CLEMSON, S.C. — The individual awards continue to come in for the National Champions, as senior defender Oskar Ågren (First-Team) and senior goalkeeper George Marks (Third-Team) were each named to Top Drawer Soccer’s 2021 Best XI teams. Head Coach Mike Noonan picked up the Coach of the Year honor.
Ågren, a second-team United Soccer Coaches All-American, was also named the Top Drawer Soccer No. 3 overall player of 2021, as is reflected by his status as a finalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy to be awarded on January 7. Ågren was a rock at center back all season, and along with his stellar defense he contributed five goals, not to mention two successful penalties in the shootouts against Oregon State and Notre Dame.
Marks excelled in his third season as the Tigers’ starting goalkeeper, highlighted by his three crucial penalty kick saves in shootouts that ultimately sent Clemson through to the National Championship match. Marks’s extraordinary career has landed him third in Clemson history in both career solo-shutouts (21) and wins (47).
The Tigers lost three first-team All-ACC players to the MLS Draft in the spring, and then lost captain and the team’s only true striker in james Brighton to injury early this season. Noonan was able to coach around all of these considerable losses to bring the team its first National Championship since 1987. The 2021 Tigers were remarkably coached all season and were able to deliver their manager his first national title.
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