Clemson is One of Only Two Teams to Defeat Both Maryland and UNC This Season

Dec. 15, 2008

CLEMSON, SC – Maryland defeated North Carolina 1-0 in the finals of the NCAA Men’s Soccer Cup in Frisco, TX on Sunday afternoon. The Tigers are one of only two teams to defeat both Maryland and UNC this season.

Wake Forest who spent most of the season ranked number one and was the number-one seed in the NCAA Tournament also defeated both teams. North Carolina defeated Wake Forest 1-0 in the NCAA semifinal match on Friday.

Clemson defeated fourth-ranked Maryland 5-3 on October 3. Clemson’s Michael Brooks had four goals in this match and assisted on the other Tiger goal. This was the most goals that a Maryland team has allowed since the Terrapins lost to North Carolina 5-1 on October 7, 2000.

The Tigers defeated seventh-ranked North Carolina 3-2 in overtime on October 25. The Tigers’ Nathan Thornton scored two goals in this win.

Over the years, this is the seventh time (1974, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1997, 2001, and 2008) that the Tigers have played both the National Champion and the NCAA Runner Up teams in the same season. The 2008 season marked the first time that the Tigers have defeated the National Champion and the NCAA Runner Up team in the same season.

After Maryland’s loss to Clemson on October 3, The Terrapins did not lose another match. Maryland won 16 consecutive matches after the loss to the Tigers.

Over the years, Clemson has defeated a NCAA eventual National Champion one other time and that was during the 1993 season when the Tigers defeated Virginia 2-1 on October 10, 1993 at Charlottesville, VA. Former Tiger All-American Jimmy Glenn scored the winning goal at the 89:59 mark (one second remaining in regulation). This was the latest goal that the Tigers have ever scored to win a match. The Cavaliers won the National Champion that season.

Clemson returns nine starters for the 2009 season including NSCAA All-South selections Joe Bendik (GK) and David Newton (D).

Clemson Results vs. the NCAA National Champion and the Runner Up teams since 1967, the first year Clemson fielded a men’s soccer team.

1968-Lost to eventual Co-National Champion Maryland during the regular season.

1973-Lost to NCAA Runner-Up UCLA 2-1 on January 2, in NCAA’s Final Four

1974-Lost to eventual National Champion Howard twice during the regular season and in the NCAA Round of 16. Lost to NCAA Runner-Up St. Louis during the regular season.

1975-Defeated NCAA Runner-Up SIU Edwardsville during the regular season.

1976-Lost to eventual National Champion San Francisco in NCAA Tournament’s Semifinals.

1978-Lost to eventual National Champion San Francisco in NCAA Tournament’s Semifinals.

1979-Lost to eventual national Champion SIU Edwardsville in NCAA Tournament’s Finals

1981-Lost to NCAA Runner-Up Alabama A&M, in NCAA Round of 16

1982-Lost to eventual National Champion Duke during the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 16.

1984-Clemson, National Champion

1985-Defeated NCAA Runner-Up American during the regular season.

1986-Lost to eventual National Champion Duke during the regular season.

1987-Clemson, National Champion

1989-Lost to NCAA Runner-Up Virginia during the regular season.

1991-Lost to eventual National Champion Virginia and Runner-Up Santa Clara during the regular season.

1992-Lost to eventual NCAA Champion Virginia twice during the 1992 season.

1993-Defeated and lost to eventual National Champion Virginia during the regular season. Lost to NCAA Runner-Up South Carolina during the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament.

1994-Lost to eventual National Champion Virginia during the regular season. Tied Virginia during the ACC Tournament. Lost to NCAA Runner-Up Indiana during the regular season.

1995-Lost to NCAA Runner-Up Duke during the regular season.

1997-Lost to eventual National Champion UCLA in NCAA Quarterfinals. Tied NCAA Runner-Up Virginia in Regular season.

1998-Lost to eventual National Champion Indiana in NCAA Quarterfinals.

1999-Lost to NCAA Runner-Up Santa Clara during the regular season.

2000-Lost to eventual National Champion Connecticut in NCAA Round of 16.

2001-Lost to eventual National Champion UNC during the regular season. Lost to NCAA Runner-Up Indiana in the NCAA’s Round of 8

2002-Lost to NCAA Runner-Up Stanford in NCAA Round of 8.

2005-Lost to eventual National Champion Maryland during the regular season and lost to NCAA Runner-Up New Mexico in the NCAA Final Four.

2006-Lost to NCAA Runner-Up UCLA in the NCAA Round of 16.

2007-Lost to eventual National Champion Wake Forest twice during the regular season.

2008-Defeated eventual National Champion Maryland and Runner-Up North Carolina during the regular season.