Clemson Set For Road Clash With South Carolina

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson men’s soccer team is set to play its third consecutive road match when it heads to Columbia, S.C. for a Friday evening matchup with the South Carolina Gamecocks.

South Carolina Match Information

Who: Clemson Tigers (1-1-0) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (1-1-0)
When: Friday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m.
Where: Stone Stadium // Columbia, S.C.
Watch: https://bit.ly/2BJekJp
Live Stats: https://stats.statbroadcast.com/broadcast/?id=224008
Follow: @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram

Clemson Notes:

• The Tigers opened their 2018 campaign with a two-match roadtrip to Omaha, Neb. that ended in a 1-1 split after Clemson dropped the season opener 2-0 to the Creighton Bluejays last Friday but rebounded with a 1-0 victory over the Omaha Mavericks two days later.
• Keeper Jonny Sutherland, a graduate transfer from ETSU, played every minute of the Tigers’ first two matches in goal, totaling six saves against two goals allowed. Both of those goals came during the first half against Creighton, and Sutherland has had three straight shutout halves since.
• Clemson’s 2018 roster is an even mix of returners and newcomers, with 14 Tiger veterans and 14 new faces making up the team.
• Clemson’s 2018 recruiting class was ranked No. 3 in the country in TopDrawerSoccer’s final recruiting rankings, placing it behind the classes of UCLA and Wake Forest.
• Sutherland was named to the 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List as one of just four goalkeepers on the 32-player list.
• Midfielder John Murphy Jr. was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s Preseason Best XI Freshman team.
• Clemson was picked to finish second in the Atlantic Division in 2018, a spot above their 2017 finish, according to a preseason vote of the conference’s 12 head coaches. Clemson received four first-place votes in the division, placing it behind reigning ACC Champion Wake Forest, which was picked as the Atlantic Division favorite with eight first-place votes.
• The Tigers are led by team captains Patrick Bunk-Andersen and Tanner Dieterich.

South Carolina Notes:

• South Carolina also opened its 2018 campaign with a 1-1 record, falling to then-ranked No. 13, now unranked Georgetown 1-0 last Friday and then defeating Lipscomb 2-1 on Monday.
• Justin Sukow and Tucker Monheimer both found the back of the net for South Carolina against Lipscomb. Luca Mayr assisted on both goals.
• Keeper Ian McGrane recorded a career-high seven saves during the loss to Georgetown and has totaled 10 on the season.
• While Clemson is yet to play at Historic Riggs Field during the 2018 season aside from an exhibition against UAB, South Carolina is yet to go on the road, as Friday will mark South Carolina’s fifth consecutive match at Stone Stadium in 2018 between two preseason matches and two regular season matches prior to hosting Clemson.
• The Gamecocks ended 2017 with a 6-9-2 overall record while going 2-4-2 in Conference USA play.
• South Carolina’s 2017 campaign concluded in the first round of the Conference USA Tournament when the Gamecocks fell to Old Dominion 2-0.

Series Notes:

• Clemson last traveled to South Carolina in 2016. Both teams were unranked, and Clemson came away with a 2-1 victory.
• Last year’s matchup between the two squads had historical significance, as the Tigers’ 4-1 win at home marked head coach Mike Noonan’s 300^th career victory.
• Dating back to 1978, Clemson leads the overall series 28-17-1. The Tigers currently hold a four-match win streak over the Gamecocks, beginning with a 3-0 victory at Historic Riggs Field in 2015.

For complete coverage of the Clemson men’s soccer team, follow @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram, and @ClemsonMensSocceron Facebook.