Clemson Scores Three Unanswered Goals to Win

The Clemson men’s soccer team improved to 1-0-0 on the young season with a 3-1 win over East Tennessee State at Historic Riggs Field Friday night. The Tigers trailed 1-0 early on before scoring three unanswered goals. 

Senior captain Paul Clowes scored Clemson’s first goal, and the equalizer, in the 69th minute. Goalkeeper and fellow team captain Andrew Tarbell made a phenomenal outlet pass from the box that fell to junior Alex Happi’s feet at midfield. He drove the ball upfield and passed ahead to Clowes, who scored from the top of the box into the lower left corner. Both Tarbell and Happi received assists on the goal. 

“I was happy that we came out in the second with a little more purpose to the way we were playing,” head coach Mike Noonan said. “East Tennessee didn’t make it easy, but we can certainly play better.”

Junior Iman Mafi scored the game-winner for Clemson, netting an unassisted goal from the top of the box into the lower left corner of the net in the 79th minute.

“I thought the best part of the game tonight was the crowd, I thought they were fantastic,” Noonan said of the crowd of more than 2,400. “Very proud of the guys to see the game through, the crowd gave us the energy.” 

Sophomore Oliver Shannon ended the night on an even higher note with his strike in the 86th minute, off assists from sophomore Diego Campos and junior Austen Burnikel.  

Clemson takes the field next on Sunday at 6 p.m. when Mercer visits Historic Riggs Field.