Category: Olympic

Bart Boatwright’s Soccer National Championship Parade Photo Gallery

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Tigers celebrated the national championship soccer team Saturday afternoon with a parade. Dabo Swinney and many others braved the cold weather to support the champs. Check out some great pictures from the parade in Bart …

CLEMSON, S.C. — The Tigers celebrated the national championship soccer team Saturday afternoon with a parade.  Dabo Swinney and many others braved the cold weather to support the champs.

Check out some great pictures from the parade in Bart Boatwright’s Photo Gallery.

Neff on expansion of softball stadium, new women’s sports

Clemson’s new athletic director, Graham Neff, was a guest Thursday morning on the Packer and Durham show on the ACC Network. Speaking about the excitement surrounding the Clemson Softball program right now after the Tigers won the ACC in their first …

Clemson’s new athletic director, Graham Neff, was a guest Thursday morning on the Packer and Durham show on the ACC Network.

Speaking about the excitement surrounding the Clemson Softball program right now after the Tigers won the ACC in their first full season last year, Neff said they are considering expansion of the softball stadium.

“We’ve sold out of softball tickets, you can’t buy them anymore,” he said.
“We’re talking about expansion of the stadium. So, that bar that Coach (John) Rittman, Valerie Cagle and the girls have set, there’s so much pride and excitement with it. As we start two new women’s programs over the next two years, we have that desire for success and certainly investment.”

Neff talked about where things stand with those new women’s programs, with the Tigers adding women’s lacrosse and women’s gymnastics as varsity programs in the next two years.

“The success of the ACC, currently and historically, traditionally, within all of our Olympic sports portfolio, that’s just ingrained in me, and certainly here at Clemson,” Neff said. “So, the ability to add to our sports with women’s lacrosse and gymnastics… We have a women’s lacrosse coach here we hired this past summer, had some commits and some signees, so the matriculation of them this summer and into competing next academic year is exciting, and we need to hire a gymnastics coach. From a, ‘Hey, what are the first couple things to do on the list?’ Looking to hire a new, inaugural gymnastics coach at Clemson here in February, March, April.”

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Clemson to Hold Men’s Soccer National Championship Parade Jan. 15

As TCI reported in Monday night’s Insider Report the Clemson community is set to come together on Jan. 15 as Clemson Athletics hosts a parade to celebrate the men’s soccer team’s National Championship, coinciding with the start of the spring …

As TCI reported in Monday night’s Insider Report the Clemson community is set to come together on Jan. 15 as Clemson Athletics hosts a parade to celebrate the men’s soccer team’s National Championship, coinciding with the start of the spring semester. Following the parade, a recognition will take place during halftime of the men’s basketball game against Boston College in Littlejohn Coliseum. Clemson defeated No. 2 Washington 2-0 in the championship match on Dec. 12.

The parade will begin at 3:30 p.m. at Sikes Hall and travel along Highway 93, concluding at Historic Riggs Field, prior to the ceremony at the basketball game. Students and fans are encouraged to gather on Bowman Field and line the streets of the parade route to celebrate the third national title in program history. Those attending are encouraged to visit downtown businesses both before and after the celebration.

The basketball game is scheduled to tip at 6:30 p.m. in Littlejohn Coliseum, with tickets available for purchase HERE. More operational detail will follow at a later date.

Picture courtesy Clemson Athletics.

What They Are Saying: Clemson United National Champions

Clemson took control early and blanked Washington Sunday afternoon to win the national championship. In this edition of What They Are Saying we look at what is being said on Twitter about the Tigers’ winning the title. ClemsonFB ClemsonMSoccer 3x …

Clemson took control early and blanked Washington Sunday afternoon to win the national championship.

In this edition of What They Are Saying we look at what is being said on Twitter about the Tigers’ winning the title.

Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics.

Clemson dominates Huskies 2-0, wins third national title

With a National Championship on the line, eighth-seeded Clemson dominated No. 2 Washington 2-0 at WakeMed Soccer Complex in Cary, NC to earn the program’s third NCAA title, the Tiger’s first title since 1987. Isaiah Reid showed out in a big way for …

With a National Championship on the line, eighth-seeded Clemson dominated No. 2 Washington 2-0 at WakeMed Soccer Complex in Cary, NC to earn the program’s third NCAA title, the Tiger’s first title since 1987.

Isaiah Reid showed out in a big way for the Tigers early on, scoring both of Clemson’s goals in the first fifteen minutes of the match.

Following a costly mistake in the first minute of play by Washington goalie Sam Fowler, Reid gave the Tigers an early lead with a routine goal from the bottom right in the first twenty-seven seconds of play, good for the fastest goal scored in the ACC this season.

Reid struck yet again in the fourteenth minute of play with a clutch header to put Clemson up 2-0 in the first half. With his second goal of the match, the sophomore became the Tiger’s leading scorer with nine goals this season.

Despite a few close calls, Clemson was able to keep Washington at bay with a final score of 2-0 along with bringing home the National title.

Goalie George Marks had yet another stellar outing for the Tigers. The senior finished Sunday’s match with two saves and is credited with the shutout.

With the win, Clemson finishes out the 2021 season 15-5-2 and 5-3 in ACC play, earning their fifth ever NCAA Championship berth and third National Championship in program history, the first for head coach Mike Noonan.

Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics.

Clemson advances to national championship

Clemson men’s soccer will play for another national championship. The Tigers defeated Notre Dame 5-3 in penalty kicks to advance to the National Championship. Clemson took the lead 1-0 in the first half before the Irish tied it on a penalty kick. …

Clemson men’s soccer will play for another national championship.

The Tigers defeated Notre Dame 5-3 in penalty kicks to advance to the National Championship.

Clemson took the lead 1-0 in the first half before the Irish tied it on a penalty kick.

Clemson Knocks Off No. 1 Oregon State in Penalties to Advance to College Cup

Corvallis, Ore. – The Clemson men’s soccer team advanced to its ninth college cup with a comeback victory against No. 1 Oregon State (14-2-4) that took penalties to decide. George Marks made two penalty saves, and his save on the Beavers’ fifth …

Corvallis, Ore. —  The Clemson men’s soccer team advanced to its ninth college cup with a comeback victory against No. 1 Oregon State (14-2-4) that took penalties to decide. George Marks made two penalty saves, and his save on the Beavers’ fifth attempt ultimately sent Clemson to Cary for the semifinal. Each Tiger that stepped to the penalty spot made his attempt. The match ended 1-1 in overtime and the Tigers came out on top of the penalty shootout 4-3.

With just six minutes left in the match, the Tigers seemed to be destined for a season-ending defeat, but Oskar Ågren drew a penalty which Pipe Fernandez buried into the back of the net, sending Clemson to its second overtime match of the NCAA Tournament. 

After a steady Oregon State attack in the first 30 minutes of the match, the Beavers got on the board when a corner kick found the head of Sofiane Djeffal. There was controversy as to whether or not George Marks stopped the ball before it crossed the goal line, but the effort was ruled a goal. 

Clemson gathered some momentum in its pursuit of an equalizer. A few set pieces provided opportunities for the Tigers to get the game’s second goal, but they were unable to convert. Notably, a free kick just inches outside the penalty area was blocked by the wall, and the Tigers went into the second half still searching for a shot on target. Oregon State earned six corners to Clemson’s three in the first frame. 

The Tigers continued pushing in the second half to find the equalizer. Clemson seized its best opportunity of the match in the 85th minute as senior Oskar Ågren drew a foul in the Oregon State penalty box. Senior midfielder Luis Felipe Fernandez-Salvador calmly walked up to the spot and crushed the ball into the upper left corner of the net to push the Tigers to overtime.

Freshman Tim Ströbeck took a dangerous shot on goal in the final minute of the first overtime and 100th minute of the match, but Beaver goalkeeper Adrian Fernandez came up with the save to push the Elite Eight battle to double overtime. 

The final 10 minutes were not enough for either team to score and the Tigers and Beavers went to penalty kicks. 

Senior goalkeeper George Marks shined yet again in the net, coming up huge for the Tigers and saving two of the Beaver’s penalty kicks while Isaiah Reid, Oskar Ågren, Hamady Diop and Justin Malou were all perfect from the penalty spot. Both of Marks’s saves came on diving efforts to the senior keeper’s right-hand side. 

“Incredibly happy and proud of the team,” says Head Coach Mike Noonan. “Oregon State is a quality team that was deserving of the #1 ranking. We got stronger as the game went on, and I felt it fitting that we prevailed to advance. We spoke all week about doing something very hard. Trust, belief in each other and hard work carried the Tigers tonight. We couldn’t be happier to represent Clemson and the ACC in this year’s College Cup.”

Up next, Clemson will head to the College cup for the ninth time in school history and take on ACC foe Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament semifinal on December 10. The match will be broadcast on ESPNU and will kickoff at either 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m.  

Photo courtesy Clemson Athletics

Tigers top Gamecocks again

CLEMSON, S.C . – Behind an early goal from junior Hal Hershfelt and a header goal from sophomore Megan Bornkamp, the Tigers took home the win against in-state rival South Carolina (5-1, 0-0 SEC), 2-1 on Thursday night at Historic Riggs Field. The …

CLEMSON, S.C. – Behind an early goal from junior Hal Hershfelt and a header goal from sophomore Megan Bornkamp, the Tigers took home the win against in-state rival South Carolina (5-1, 0-0 SEC), 2-1 on Thursday night at Historic Riggs Field.

The Tigers (4-2, 0-0 ACC) struck early on in the match. In the ninth minute, Hershfelt blasted a ball into the back of the net off a give-and-go from Renee Guion and Bornkamp. The Tigers continued to be on the offensive end, which paid dividends as Guion was once again dominant from the corner as she laid in a perfect ball which Bornkamp headed into the back of the net to increase the Tigers’ lead to two. The Tigers and Gamecocks battled back and forth in the second half until South Carolina’s Remi Swartz netted a goal in the 77th minute to cut the lead to one. The Gamecocks threatened Clemson’s defense in the latter part of the second half, but the Tigers held on and took the 2-1 victory against the No. 12 South Carolina Gamecocks.

Goalkeeper Hensley Hancuff played in all 90 minutes and recorded three saves on the night. 

“When these two teams get together, it’s always a battle,” said Head Coach Eddie Radwanski. “We got off to a great start and took command of the game. This team was ranked No. 1 in the RPI, so this is a good win for us and our resume. We’ve been a little sloppy in some of the games that we’ve conceded, and we turned it around a little bit. We still have a lot of work to do and will continue to get better as we grow into the season, but a great result at this point in the season.”

The Tigers will travel to Boiling Springs, N.C. to play Gardner-Webb in a final non-conference match on Sunday at 6 p.m. Game coverage will be available on ACCNX.

–Courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications

TCI Exclusive: Kwolek blown away by Clemson as she builds new program

Clemson named Allison Kwolek the head coach of the newly formed women’s lacrosse program on Aug. 2 and tasked her with the challenge of building a program in less than two years. The Tigers will take the field in their first-ever NCAA sanctioned …

Clemson named Allison Kwolek the head coach of the newly formed women’s lacrosse program on Aug. 2 and tasked her with the challenge of building a program in less than two years.

The Tigers will take the field in their first-ever NCAA sanctioned lacrosse game in the spring of 2023.

While 18 months may seem distant for most, the date looms on Kwolek’s calendar. But she’s excited to build a program from scratch as a Tiger, and the young head coach wakes up every day living the dream at Clemson.

“Being here has been a lot of, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe they do that here’ in all the really good ways,” Kwolek told The Clemson Insider. “Seeing the support and resources that are not only important for student-athletes but students in general.

“You can just tell that everybody really does bleed orange, and it’s just been nice and really fun to be in this atmosphere. Clemson is just really unique. I have to pinch myself that I’m really down here.”

Kwolek accepted the job this summer after seven seasons as the head coach at Richmond. She led the Spiders to a 64-16 record in seven seasons, including two regular-season Atlantic-10 championships in her last five seasons.

The program also found its way into the top 10 in her last two seasons and made the NCAA Tournament in two of the last three seasons.

As a young coach, Kwolek never pictured herself starting a program from scratch much less in the premier athletic conference for the sport. But Kwolek expressed just how thankful she is for this historic opportunity.

“When I look back at when I started coaching, to imagine myself at Clemson building a program just wasn’t on the radar because it wasn’t happening at that point,” Kwolek said. “But I feel really fortunate that I’m in this position and excited to build and get ready for next season.”

Lacrosse is one of the fastest-growing sports worldwide and in recent years spread from the Northeast to the South rapidly. Clemson is the 15th NCAA women’s lacrosse team in South Carolina and joins Coastal Carolina, Furman, Presbyterian College, Winthrop and Wofford as one of six Division I programs.

Kwolek hopes the Clemson community will rally around lacrosse when the program gets its official start in 2023 and says fans will love the fast-paced and unpredictable sport.

“Lacrosse is a fast game with a lot of action and a lot of goals. Even when a team is up by five, six or seven goals, the other team can still win,” she said. “And I think that’s what’s really great about this sport that even when I am watching as a fan or watching other ACC schools, you can never get comfortable with a lead.”

In terms of Kwolek’s progress in building the program, she hopes to announce the hire of her first assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in the coming days and wants to capitalize on recruiting opportunities centered around Clemson football gamedays this fall.

This weekend, Kwolek is focused on her husband, Mark, and daughter, Olivia, who move into the upstate on Friday.

—Photo courtesy of Clemson Athletic Communications

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Another former Tiger claims Olympic medal

Two former Clemson women’s track and field athletes claimed Olympic medals on Sunday in Tokyo. The day started with Patricia Mamoa’s silver medal in the women’s triple jump for Portugal and finished with former Tiger Keni Harrison winning a silver …

Two former Clemson women’s track and field athletes claimed Olympic medals on Sunday in Tokyo.

The day started with Patricia Mamoa’s silver medal in the women’s triple jump for Portugal and finished with former Tiger Keni Harrison winning a silver medal in the women’s 100 meter hurdles.

Harrison started her college career at Clemson in 2012 before she transferred to Kentucky. While with the Tigers she won an ACC championship in the 400-meter hurdles and was a member of the 4 X 400 relay team.

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