Mississippi Brilla FC Defender Jacob Lawrence has been named to the Premier Development Team of the Week. Lawrence was nominated based on his strong performance in Brilla’s 0-0 draw with the Laredo Heat on May 9th.

Lawrence put in 90 minutes on Friday night and made a game-saving goal line save during the first half. That and his overall play garnered him a nomination even from the opposing team.

When notified of the honor, Lawrence didn’t know what it meant. "When I found out I’d made the Team of the Week, I had to go see exactly what it was. When I checked it out on the USL Website, I was blown away. It’s really a great honor."

The Premier Development League Team of the Week is selected by the United Soccer Leagues’ Staff based on nominations from the 67 teams and over 1,700 players in the PDL.

Brilla FC is proud to have Lawrence on the roster this season after some uncertainty as to whether he’d be returning to Mississippi. Jacob attends Bowling Green University in Ohio and entertained staying closer to school and playing for another PDL team.

"A number of factor contributed to me coming back to Mississippi," said Lawrence. "My family being here was, of course, a reason to come back, but also, knowing that I’d be playing in front of huge crowds that we get here in Clinton is exciting. Having over 1,000 fans at every game is incredible!"

The Mississippi Brilla FC staff hopes to see several players on the PDL Team of the Week. Scott Taylor, Director of Operations said, "Having Jacob make it in our first week of play was unexpected, but not undeserved. We had several players who could have received nominations. I believe we’ve got some of the best players in the PDL on our squad. I fully expect to see our players’ names on the list several times this season. "

Mississippi Brilla FC continues play on Saturday, May 17 at Longabaugh Field in Clinton versus the Baton Rouge Capitals at 5:00 PM.

Position	Name	Team	Highlights
GK	Chris Antonino	Brooklyn	10 saves & SO in 1-0 win against Westchester
D	Jacob Lawrence	Mississippi	Denied GS opportunity, two nominations in 0-0 draw
D	Beto Papandrea	Austin	Anchored defense that registered 2 consecutive SO’s
D	John Fletcher	Ocean City	Goal in PDL debut, Solidified defense in 1-1 draw
M	Calum Angus	St. Louis	Game winner in 81st minute of 2-1 game at Des Moines
M	Andrew Wiedman	San Jose	2 goals in 3-1 win over San Fernando Valley Quakes
M	Josue Soto	Carolina	2 assists in 2-0 win over Nashville
M	Jason Leopoldo	Ventura	Goal in 90th minute to draw San Fernando 2-2
F	Amaury Nunes	Fresno	2 goals in 2-1 win over Southern California
F	Mike Grella	Long Island	Hat-trick in 5-1 win over the Virginia Legacy
F	Adrian Schippers	New Hampshire	2 goals in 2-1 win at Cape Cod, first home loss in 28G

GK	Ryan Cooper	Laredo	2 shutouts, 10 saves in a win and a draw on the road
F	Tim Ritter	Rhode Island	2 goals in 2-2 draw at Richmond
F	Junior Araujo	Central Florida	Both goals in 2-0 win over Palm Beach; 4th of season