Clemson made a statement in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Friday night with a defeat of the No. 13-ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in the Atlantic Lacrosse Conference quarterfinals, 14-12.
“It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up,” Vince Lombardi, a former professional football coach and NFL executive, once said.
The Tigers have been knocked down again and again over the past month. After starting the season 7-2, they slipped to 8-6 after South Carolina embarrassed them just last week.
With its season on the line, Clemson got back up.
Virginia Tech (9-6, 4-1 ALC South) was an opponent the Tigers were all too familiar with. The two teams met earlier in April as the Hokies came out on top after leading for the entirety of the contest. This time around, Clemson (9-6, 3-2 ALC South) jumped out to an 8-3 advantage midway through the third quarter.
Holden Morrison scored the eventual game winner with just over four minutes to play before Tyler Superczynski rang the bell for the fifth time, icing the game less than a minute later.
The second half raised everyone’s blood pressure. Virginia Tech scored eight goals in the third quarter, storming back to take the lead, 10-9. The teams traded goals until the score tied at 12 with six minutes remaining in the fourth.
Clemson kept the Hokies at bay through stout defense, causing turnovers and shutting out Virginia Tech for extended periods, including the final six minutes of the game. John Hennessey, recently named MCLA Division I PEARL Goalie of the Week, made 22 saves between the pipes, bringing his season total to 183 saves — a career best.
Superczynski got the party started, scoring the game’s first goal and assisting Gennaro Petrongolo for the second goal. He scored again with less than a minute remaining in the first period to make the score 4-1 in favor of the Tigers.
Clemson’s 14 goals came from seven different scorers, with Superczynski and Ian Jackson combining for nine. Morrison, Petrongolo, Adam Neil, Jack Wunder and Landen Snyder also tallied one each.
The Tigers are moving on to a trip to Lynchburg, Virginia, to face No. 1 Liberty in the ALC semifinals. The Flames (13-1, 5-0 ALC North) lost to Virginia Tech in the season opener, but have won 13 straight games since. The winner will head to the ALC Championship on Sunday, April 27, to play the winner of No. 12 Tennessee and James Madison.
