The No. 2-seeded Clemson men’s soccer team downed the No. 7-seeded Stanford Cardinal on a cold and rainy Sunday afternoon at Historic Riggs Field, winning the hard-fought contest 1-0.
With the win, Clemson surges into the ACC semifinals, which take place in Cary, North Carolina. It is the sixth straight season that the Tigers have reached that stage in the conference tournament.
Clemson United (13-2-3) was looking for revenge in this rematch after the team previously fell to Stanford 3-2 at home in September. The Tigers did just that on Sunday, with a goal from forward Alex Meinhard being the difference in the score.
Going into the second half, Clemson was digging deep for a goal, and it finally came in the 60th minute. Freshman Ransford Gyan created a fast break and passed the ball off to Meinhard. The graduate forward used a fake shot to send a Cardinal defender to the ground and then fired a shot that went past Cardinal goalie Rowan Schnebly into the goal.
The first half was very tense with multiple chances to score from both sides. However, the Tigers had one more shot going into the break, with six to Stanford’s five.
Midfielder Antonio Illuminato had a shot that was saved on the line by Schnebly. Minutes later, forward Tyler Trimnal went close with a header that barely went over the bar, which kept the score even.
With a solid display on defense, Clemson controlled the Cardinal in the second half, limiting the offense to two shots on goal.
With one shot in the 74th minute, Stanford tested goalkeeper Patrick Donovan and forced him to make a diving stop to retain a clean sheet for the team. Donovan earned his second straight win in goal this game, as well as the second in his career.
Head coach Mike Noonan spoke about the mindset on Wednesday night in Clemson’s win over Louisville in the opening round of the tournament.
“The players are so used to these big games, it doesn’t make a difference who we play,” he said. “It’s about how we play.”
This mentality was shown once again in Sunday afternoon’s win, and it will be what the Tigers look to use in their next matchup. Kickoff against the No. 11-seeded Cal Golden Bears is scheduled for Thursday at 8 p.m. in Cary, North Carolina.
