Clemson tops UNC in penalty kicks for ACC men's soccer championship |
The ACC men’s soccer crown came down to penalty kicks Sunday at WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary, NC) between seventh-seeded but No. 7-ranked UNC and fourth-seeded but No. 14-ranked Clemson, where Alex Meinhard delivered the decisive make to give Clemson a 5-3 advantage for the program’s second ACC title in four seasons.
Overall, it’s a 16th ACC title for the program and a third tournament crown under head coach Mike Noonan. Clemson (11-3-4) has appeared in an ACC final in four of the last five seasons, sweeping spring and fall titles in an extended 2020 season. It was a second penalty kicks win for the Tigers in the 2023 ACC Tournament, after topping Duke 4-1 in the quarterfinals at home. Four consecutive Clemson penalty makes and one UNC attempt skied over the bar set up the Meinhard winner, who sent his goal with power off the diving goalkeeper's out-stretched fingers. The teams tied 1-1 after 110 minutes of action. The meeting featured the nation’s top scoring team in Clemson (2.94 goals a game) against a UNC squad with six shutouts and no more than single goal allowed in a game this year. No shots were registered in the first 10 minutes. Clemson’s first shot came in the 18th minute, and a first shot on goal came from Ousmane Sylla in the 26th. UNC (10-4-5) started to put pressure on and had Clemson doubled up in shots with 15 minutes left in the first half (4-2). Clemson notched one more shot on goal at the break, at 2-1, however. In the 49th minute, UNC’s Quenzi Huerman broke through for the Tar Heels by steadying a hot cross and sending a shot off the post and in. UNC’s Andrew Cordes’ save count was brought to three on a Tyler Trimnal shot over the middle in the 58th minute. Just over 80 minutes in, Clemson held an 11-9 shots advantage and four saves forced by Cordes. Clemson’s tying answer came from its dynamic playmaker Sylla in the 83rd minute, who curled in a shot from just outside the box into the top right corner. The Tigers kept the pressure with a dangerous shot from well outside of the box by Arthur Duquenne, where Cordes dived to make his fifth save of the match. Clemson finished the first 90 minutes with a 14-10 shots advantage. Clemson had most of the possession and both shots of the first overtime period, but neither really threatened the goal much. In double overtime, Sylla served up a header for Mohamed Seye in the 104th minute, but Seye couldn’t get it on the net. Clemson finished the 110 minutes with eight shots on goal to UNC’s two. The Tigers will find out their NCAA Tournament path on Monday at 1 p.m. on NCAA.com. 2023 All-Tournament Team Ousmane Sylla, Clemson (MVP) Gael Gerbet, Clemson Joran Gerbet, Clemson Alex Meinhard, Clemson Quenzi Huerman, North Carolina Martin Vician, North Carolina Til Zinnhardt, North Carolina Sander Roed, Louisville Alex Svetanoff, Louisville Daniel Diaz Bonilla, Syracuse Buster Sjoberg, Syracuse The ACC title is officially in the bag! 🏆 88' | Sensational strike by Sylla to tie us up at 1️⃣! THE 2023 ACC CHAMPIONS🐅🏆#ClemsonUnited pic.twitter.com/1IiVqgiV5J
Alex Meinhard comes in clutch and clinches the ACC Title for Clemson! 🦵⚽@ClemsonMSoccer | #ACCSoccer pic.twitter.com/qSgtiAyQdu
📺ESPNU pic.twitter.com/xW9wVZtsT7
Unbelievable fight by the Lads to come away with the 🏆!
— Graham Neff (@GrahamNeff) November 12, 2023
Another. Clemson. Championship! #ClemsonUnited 🐅⚽️ https://t.co/GyUBMlnplo
The only men's soccer program with three ACC Championships over the past decade.
— Clemson Athletics (@ClemsonTigers) November 12, 2023
A decade of dominance for @ClemsonMSoccer 👏 pic.twitter.com/Zewt9pIlZN
Upgrade Your Account
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now
