TAMPA, Fla. – USL League One today announced the Team of the Week for Week 8 of the 2023 regular season with Greenville Triumph SC midfielder Lyam MacKinnon named Player of the Week presented by Konami eFootball with his one-goal, one-assist performance in his side's victory over Charlotte.
While officially credited with two goal contributions on the evening, Greenville's first-year professional, Lyam MacKinnon, played a role in all three Triumph SC scores. The 23-year-old Lausanne, Switzerland native and FC Lausanne-Sport youth product bagged his first professional goal just before the halftime break, slotting home a well-placed Leo Castro assist. Just minutes later, MacKinnon tallied his second assist of the season, finding Aaron Walker in the middle of the pitch in first-half stoppage time. The first Swiss goalscorer in league history continued his production just after the break, sending a ball to Leo Castro down the pitch before the veteran Colombian dished it out to a wide-open Lucas Coutinho to add to the lead.
"It was a big win," said Greenville Head Coach John Harkes. "Charlotte was a big challenge and these guys rose to the occasion. To get back physically on a short week and perform like that against the first-place team was big. I’m so proud to see how they sacrificed for each other and performed for the guy next to them."
After sizeable victories in Week 8, Greenville and South Georgia lead the way with five and four total players named to the Team of the Week, respectively, while Madison, North Carolina, Richmond and Omaha see multiple players across the Team of the Week and Team of the Week Bench.
GK – Pablo Jara, South Georgia Tormenta FC: In the first 2022 League One Final rematch of the season, Jara kept a clean sheet to help Tormenta FC to a big victory over Chattanooga. The veteran shot-stopper tallied seven recoveries and four saves on the evening.
D - Nathan Aune, Richmond Kickers: The 26-year-old defender helped Richmond to its fourth clean sheet of the season with his seven duels won, four recoveries and three clearances.
D - Jacob Crull, Forward Madison FC: Crull created a pair of chances in Madison’s scoreless draw with Knoxville to go along with his nine duels won, five recoveries and four clearances.
D - Timmy Mehl, Forward Madison FC: The first-year ‘Mingo helped Madison stay undefeated with a strong defensive outing consisting of nine recoveries, eight clearances and seven duels won.
D – Tyler Polak, Greenville Triumph SC: The veteran defender helped Greenville end Charlotte’s unbeaten start with his 12 recoveries, five duels won, four clearances and 87% passing accuracy.
M – Lucas Coutinho, Greenville Triumph SC: With his Week 8 goals, Coutinho has already matched his career-best mark for goals in a single season with three. The Brazilian midfielder won five recoveries, created two chances and completed 100% of his dribbles and long balls.
M – Pedro Fonseca, South Georgia Tormenta FC: With a goal in Week 8, Fonseca has already tallied three goal contributions on the young season. Enjoying his first season in Statesboro, the 25-year-old midfielder completed 91% of his passes, won four duels and completed 100% of his dribbles and long balls against Chattanooga.
M – Lyam MacKinnon, Greenville Triumph SC: Early in his first professional season, MacKinnon bagged his first professional goal to go along with an assist in Greenville’s convincing 3-1 victory in Charlotte. The 23-year-old also won 10 duels, reeled in 12 recoveries and won three fouls.
M – Rafa Mentzingen, North Carolina FC: Starting off his first season in Cary strong, the Golden Boot leader has appeared on the Team of the Week as a starter or on the bench in five of eight weeks. The veteran midfielder guided NCFC to a fourth consecutive victory with a goal, two chances created, eight recoveries and seven duels won.
F – Leonardo Castro, Greenville Triumph SC: The veteran Colombian striker has impressed early in his first season in Greenville, racking up five goal contributions in his last 262 minutes on the pitch. Castro recorded two assists and nine duels won against Charlotte.
F – Ryan Sierakowski, South Georgia Tormenta FC: Sierakowski netted the match-winning goal in Tormenta FC’s 2-0 victory over Chattanooga on Friday. The 25-year-old forward also won eight duels, four tackles and three fouls.
Bench: Rashid Nuhu (OMA), Michael Hornsby (RIC), Luca Mastrantonio (OMA), Mukwelle Akale (TRM), Louis Perez (NC), Aaron Walker (GVL), Dane Kelly (CLT)