame on ESPNU, Princeton at Duke on ACCNX and Penn at UNC on ACCNX.
 
2024 ACC Men’s Lacrosse Offensive Player of the Week
Feb. 6 – Josh Zawada, Gr., A, Duke
Feb. 13 – Joey Spallina, So., A, Syracuse
Feb. 20 – Pat Kavanagh, Gr., A, Notre Dame; Payton Cormier, Gr., A, Virginia
Feb. 27 – Brennan O’Neill, Sr., A, Duke
 
2024 ACC Men’s Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Week
Feb. 6 – Jake Naso, Sr., FO, Duke
Feb. 13 – Mason Kohn, 5th, FO, Syracuse
Feb. 20 – Ben Wayer, Jr., LSM, Virginia
Feb. 27 – Matthew Nunes, Jr., G, Virginia