WEST DES MOINES, Iowa – Friday, July 15, 2011 – Des Moines Menace defender Jubril Lawal has earned a spot on the Premier Development League’s Team of the Week, announced yesterday by the United Soccer Leagues.

With the Menace’s playoff hopes hanging in the balance, Lawal scored in the 70th minute of Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Thunder Bay Chill at Valley Stadium. He also played a key role in the shutout that snapped the defending league finalists’ nine-match unbeaten streak.

The goal was the first of the season for Lawal, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, who plays for the University of Mobile. He has played in 884 minutes in 10 matches in his second season as a fixture in the Menace’s starting lineup.

John Sosa, the only other 2011 Menace player to earn PDL Team of the Week recognition (May 27), converted a penalty kick in the 82nd minute to seal Saturday’s win. These were just the second and third goals scored against Thunder Bay goalkeeper Stephen Paterson, who carries a league-best 0.30 Goals Against Average and is also a member of the current PDL Team of the Week.

With two regular-season matches left, the second-place Menace (10-4-0, 30 points) is still in the running for one of the Heartland Division’s two postseason spots. Des Moines is part of a three-team race with Thunder Bay (11-2-1, 34 points) and Real Colorado (9-1-2, 29 points) – teams that face off in Canada on July 22-23.

UP NEXT: The Menace closes its home schedule the next couple Saturdays, starting with a July 16 exhibition against Menace Alumni on Blank Children’s Hospital Night, presented by the Principal Financial Group. The team is donating two dollars of each ticket sold to the Blank Children’s Hospital.

The team’s home finale is July 23 against Kansas City on Fan Appreciation Night presented by Frito-Lay. Des Moines closes its regular season the next day at St. Louis.