No. 5 Tigers rout Greyhounds

Clemson ran up a 6-0 score on Loyola Maryland to grab a second win of the season. (Clemson athletics graphic)

by Brooks Thomason - Correspondent - Sep 10, 2024, 10:02 PM

The No. 5-ranked Clemson Tigers men’s soccer team dominated the Loyola Maryland Greyhounds 6-0 at Historic Riggs Field Tuesday. The Tigers came in after their loss to Stanford with a vengeance in their eyes, and they capitalized.

Clemson held Loyola Maryland (0-3-2) to one shot 26 seconds into the game that was blocked and nothing else—a wire-to-wire performance for Tigers head coach Mike Noonan and the players, who blasted 20 shots and 12 on goal.

Noonan calmly spoke about improvement following the weekend home defeat to the new ACC rival Stanford Cardinal, saying, “We addressed some things from the Stanford game, and the goal is to get better, and tonight was a good step in the right direction.”

Clemson (2-1-1) looked to be reeling two minutes in, but a quick counterattack led them back to the attack. Joran Gerbet slipped a pass to Jackson Wrobel, who knocked it to James Kelly, and he put it right past the keeper. Clemson’s early lead did not slip away after an early momentum boost.

Nine minutes in, Clemson was on the front foot again. A cross played into Misei Yoshizawa hit off his chest and rolled towards the goal, but it was just off target. Clemson’s domination continued early on after their goal. As Yoshizawa took another shot, it beat the keeper, but LMU defender Oscar Halls stood on the goal line and headed it away from a potential goal.

Nineteen minutes in, Galen Flynn put in a beautiful cross toward the back post, and Alex Meinhard got there to double Clemson’s advantage. The third goal of the season for Meinhard was a good hustle toward the back post to catch the Greyhounds sleeping.

In the 42nd minute, James Kelly looked to score his second of the night. He poached his way into the box, headed it, and off the crossbar. The ball rebounded right to him, and he hit it off the underside of the crossbar. The referee stopped play to review if the ball went over the goal line for a score, but the call stood.

In the first minute of the second half, a cross by Remi Okunlola hits off the keeper’s outstretched hands and Antonio Illuminato is right there to finish it off.

Five minutes later, Greyhound keeper Dylan Van Der Walt saved a James Kelly shot into the goal, but Tyler Trimnal was there for the finish. Clemson scored five goals for the first time since November of 2023, and they did it early against LMU.

A beautiful pass was played to Ransford Gyan, who got by the keeper but was tripped—a penalty to Clemson. Mason Jimenez buries it, and Clemson has scored their sixth for the night from the spot. He is the fifth Tiger with a goal on the season and the sixth of the night, cruising to another goal with beautiful link-up play.

Clemson returns to action at Boston College on Friday (7 p.m.).

James Kelly gets on the scoresheet in his first start of the season 👏

1-0 | #ClemsonUnited | 📺 ACCNX pic.twitter.com/Kdgm04XPsy
— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) September 10, 2024

With an assist from Flynn, #15 connects with the back of the net 😤#ClemsonUnited pic.twitter.com/AqpJrEHuoy
— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) September 10, 2024

Jackson Wrobel gets his first goal of the season to extend the Tigers lead! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/fwdO9CuUft
— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) September 10, 2024

Antonio Illuminato finds the rebound and nets it home for the 4️⃣th Clemson goal of the night 🔥 pic.twitter.com/93XBviWgno
— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) September 11, 2024