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FC Tampa Bay goalkeeper Jeff Attinella has been named the North American Soccer League Defender of the Week, the league announced on Monday.

A Clearwater native and graduate of the University of South Florida, Attinella made four saves in FC Tampa Bay’s 2-0 win at Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday night. The shutout was the seventh of the season for the club, including Attinella’s team-high fourth of the season. The four shutouts for Attinella rank fifth in the league in 2011.

“It was a big three points for us as we head into this long road trip,” said Attinella. “I feel like I am starting to settle in and this is certainly a great honor. Hopefully we can keep playing well.”

Attinella leads the NASL with 106 saves this season and ranks fourth in the league for fewest goals allowed among goalkeepers who have played at least 1,500 minutes.

The award marks Attinella’s second honor this season, including the seventh time an FC Tampa Bay player has received a weekly NASL award. The seven weekly awards are the second-most for any league team this season, trailing only Carolina. Attinella first earned the award on May 24 after posting his first career shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Montreal Impact on May 21.

FC Tampa Bay continues its season-long four-game road trip this Saturday, September 3 at Carolina at 7:00 p.m.