Tigers advance in NCAA Tournament over Friars

Clemson is on to the next round and a date with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

by Brooks Thomason - Correspondent - Nov 24, 2024, 9:31 PM

The Clemson Tigers (15-2-4) advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament with a 2-0 victory over the Providence Friars (13-6-3) at Historic Riggs Field. The fans packed Historic Riggs Field to support the Tigers, which gave the home side an extra boost in the match.

Clemson advances to the third round, where it will face the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem (Dec. 1/6 p.m.). The Tigers topped the Demon Deacons 1-0 at Historic Riggs Field in September but lost in penalty kicks to Wake Forest in the ACC Championship.

In the first 10 minutes, it was back and forth between the two sides. The Tigers found themselves in better positions than the Friars. Ransford Gyan shook two defenders, but couldn’t capitalize.

Seventeen minutes in, Antonio Illuminato floated a cross towards the middle of the box. Tyler Trimnal found space and headed the ball toward the goal. It beat Providence goalkeeper Lukas Burns, but the attempt hit off the crossbar and did not go through.

“We controlled all facets of the game, starting from the defense… however, we needed to finish our chances better,” Clemson head coach Mike Noonan said.

The Friars struggled to beat Clemson’s midfield after Joran Gerbet held it down. Providence struggled to find a crease to shoot. They found one shot early but struggled to get into the attacking third and cause problems.

In the 43rd minute, Clemson earned a promising corner. Misei Yoshizawa whipped the cross beautifully and caused chaos. Wahabu Musah met the cross brilliantly with his head and placed it in the bottom left corner.

In the 64th minute, Clemson had a beautiful attack that should’ve been a second goal. Remi Okunlola blew past one defender and played the ball across to Musah, who missed the top left corner.

In the 78th minute, the Musah show captured another brilliant moment. After brushing past two defenders, Illuminato played it to Trimnal, whose pass deflected to Musah wide-open in the six-yard box. Musah finished right past the keeper and capped off a brilliant night for the freshman.

“We played together as a team, it’s not just me,” Musah said of his big night.

Providence earned a free kick from 30 yards away with eight minutes remaining. They rolled the ball to the right and rifled it, but it did not have a chance. The clock ticked away, and slowly, the Friars' solutions ran out.

Next up for Clemson are the Demon Deacons.

“I wanted to play them, and I am excited to play them,” Tigers defender Adam Lundegard said.

Wahabu heads the corner into the back of the net and the Tigers have the lead! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/T73z552EZi
— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) November 24, 2024