After starting the season 2-2, Clemson men’s club lacrosse has played exclusively away games for the past three weekends and won every single contest. The Tigers (7-2, 3-0 ALC South) went on the road again last weekend, bringing home wins against Alabama (7-3) this past Friday and Missouri (1-7) on Saturday to extend their winning streak to six games in a row.
Home teams have the tendency to win, with the crowd and location favoring them. Against the Tigers this season, though, home-field advantage is but a myth.
Clemson put on a show in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, under the lights on Friday, beating the home team 15-9. Then, on Saturday afternoon, Clemson’s Tigers routed Missouri’s Tigers, 12-4, at the Sicard Hollow Athletic Complex in Vestavia Hills, Alabama.
Clemson was among the teams left off the first official MCLA DI top 20 list earlier in the week despite receiving votes. The Tigers viewed this as a snub and seemed to use it as motivation for their games over the weekend. Clemson never trailed against either opponent, showing the crowds the meaning of Clemson grit.
Against Alabama, Landen Snyder scored four goals and an assist, while Gennaro Petrongolo tallied three goals and two assists, totaling 5 points each for the duo. Holden Morrison added to his sophomore campaign with four goals. Other key contributors include senior captain Ian Jackson, who grabbed two goals and an assist, Jack Wunder with a goal and two assists and Nick Fussaro with one goal.
Clemson allowed just four goals on Saturday, its best defensive performance of the season. Jackson got the Tigers started against Missouri, scoring the first goal of the game. Wunder, Snyder, Petrongolo, Fussaro and Morrison combined for 11 more goals, propelling Clemson to its seventh victory of the year.
Clemson has now earned some time off; the Tigers will enjoy two straight bye weeks before they set their GPS to Knoxville, Tennessee. On Friday, March 28, Clemson will return to action against No. 14 Tennessee (6-2, 3-0 ALC South) before facing off against Michigan State (0-3) a day later.
