Ryan Jack Named Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Kentucky men’s soccer goalkeeper Ryan Jack has been named Defensive Player of the Week, the Sun Belt Conference announced on Tuesday afternoon.

With the second consecutive conference nod, Jack becomes the first Sun Belt men’s soccer student-athlete to win the weekly honor back-to-back since the 2020 season.

“Really excited for Ryan to get honored two weeks in a row,” assistant coach Ryan Hulings said. “He has continued to work hard and stay prepared which has been apparent with his last three performances and clean sheets.”

Last Friday, at then RV South Carolina (6-2-2, 1-2 Sun Belt), Jack recorded five saves for a career high in a single match earning his first win in the net. The junior’s 89’ denial of a USC penalty kick sealed the deal for a third consecutive shutout and 2-0 Wildcat win.

The victory improved Jack’s all-time record to 1-2-2 with his junior season record updated to 1-0-2.

In addition to the South Riding, Va. native’s showing against the Gamecocks, he also shut out Georgia Southern and then No. 6 West Virginia which both resulted in 0-0 draws.

“I’m impressed by the depth we have in our goalkeepers this season,” stated Hulings. “I look forward to watching that depth in action in the coming matches.”

Last week’s Sun Belt award was the first conference honor of Jack’s career at Kentucky.

Kentucky will travel to Indiana (3-3-5, 2-1-2 B1G) for a 7 p.m. EST contest on Tuesday at Bill Armstrong Stadium.

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