BOX SCORE
OMAHA, Neb. – The No. 11 Clemson men’s soccer team picked up its first win of the 2018 campaign on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Omaha Mavericks 1-0 at Caniglia Field. With the win, Clemson moved to 1-1-0 on the year, while Omaha slid to 0-2-0.
Early in the 23rd minute, the momentum started to shift towards the Tigers when Grayson Barber fired a shot that deflected off the left post. Later in that same minute, Adrian Nuñez sent a corner into the box, and after a few headers back and forth, Andrew Burnikel directed one towards the goal that skimmed off a Maverick defender for an own goal that put the Tigers up 1-0, a lead they took into halftime.
Both teams were more active in the second half, with the Tigers taking six shots to Omaha’s seven, but goalkeeper Jonny Sutherland and the Clemson defense did not allow the tying score. Sutherland finished the match with two saves coupled with a team save.
“I’m happy to come away from the trip with three points after Friday night’s loss,” said head coach Mike Noonan. “I thought the team battled well. But moving forward, we’re going to need to play a lot better, and a lot more clinically in the final third. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
The Tigers stay on the road for their next match, a contest against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday evening. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. at Stone Stadium.
For complete coverage of the Clemson men’s soccer team, follow @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram, and @ClemsonMensSocceron Facebook.
