No. 3 Clemson United dominated USC Upstate last night with a statement 6-0 victory. The Tigers were highly productive throughout the night, especially in the second half when they racked up five goals. In total, they tallied 25 shots — 12 of which were on goal — compared to Upstate’s seven shots, with one on target.
Lightning struck first in the ninth minute, thanks to sophomore Remi Okunlola. Okunlola followed a deflected ball off of Dario Stadler of the Spartans, placing it in the net to earn credit for the goal. The forward added two assists in the next half for a total of three points on the night, a career high.
The Tigers stayed relatively quiet for the rest of the first half but still put pressure on the Spartans with 13 shots.
Clemson’s patience paid off quickly out of the locker room, with the team scoring twice within the opening five minutes of the latter half. James Kelly, assisted by Okunlola, recorded his fourth goal of the season, and just two minutes later, Wahabu Musah scored off an assist from Okunlola as well.
Goals four and five were not far behind — Arthur Duquenne scored his first of the season with a beautiful high ball arcing behind the goalie, and Alex Meinhard added another one minute later. The contest closed with a perfectly-placed bottom right shot from Jackson Wrobel, who ultimately closed scoring with 15 minutes left on the play clock.
After the game, Okunlola was given man of the match. When asked about how young talent such as himself has been incorporated so well into the squad, he said, “We have team meetings as well as inclusivity in our training sessions to help incorporate the young guys into our routines.”
United head coach Mike Noonan had some thoughts of his own on the team’s performance.
“I’m more impressed with the zero on the scoreboard than the six today. We already knew we could score, but with our recent defensive struggles, it was great to see a shutout tonight,” he said.
This win boosts Clemson to a 9-2-2 record. Next for the Tigers is a matchup against a Syracuse (6-5-3) team that has won three of their last four games.
