Clemson to Open Play in the ACC Tournament Tuesday

Nov. 6, 2011

2011 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship Site

CLEMSON, SC – The Clemson men’s soccer team will open play in the ACC Tournament at Duke on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in Durham, NC.

The Tigers are 8-8-1 overall and 4-4 in the ACC this season. The eight wins are the most for the Tigers in a single season since 2006. That year, the Tigers won 13 and advanced to the NCAA’s Final Four. The four ACC victories are the most conference victories since the 2001 season. It is also the first .500 season for league victories since 2006, when that team had a 3-3-2 record in ACC action.

The eight wins are the most for the Tigers in a single season since 2006. That year, the Tigers won 13 and advanced to the NCAA’s Final Four. The four ACC victories are the most conference victories since the 2001 season. It is also the first .500 season for league victories since 2006, when that team had a 3-3-2 record in ACC action.

Clemson has defeated two top 20 teams this season. The Tigers defeated #14 Boston College on October 4 and number-one Maryland on October 28.

Clemson is led in scoring by freshman Brynjar Benediktsson with seven goals and five assists for 19 points. Junior Austin Savage leads the team with six goals and four assists for 16 points. Three of Clemson’s top four scorers are freshmen. Amadou Dia had four goals and one assist for nine points and Iain Smith has two goals and five assists for nine points. Both Dia and Smith are freshmen.

Duke is the number-three seed and Clemson is the sixth seed. This season the top four seeds will play host to the quarterfinal round matches. The match will be played at Koskinen Stadium on the Duke campus.

Tickets are available for $8 for adults and $5 for students, children and senior citizens. The tickets can be purchased by calling the Duke ticket office at 1-877-375-3853 or 919-681-2583.

The Blue Devils are 10-6-2 overall, and 4-3-1 in the ACC this season. Andrew Wenger leads Duke in scoring with 17 goals and eight assists for 42 points.

Duke defeated Clemson, 5-2 during the regular season behind a hat trick and an assist from junior Wenger.

The winner advances to the ACC semifinals to take on either Boston College or Maryland at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. on Friday, November 11. Both ACC Tournament semifinals will be broadcast nationally by ESPN3.

The championship match will be held on Sunday, November 13 at 12 p.m., at WakeMed. That match will be televised nationally by ESPNU.