The No. 1 ranked Clemson United men’s soccer team is 2-0 to start the season, and the Tigers are feeling confident. Freshman forward Tyler Trimnal, along with the rest of the team, believe the sky is the limit for their season.
Coming off a victory against No. 13 Indiana last week, Trimnal is optimistic about what the rest of the season will bring as the Tigers carry the momentum from that win.
“It was a huge win for the team,” Trimnal said in an interview with The Tiger. “We worked all summer, and to be able to play and get a win in the first game was very rewarding.”
The last time Clemson played Indiana was in 2012, when the Tigers fell short in a 3-0 loss. However, in last week’s game, the Tigers’ offense took the initiative on the field, with fifteen total shots in the a 3-2 victory.
As Clemson celebrated its the team’s 2021 national championship before kickoff against Indiana, thousands of fans piled into the stands of Historic Riggs Field, a high level of support that impressed Trimnal.
“The fans at Riggs were incredible, and honestly, it just shows the impact that fans can have on a game,” Trimnal said. “They were the 12th man for us against Indiana, and it just excites us to see the impact that our team is having here at Clemson.”
Following the opener, Trimnal and the Tigers took care of business against USC Upstate on Monday, coming away with a 2-0 win.
While expectations are high for the defending national champions, the freshman forward isn’t fazed by the spotlight on the Tigers’ program.
“We try to ignore that, but obviously, it’s impossible to completely ignore it. We knew the ranking,” Trimnal said. “We try to play our game to the best of our ability, and the rest will take care of itself.”
While Trimnal and the Tigers try to ignore the outside pressure, internally, Clemson has a retooled roster with 12 true freshmen on the team.
“We have a lot of young freshmen that are really quality players,” Trimnal said. “We also have great captains and leaders on the team that were on the team last year, so it’s a good mix of experience and youthfulness.”
As far as personal goals go, the 6-foot-3, 175-pound Trimnal Lancaster, SC native just wants to fulfill his role.
“I just want to be a good teammate, and whatever role that looks like to help the team win, I’m willing to do it,” Trimnal said.
Even with the promising start to the season, Trimnal is staying focused on taking the next step, both personally and as a team.
“We played well (against Indiana), but there’s so much growth and potential for this team,” Trimnal said. “We just have to try and improve every day. We want to win trophies and keep improving on and off the field.”
Trimnal and the Tigers will travel to South Carolina on Friday to take on the Gamecocks at 7 p.m. EDT.