The No. 8 Clemson women’s soccer team continued its dominant season with a decisive 2-0 victory over Boston College (3-6-2) at the Newton Campus Soccer Complex in Newton, Massachusetts, on Sunday.
A dynamic duo emerged against the Eagles in junior defender Mackenzie Duff and freshman midfielder Dani Davis. Duff scored both of the Tigers’ goals and was assisted by Davis each time.
The first half of the game was slow to get points on the board but action-packed nonetheless. Duff broke the scoreless tie at the 41:09 mark with a brilliant header into the bottom left corner of the net following a corner from Davis to set the tone for the Tigers.
At the 81:38 mark, Davis again curled a corner kick into the box and found Duff for a header into the back of the net for the second time, cementing a comfortable 2-0 lead for Clemson. This marked Duff’s fourth goal of the season, all of which have been headers.
“I remember right before both goals, I looked at Dani, and we just made that eye contact, and that’s what we always talk about at practice is two people just need to be on the same page, and that’s exactly what has been happening,” Duff said. “The second time around, I remember looking at her like, ‘Let’s do it again.'”
Despite Boston College’s efforts to mount a comeback, it struggled to break through Clemson’s defense for the remainder of the game.
A continuous bright spot for the Tigers has been their clean backline play. The Tigers allowed Boston College only two shots in the game, neither of which were on target. Their defensive play resulted in goalkeeper Halle Mackiewicz recording her eighth clean sheet of the season on Sunday, maintaining her No. 1 ranking in shutouts in the nation.
Overall, Clemson outmatched the Eagles in all aspects of the game. The Tigers’ dominant play was highlighted throughout their road trip this past week, during which they outscored their opponents 7-0.
The Clemson women’s soccer team will return home to Historic Riggs Field to take on the Syracuse Orange on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 7 p.m.
