We return to the Eastern Conference Best XI player ratings for week 2. Bethlehem, Charlotte, Ottawa, Rochester all had their first match of the season this week, as every club in the East has played at least one match thus far. Read up on our player rating methodology here, and to see last week’s Best XI, you can find it here.

Best XI - Week 2

Goalkeeper: Mitch Hildebrandt, FC Cincinnati: 3470 pts

A shutout win over Pittsburgh as Hildebrandt - who is currently tied for most saves in the East with nine - earned his first spot on the Eastern Conference Team of the Week.

Defender: Damion Lowe, Tampa Bay Rowdies: 4457 pts, Player of the Week

Scoring the opening goal in 4-0 drubbing over Toronto FC II, Lowe features in our Best XI for the second time this season, this time with Player of the Week honors.

Defender: Forrest Lasso, Charleston Battery: 3995 pts

Lasso scored his second goal of the season on Saturday as he lead the Battery to a decisive win over their Southern Derby rivals, Charlotte. The defender also leads Charleston in shots, with four in two matches.

Midfielder: George Davis IV, Louisville City FC: 4162 pts

Providing a goal and three chances in a 3-1 win over Orlando City B, George Davis IV becomes the first of two Louisville players to make the Team of the Week.

Midfielder: Michael Nanchoff, Tampa Bay Rowdies: 3762 pts

The league leader in Chances Created - 11 on the season - posts a second consecutive week on the Best XI of the Eastern Conference. It’s early in the season, but Nanchoff seems to be turning into one the most reliable players in the USL.

Midfielder: Mats Bjurman, Saint Louis FC: 3758 pts

Bjurman makes his first appearance on the Eastern Conference Best XI after adding his name to Saint Louis’ list of goal scorers.

Midfielder: Aodhan Quinn, FC Cincinnati: 3630 pts

Quinn supplied a strong defensive anchor in the midfielder, leading FC Cincinnati in interceptions with seven. Quinn also proved to be an intrinsic part of any attack for FCC, as he lead the team in passes on the night with 95.

Midfielder: Andrew Wiedeman, FC Cincinnati: 3430 pts

Creating offensive opportunities was key to Wiedeman’s success this past weekend. He provided the assist to Djiby Fall’s goal in the 55th minute, which lead to FC Cincinnati’s win over Pittsburgh.

Forward: Christian Volesky, Saint Louis FC: 4012 pts

Recording the opening goal of the match and an assist, Christian Volesky lead Saint Louis in their 3-2 win over league newcomers, Ottawa. Volesky also leads STL in passes completed, with a completion rate of 84.6%.

Forward: Georgi Hristov, Tampa Bay Rowdies: 3980 pts

Providing another goal to his growing tally - currently at two - Hristov posted a solid performance. An appearance on the Team of the Week may soon become a regular occurrence for the Tampa Bay forward.

Forward: Luke Spencer, Louisville City FC: 3878 pts

With six shots on the night - one of which found the back of the net - Luke Spencer provided a valuable performance off the bench. From that one match, Spencer now finds himself in the top five of shots in the Eastern Conference.

Honorable Mentions:

Goalkeeper: Akira Fitzgerald, Tampa Bay Rowdies: 3230 pts

Defender: Harrison Delbridge, FC Cincinnati: 3418 pts

Midfielder: Joe Cole, Tampa Bay Rowdies: 3172 pts

Forward: Romario Williams, Charleston Battery: 3372 pts

Concluding Thoughts

Four players - Lasso, Lowe, Nanchoff, and Hristov - all made repeat appearances the Eastern Conference Best XI. Performances like these past two weeks will likely see this quartet of players land on the month’s Best XI. Lasso and Hristov also added another goal to their names, adding fuel to an already offensive showcase in the East.

Damion Lowe proved once more that producing well as a defender reaps rewards later, as the Tampa Bay defender - along with George Davis IV (Louisville) and Christian Volesky (Saint Louis) - posted point totals over 4000 this week. Fellow Rowdies and Best XI teammate, Michael Nanchoff, showed that creating chances for your club can produce as many benefits as scoring does.

For the second week in a row, Tampa Bay sends the most players to the Best XI, as three players feature here. FC Cincinnati and Louisville each make their debuts on the Team of the Week, sending three and two players respectively. Saint Louis and Charleston help round out the rest of the best XI.

What are your thoughts on the week two Best XI of the Eastern Conference? Which player not named to the Team of the Week, do you think is most deserving a spot? Is there a player who stood out to you? Let us know in the comments below!