Clemson’s men’s soccer team dropped out of the top 25 rankings on Sept. 21 following a rough early September stretch, including dropped matches to VCU and Queens and a tie with SMU.
The team began the season ranked No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches poll — the same position in which the Tigers finished the 2024 season. They were coming off their 11th appearance in the last 12 NCAA tournaments, seeking to return to glory after winning the national championship in 2021 and 2023. The team also returned to its star-studded defense and goaltending core.
Sophomore returner Ransford Gyan was named on the ACC Preseason Watchlist, as well as the United Soccer Coaches Players to Watch list. He leads the team in both goals and assists with seven and four, respectively. Most recently, he added a goal and an assist against Cal.
Championship-winning coach Mike Noonan returned for his 16th season this year and had all the reasons to boldly claim that the squad would be giving Clemson three championships in the next four years.
However, the 2025 campaign for the Tigers has been nothing short of a rough schedule of games so far. The season began with a promising 3-0-1 stretch, even taking down a top-10-ranked team, Pitt, to begin September.
The team was ranked as high as No. 2 during this stretch. Since then, the Tigers have gone 1-2-1 with upset losses to VCU and Queens at Historic Riggs Field.
Clemson United found itself caught in a rut of games facing opponents that outplayed the team in all senses, especially aggressiveness. The Tigers only attempted three shots in the first half of the Queens match, then tried to make up for it by forcing 15 shot attempts in the second half to no avail.
It also didn’t help that sophomore center back Lukas Magnason was out during the VCU loss and shaken up in the Queens game.
The Tigers woke up in a Sept. 19 victory against Cal, winning 3-1. Noonan’s squad stayed aggressive, out-shooting Cal in both halves of the game, with senior goalkeeper Joseph Andema saving three shots.
The four-time national champions face a tough stretch ahead of them. The team needs some crucial ACC wins to seal the deal and return to the College Cup. The Tigers will face away games against No. 13 Wake Forest, No. 1 NC State and No. 12 Virginia. On top of that, No. 16 Duke will visit Historic Riggs Field on Oct. 17.
The road back to glory surely isn’t going to be easy for the Tigers, but for a tough veteran team like this, plus a coach with plenty of big-game experience, there certainly is a way back to the top of the rankings. The bounce back begins now for Noonan’s squad.
The Tigers face No. 13 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on Sept. 26 to begin their comeback stretch.
