CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Junior Malick Daouda and senior Martin Bakken netted a goal each to push the No. 21 Clemson Tigers (6-2, 2-1 ACC) to a 2-1 victory over North Carolina (2-2-3, 0-1-2 ACC) in Chapel Hill on Saturday night. Bakken finished the night with three points after scoring the opening goal and assisting on Daouda’s game winner.
The Tigers’ offense came out hot in Chapel Hill with a quick header netted by Bakken in the 7’ off a perfect pass from senior Remi Okunlola to put Clemson up 1-0 over the Tar Heels. Sophomore Xander Sevian looked to extend the Tigers’ lead with a shot in the box in the 25’ but North Carolina’s keeper made the save to hold the Tigers steady at 1-0.
North Carolina evened the match at 1-1 in the 35’ after a goal from Joschi Schleb. In the 36’ freshman Christian Scott was issued a red card to force Clemson to play down a man for the final 54 minutes, including the final nine of the opening half. With the Tigers down a man, the Tar Heels looked to take a lead heading into halftime, but graduate Aleksa Janjic made the save in the 37’ to keep the match locked at 1-1.
In the 56’ the Tar Heels made an attempt to take the lead with a shot inside the six-yard box but Janjic was once again there to make the save and keep the match knotted at 1-1. Clemson got the next best look and capitalized on it in the 60’ to put Clemson ahead, 2-1. Just a few feet from the 18-yard box, Bakken threaded the ball to Daouda, who got one touch on the ball to put it over the Tar Heels’ defense in the top of the net for his first goal as a Tiger.
The Tigers continued to battle on, but after already playing a man down, Xander Sevian received his second yellow card of the match to force Clemson to play two men down for the remaining nine minutes. North Carolina wanted to take advantage of the 11-9 player advantage and was awarded a free kick at the top of the 18-yard box, but senior Breno Correia deflected the attempt to keep the Tigers lead at 2-1 which held for the ACC victory.
Up Next
The Tigers return to Historic Riggs Field on Friday, Sept. 25 to take on Boston College in an ACC matchup. Action is slated to begin at 7 p.m. on ACCNX.