No. 14 Clemson Faces Louisville in ACC Tournament Final

CARY, N.C. – The 14th ranked (NSCAA/TDS) Clemson men’s soccer team will face No. 14 (Soccer America) and sixth-seeded Louisville in the ACC Tournament Final on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. Clemson advanced to the final last night, edging No. 1 seed and defending national champion Notre Dame 5-4 in penalty kicks. Sunday’s match will be broadcast live on ESPNU and ticket information can be found at the link above or on the Atlantic Coast Conference website. 

Clemson, the tournament’s No. 4 seed, stands at 10-6-3 on the season after advancing to the final. Junior T.J. Casner scored the clinching goal in the penalty kick shoot-out last night. Redshirt junior Chris Glodack entered the match to defend during the shoot-out and saved three shots. Senior captain Bobby Belair scored the equalizer in the 88th minute off an assist from junior Paul Clowes. Last night’s match was the second consecutive match in which Clemson has advanced by penalty kicks.

Louisville knocked off tournament No. 2 seed and national No. 1 (NSCAA) Syracuse Friday night 2-1 directly following Clemson’s match against Notre Dame. The Cardinals’ record mirrors Clemson’s, 10-6-3 on the season. 

Prior to this season, Clemson and Louisville had never met. On Oct. 24 earlier this season, the Tigers and Cardinals played to a scoreless draw in Louisville. Clemson scored a goal in the final minute of the second overtime session, but the goal was waived off due to a penalty against the Tigers in the box. Sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell had seven saves in the match for Clemson. 

Clemson is 2-3 all-time in the ACC Championship round. This year’s team is the first to advance to the final since 2001, when Clemson beat Virginia 1-0. Clemson and Louisville have never met in the ACC Tournament.