CLEMSON, S.C. – The eighth-seeded Clemson men’s soccer team (11-5-1, 3-4-1 ACC) defeated ninth-seeded Notre Dame (8-7-2, 3-4-1) 3-1 on Wednesday night at Historic Riggs Field, advancing them into the ACC Quarterfinals for the 32nd time in program history. With the win, Head Coach Mike Noonan registered his 100th career win at Historic Riggs Field.
Less than 12 minutes into the game, the Tigers benefitted from an own goal from the Fighting Irish. The Notre Dame defender headed the ball back to the goalkeeper in an attempt to stop the Clemson fastbreak but was unsuccessful, ultimately heading the ball into the back of their own net.
With just under five minutes left in the first half, Clemson aided from yet another own goal from the Fighting Irish after a free kick from Alvaro Gomez. With lots of traffic congesting the front of the net, the ball was deflected off a Notre Dame defender into their own goal to extend Clemson’s lead, 2-0, heading into the locker room. Goalkeeper, Joseph Andema, tallied three saves after Notre Dame outshot Clemson, 4-3, in the first 45 minutes.
The Tigers came out of the locker room hot to start the second half. After a slew of yellow cards were awarded to both teams, Clemson put up another goal on the board. Mohamed Seye headed the ball into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season, thanks to a beautiful pass from Enrique Montana.
In a last ditch effort, the Fighting Irish put up a goal with less than 10 minutes left in the match to avoid the shutout, but ultimately it was not enough as the Tigers took home the 3-1 win. Andema registered another three saves for a total of six for a new career-high.
On the team’s performance, Noonan said, “We worked hard defensively because we were conceding some pretty soft goals there in the middle patch. I think the guys did a good job tonight. Obviously, Joseph made some key saves at key times…We’re gonna have our hands full up in Durham.”
Up next, Clemson will head to Durham, N.C. to take on top-seeded Duke in the ACC Quarterfinal match on Sunday, November 6. Kickoff is at 8 p.m. and the match will be broadcasted on ACC Network.
For all the most up-to-date information regarding the Clemson men’s soccer team, visit ClemsonTigers.com and follow @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
