MONTGOMERY, Ala. – UT Southern sophomore goalkeeper William McGinn has been named the Southern States Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week following his standout performance in the Firehawks' SSAC Quarterfinal victory over No. 2 nationally ranked Life University.
The honor is the first weekly conference award of McGinn's career and adds another milestone to an impressive season between the posts for the Whitburn, Scotland, native.
McGinn was instrumental in UT Southern's historic 1-0 upset of the Runnin' Eagles, recording six saves and posting a shutout against one of the top teams in the nation. His performance helped the seventh-seeded Firehawks knock off the No. 2-ranked team in the country and advance to the SSAC Semifinals.
The victory was one of the biggest postseason wins in program history and propelled UT Southern to Montgomery for the conference semifinals. The Firehawks also became the lowest seed to reach the SSAC Semifinals since 2015, when eighth-seeded Auburn Montgomery advanced after defeating top-seeded Mobile.
Throughout the match, McGinn repeatedly came up with key saves to preserve the Firehawks' one-goal advantage, helping hold a Life squad that entered the postseason undefeated in conference play scoreless for 90 minutes.
William McGinn | So. | Goalkeeper | Whitburn, Scotland
- First career SSAC Player of the Week honor
- Recorded a six-save shutout against No. 2 Life University in the SSAC Quarterfinals
- Helped lead UT Southern to a 1-0 victory over the nationally ranked Runnin' Eagles
- Anchored a defensive effort that held one of the NAIA's top teams scoreless
- Helped the Firehawks become the lowest seed to reach the SSAC Semifinals since 2015
McGinn and the Firehawks now turn their attention to the SSAC Semifinals in Montgomery, where UT Southern will continue its pursuit of a conference championship.
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