No. 3 Clemson United defeated the Syracuse Orange 6-1 at Historic Riggs Field on Friday night, moving to 10-2-2 (5-2-0 ACC) on the season. The match marked Clemson United’s fifth consecutive win as the team continues to build momentum with the postseason on the horizon.
Clemson opened scoring early thanks to a converted corner kick from forward Alex Meinhard; this shot would give Meinhard his sixth goal of the season and his third in as many games.
Following the match, Meinhard touched on the team’s recent success.
“It’s huge winning and not tying any games and keeping the momentum up. We just have to stay grounded and keep working because there is still a lot of soccer left to play.”
The Orange totaled 19 fouls, including a red card resulting in an ejection for Syracuse forward Michael Acquah in the 14th minute. The Tigers took advantage of the Orange’s faulty play on their way to a second goal, this time off the foot of freshman forward Wahabu Musah, as he was then able to send a shot right past Syracuse goalkeeper Tomas Hut in the 24th minute of the match.
It was all Clemson from that point on, as Meinhard scored two more goals to complete the first hat trick of the season and lift the Tigers to a 4-1 lead at the half.
After the game, coach Mike Noonan spoke about Meinhard and his work ethic.
“He’s such a professional, and he’s such a good young man. The way he trains, the way he conducts himself, the way he recovers after the games. He’s just an incredible example for everybody to look at.”
He praised Meinhard for his professionalism and discipline as well.
“He’s not a college kid playing soccer; he’s a professional playing college soccer, and that’s who he is as a young man — he’s reliable, he’s consistent, and for a coach, you just pencil him in the lineup, and you know what you’re gonna get.”
The second half held more of the same for the Tigers, as they began the period with a header to the bottom right of the goal from forward Tyler Trimnal off an assist from Misei Yoshizawa. The goal was Trimnal’s fourth of the season and extended the Clemson lead to 5-1.
The Tigers found the net for a sixth time in the 62nd minute when defender Arthur Duquenne raced down the field and crossed the ball to midfielder Antonio Illuminato. He scored a turnaround shot to the bottom right of the goal and propelled Clemson United to its second-largest lead of the season.
This was a statement win for the team, which improved its record and extended its five-game win streak to prove its place as a contender heading into the 2024 postseason.
“In a game like this at home with a good crowd against a team that’s kind of been our rival for the past number of years, and we hadn’t beaten them the last four times, it’s very satisfying to win this game, and I think it will help us in finding our identity as a team,” Noonan said of his team’s chemistry.
Clemson United will attempt to make it six straight wins when they take on the Wofford Terriers on Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 7 p.m. at Historic Riggs Field.
