COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Robbie Robinson broke a scoreless tie in the 73rd minute on a free kick goal to lead No. 11 Clemson past Maryland, 1-0, in both teams’ final exhibition of the 2018 preseason on Saturday afternoon. The Tigers finished the preseason with two wins and a tie in three matches.
Both teams were on the attack in the first half, and Clemson’s first scoring opportunities came in the 19th minute on shots by Robinson and Gian Scalise, but Terp goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair saved the former and the latter was blocked. A handball in the box in the 27th minute resulted in a penalty kick for the Tigers, but St. Clair made another save to keep the match scoreless. Jonny Sutherland also did his part in goal for the Tigers, making four saves in the first half and totaling five in his 72 minutes of action.
The two teams remained knotted at 0-0 until the 73rd minute, when Robinson drilled a free kick from just outside the penalty area past St. Clair for his second goal of the preseason. Maryland’s best opportunity to tie came on a penalty kick in the 87th minute, but George Marks, who entered the game in goal for the Tigers in the 72nd minute, saved it to maintain the Clemson lead.
“This was a great way to finish our preseason matches,” head coach Mike Noonan said. “It was a gritty performance in tough conditions on the road against an excellent, well-coached opponent. One-goal road wins can define the character of teams, and I am proud that we were able to come out on top. With that being said, a good opponent like Maryland revealed areas we still have to work on, and we will continue that work next week.”
The Tigers take the field for their regular season opener on Aug. 24 at Creighton. The matchup with the Blue Jays is set for 8 p.m. EST, 7 p.m. CT at Morrison Stadium.
For complete coverage of the Clemson men’s soccer team, follow @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram, and @ClemsonMensSoccer on Facebook.
