Match Day Central: No. 6 Clemson vs. UCLA, NCAA Round of 32

Clemson Opens NCAA Tournament Against UCLA

📝 Clemson Notes (PDF)

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 20

🐾  No. 6 Clemson vs. UCLA

📍 Clemson, S.C. (Historic Riggs Field)

🗓 Sunday, November 20 • 6 p.m.

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🎟 Tickets

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson men’s soccer team (13-6-1) is set to face UCLA (11-6-1) on Sunday, November 20 at 6 p.m. at Historic Riggs Field to open its 2022 NCAA Tournament run. This will be the Tiger’s 35th all-time NCAA Tournament appearance as they were selected as the No. 6 seed with a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the round of 32. This also marks Clemson and Head Coach Mike Noonan’s ninth tournament berth in the last ten seasons. Sunday’s match will be broadcast on ESPN+

The Tigers are 58-28-8 all-time in the NCAA tournament and an impressive 15-1-1 in the Round of 32 with a 42-11-2 overall record at home. Clemson has reached the championship five times, earning national titles in 1984, 1987, and 2021. 

Clemson’s 35 NCAA Tournament appearances is tied for seventh-most all-time, while UCLA’s 47 is tied for second-most. UCLA has captured one more national title than Clemson, and is tied for fourth amongst all programs in total NCAA championships.

Clemson and UCLA are meeting for the eighth time in the programs’ storied histories. The last time the Tigers faced the UCLA Bruins was during the 2017 regular season, when Clemson shut out UCLA 3-0 at Historic Riggs Field. 

Ousmane Sylla led the Tigers in goals (5), scoring three goals in just his first four games of the season. Sylla also leads the team in points with 17, and Mohamed Seye trails Sylla with 14 points on the year. Freshman goalkeeper, Joseph Andema, is ranked 9th in the nation in shutouts (8) and 18th in save percentage (8.08). A shutout on Sunday would put Andema tied for 6th in Clemson program history in shutouts in a single season. 

The Tigers enter the NCAA tournament following a hard-fought 2-0 loss to the Syracuse Orange in the ACC Championship match. It marked Clemson’s fifth appearance in the ACC final during Mike Noonaan’s 13 season tenure, most of any school in that timeframe.

UCLA is 75-42 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and has collected four national titles. During the 2021 NCAA tournament, the Bruins fell to Duke, 2-1, in the second round in Durham, N.C. All-time in the second round of the NCAA tournament, UCLA is 25-12. 

Four Clemson players earned All-ACC accolades this season. Sylla got a much-deserved spot on the All-ACC first team. Hamady Diop secured a spot on the All-ACC second team for the second consecutive year. Mohamed Seye was awarded a place on the third team, and goalkeeper Joseph Andema made the All-Freshman team. 

UCLA is home to six different All-Pac-12 accolade winners. The duo of Tommy Silva and Jose Sosa were named to the All-Pac-12 second team. Four other Bruins received honorable mentions: Jose Contell, Nate Crockford, Kevin Diaz, and Pietro Grassi. 

The winner of the game between Clemson and UCLA will face the winner of No. 11 SMU vs. Vermont. Should the Tigers move to the Round of 16, the match would be held at Historic Riggs Field in Clemson, S.C. with time and broadcast information to be announced. 

The full NCAA men’s soccer tournament bracket is linked HERE. 

All tickets for the NCAA Tournament are general admission; $8 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under. Students receive free entry upon displaying their All-In Studnet Rewards App.