Tag: College Cup

UNC women’s soccer program wins record 23rd National Championship

The UNC women’s soccer team snapped its long championship drought on Monday night, beating a fellow ACC rival.

Despite being the winningest program in women’s college soccer history, the North Carolina Tar Heels last won a National Championship in 2012.

That quickly changed on Monday night.

Only needing a free kick from sophomore Olivia Thomas in the 62nd minute, UNC captured their record 23rd National Championship in program history, winning 1-0 against in-state ACC rival Wake Forest.

North Carolina (22-5, 7-3 ACC) didn’t gain a ton of opportunities against a stout Demon Deacons (16-4-4, 7-2-1 ACC) defense, but made the most of its chance midway through the second half.

Thomas collected herself, curled a shot over Wake’s wall and past the outstretched arms of goalie Valentina Amaral. The Demon Deacons entered Monday’s championship match allowing just three combined goals in the NCAA Tournament, making Thomas’ goal against them a rarity – but one the North Carolina faithful expected of Thomas.

Speaking of goalkeepers, Tar Heels goalie Clare Gagne was a brick wall between the goal posts. Gagne made three saves on the night, including a couple point-blank ones early in the first half.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDYWYHVpzod/

UNC almost added a second goal in the closing seconds, but Amaral averted the threat.

Many outside of Chapel Hill wondered if North Carolina would even make the NCAA Championship, with longtime head coach Anson Dorrance retiring on August 11, after 45 seasons at the helm. The Tar Heels quickly tagged soccer mind Damon Nahas, an assistant coach with the program since 2015, as their interim head coach.

With Nahas leading UNC to a National Championship his first season as head coach, it’s time for him to be named the permanent head coach.

After yet another successful year, the Tar Heels are back at the top where they belong: the queens of college soccer.

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Notre Dame men’s athletics win third Capital One Cup

Congrats, Notre Dame!

The Capital One Cup demonstrates greatness of a university’s athletic department. Each year, it is given out on both the men’s and women’s side. Notre Dame has captured the men’s award for the second time in three years and third time overall. Former lacrosse player [autotag]Pat Kavanaugh[/autotag] was on hand at this year’s ESPYS to acknowledge the victory:

At 103 points, Notre Dame finished well ahead of second-place Michigan (90 points) in the men’s standings. The national-championship lacrosse team got the most points with 60. The soccer team, the College Cup runner-up, earned 30 points, and the fencing team, another national-championship runner-up, got six points. Rounding out the scoring was the swimming and diving team, which earned a single point for playing 10th at the national meet.

This should serve as a reminder that although football is Notre Dame’s biggest sport by far, the university strives for athletic success across the board. Congratulations to the programs that made this honor possible.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Clemson defeats Notre Dame to win the College Cup

Clemson takes down Notre Dame to win the 2023 College Cup.

Mike Noonan and the Clemson men’s soccer team are your 2023 College Cup winners.

The No.9 Tigers took down No.2 Notre Dame 2-1 in the National Championship at Lynn Family Stadium., their second in three seasons. Noonan has led this program to an excellent run as they prove once again that they are one of the top teams in the country.

This is Noonan and the Tigers’ second College Cup win in the last three seasons, putting this program in elite territory. It is their fourth National Championship as a program, another great feat. Congratulations to Noon and the Tigers, who ended their seasons with a 15-3-5 record and another Championship.

No.9 Clemson faces No.2 Notre Dame in the College Cup final

Clemson faces Notre Dame in the College Cup final tonight.

CLEMSON, S.C. – The No. 9 seed Clemson men’s soccer program’s 2023 NCAA Tournament journey will conclude on Monday evening, as the Tigers face ACC-foe and No. 2 seed Notre Dame in the College Cup championship at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Ky. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be shown on ESPNU.

The Tigers earned a first-round bye with a national seed after capturing their fifth ACC Tournament Championship on Nov. 12. Clemson went on to defeat Charlotte, 3-0, in the second round and upset No. 8 New Hampshire, 1-0, on the road in the Sweet 16 on Sunday to advance to its 17th Elite 8 appearance in program history. Last Saturday, the Tigers downed Stanford, 2-0, at Historic Riggs Field to earn the program’s 10th College Cup appearance. Friday evening, Clemson topped No. 5 West Virginia, 1-0, on a first-half goal from Shawn Smart to earn their second NCAA Championship appearance in three seasons.

Notre Dame earned its third trip to the College Cup after topping Indiana in PKs. Then on Friday, the Fighting Irish downed Oregon State, 1-0, to send the program to its second NCAA Championship appearance in school history.

The two teams met at the College Cup in 2021, with Clemson advancing to the championship in penalty kicks. The Tigers would go on to win third third National Championship in school history.

Notre Dame owns a 7-5-2 record all-time against the Tigers. The two teams met earlier this season, with the Fighting Irish taking the 3-2 win on Sept. 9 at Notre Dame.

Tickets for Monday’s game can be purchased here.

For complete coverage of the Clemson men’s soccer team, follow @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Oregon State soccer player discovered ineligible AFTER Elite 8 win over UNC

The UNC men’s soccer team saw its strong season come to an end on Saturday, Dec. 2 in the Elite 8 round. Controversy emerged the week after.

Saturday, Dec. 2 was a sad night for UNC soccer fans, with the men’s team losing a tightly-contested, 1-0 defensive battle at home against Oregon State in the Elite 8.

The Beavers scored a first half goal and, despite a couple of solid Tar Heel chances, held on and advance to the College Cup. Oregon State has since seen its season come to an end, losing 1-0 to Notre Dame in a semifinal match.

What resulted long after UNC’s loss to the Beavers, however, is what’s frustrating.

Oregon State midfielder Javier Armas, a Pac-12 First Team selection this past year, was later discovered to be ruled ineligible for the UNC matchup.

Armas’ ineligibility resulted from his eighth yellow card accumulated in the Sweet 16, when the Beavers beat 2024 ACC newcomer SMU (Southern Methodist University).

Though it’s tough to find any good news for Carolina in this situation, Armas never scored in the Elite 8 contest. Soccer is one of those sports, however, where you don’t need to score to positively affect the game.

While there are a lot of what ifs in this situation, I’m sure this wouldn’t be talked about if UNC had emerged victorious. The Tar Heels did nothing wrong – it’s just simply not fair when an opponent’s best player, despite being ineligible, is allowed to play.

It’d be nice to see a replay, or even UNC in the College Cup, but we’re already at the Championship round. An ACC program will win it all regardless, as Notre Dame faces Clemson, on Monday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPNU.

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Clemson takes down Stanford to advance to the College Cup

Clemson takes down Stanford to advance to the College Cup.

Clemson, S.C. – Behind a dominant performance from the offense and in front of an electric crowd, Clemson men’s soccer punched their ticket to the 2023 College Cup on Saturday night, downing Stanford 2-0 in front of a sold-out Historic Riggs Field.

The Tigers have now reached the College Cup for the 10th time in school history and second time in three years. The win also marked the first-ever win over future ACC member Stanford, and allowed the Tigers to avenge 2019 heartbreak, when Stanford advanced to the College Cup from Historic Riggs Field, defeating Clemson in PKs.

The Tigers put pressure on Stanford immediately, getting two corners early. On the third corner, Joran Gerbet sent a perfect ball into the box and Gael Gibert got a head on it and flicked it into the far corner to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the 7’.

Clemson continued to push the pace of the game, out-shooting Stanford 6-0 in the first half. In the 37’, Arthur Duquenne corralled a break, took a shot that was saved by the Stanford keeper, but Tyler Trimnal was there to recover the ricochet and send it in to double Clemson’s lead.

The Tigers continued to control the game in the second half, keeping Stanford without a shot until the 54’. Neither team found the back of the net in the second half, but Joseph Andema made two key saves to preserve the shutout.

Clemson now has outscored opponents 6-0 in three NCAA Tournament games this season.

Up next – Clemson will travel to Louisville, Ky., to face West Virginia in the 2023 College Cup semifinals. The Tigers join fellow ACC member Notre Dame, as well as Oregon State in Louisville.

–Via Clemson Athletic Communications 

Clemson Falls to Florida State in College Cup

Clemson’s great season has come to an end.

CARY, N.C. — Despite stellar play from All-American keeper Halle Mackiewicz and constant pressure from the Clemson offense, Florida State downed the Tigers, 2-0, in the first of two NCAA semifinal matches on Friday evening in Cary, N.C.

Maciewicz made five saves on the night, matching Florida State’s keeper with five. Clemson recorded 11 shots to FSU’s 12 and five corners to FSU’s six.

Clemson controlled possession for the majority of the first half, but FSU used a timely loose ball to take a 1-0 lead in the 38’. The Tigers continued to put pressure on the FSU defense, but couldn’t break through in the first 45, as Florida State took a 1-0 lead into halftime.

Florida State doubled their lead in the 53’, as ACC Player of the Year Jordynn Dudley sent one in. Clemson had chances to cut into the lead, including shots by Bornkamp, Morris and Conti, but could not get on the board.

Clemson finishes its historic season at 18-4-4 with the program’s first-ever College Cup appearance, a school-record 13 shutouts and an appearance in the ACC Championship game.

–Via Clemson Athletic Communications

Watch: Clemson fans send off women’s soccer team ahead of College Cup

The Clemson women’s soccer team is off to Cary, North Carolina, for the College Cup semifinal game against Florida State.

The Clemson community gathered at the Tigers’ soccer practice facility on Wednesday to help send off the Clemson women’s soccer team as it embarks on a trip to Cary, North Carolina, for the semifinals of the College Cup.

The Tigers (18-3-4) are set to take on the Florida State Seminoles (20-0-1) at 6 p.m. on Friday. If Clemson wins, it will advance to the national championship game for the first time in program history. That goal, however, comes with a significant challenge against the Seminoles.

Florida State defeated the Tigers in both matchups this season, including the ACC Championship game when the Seminoles won 2-1.

That said, Clemson head coach Eddie Radwanski is confident in his group to come away with a win against Florida State head coach Brian Pensky and the Seminoles.

“I don’t think that either Brian’s team or my team are going to surprise each other with an awful lot,” Radwanski said on Monday. “We know that we’ve had very good games with them, it’s been exciting to watch. It’s been competitive, and now we get another opportunity to play them in the national semifinals.”

Check out Clemson Athletic Director Graham Neff and Clemson fans giving a proper send-off for the Tigers:

Clemson advances to College Cup following 2-1 win over Penn State

Clemson women’s soccer is on a roll!

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson women’s soccer advanced to the College Cup for the first time in its history with a 2-1 win over second-seeded Penn State (16-3-4) in the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinal at Historic Riggs Field. The Tigers (18-3-4) scored a pair of goals in the second half, including a screamer from Makenna Morris in the 69th minute and the game-winner from Caroline Conti in the 84th minute. Conti was set up on a beautiful feed from near midfield by Harper White.

The team joined the 2004 and 2005 Women’s Tennis teams as the only women’s programs to advance to a national semifinal in school history.

Clemson, the top seed in its bracket, takes on another top-seed, Florida State in the semifinal in Cary, N.C. on Friday. The game sets up a rematch of the ACC Championship game, which Florida State won, 2-1.

“Thank you to this incredible Clemson community crowd that came out today,” said Head Coach Eddie Radwanski, who has led his teams to ten consecutive NCAA Tournaments. “I’m so grateful for that. It gave us the energy to finish out this game. At the end of the day, you’re looking at two good teams. Penn State’s a good team. Either team is capable of beting the other, but this is a special group of Tigers here, but they find a way to be resilient to get the result. We talked about – how do we advance ‘what are you willing to do, what are you willing to take to get there to make this happen?’ and they did that. This group has earned the right to go to the College Cup. We are a resilient group – they have a never-say-die attitude. It was something they are capable of doing. Now we’ve checked that box of going to the college cup, and we’re in a role where we can play for a national championship.”

Penn State was able to find the first good scoring chance in the 11th minute, but Mackiewicz made a sliding save on a Payton Linnehan run to keep the game scoreless. Two minutes later, Bornkamp put Clemson’s first shot on goal on a 30-yard strike, but Penn State keeper Katherine Asman fielded the ball cleanly on a short hop to end the threat.

Mackiewicz was tested again in the 18th minute as Linnehan had a free look that she tried to put in the bottom left corner, but the Tiger keeper got enough of a hand on it to push it wide.

Mackiewicz was again true in the 28th minute on a shot by Kaitlyn MacBean from the left side. Two minutes later, the Tigers had a great opportunity as Renee Lyles had a clean look but saw her shot sail just wide of the right post.

Clemson had another chance with a minute to play in the first half when Hal Hershfelt stole the ball deep in Penn State territory with space, but her shot was high. With three seconds left in the half on a late counter, Penn State’s Olivia Damico got a cross right in front of goal, but her touch went wide right, sending the game to half scoreless. Clemson outshot the Nittany Lions 11-8, but Penn State put three on goal.

Lyles was on the attack again in the 55th minute as her screamer to the left side of the goal was turned away by Asman in a diving attempt. Lyles put another one net five minutes later, but again, Asman was there.

Morris gave the Tigers a 1-0 lead in the 69th minute as the first-team All-ACC selection sent a hard shot to the lower left part of goal. Penn State responded in the 73rd minute as MacBean settled a high clearance outside the 18-yard box and struck a low bouncing ball to the bottom left corner, just out of Mackiewicz’s reach.

“Makenna is deadly on the dribble,” said Radwanski. “I had a good intuition, and it was a great finish. To get goals from our two leaders was special. When you’re in these big games, you just have to find a way to win, and we found a way to win.”

In the 78th minute, Linnehan had a chance, but Mackiwicz came out aggressively to play the ball before she could get a foot on it. Hershfelt found space in the 82nd minute and sent a low liner to the left side, but Asman again made a diving stop, setting up a corner.

In the 84th minute, Harper White played a beautiful lead ball in from near midfield to Conti. Conti got a foot on it, and Asman made the initial save before the rebound was deflected into the net with 6:04 to play in regulation. Penn State nearly tied the game with 45 seconds to play, but MacBean’s offer to the right side struck the post.

Up next, the Tigers will take on fellow ACC member Florida State in the NCAA College Cup Semifinals in Cary, N.C. on Friday, December 1 and will be aired on ESPNU.

For complete coverage of the Clemson women’s soccer team, follow @ClemsonWSoccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

– via Clemson Athletic Communications 

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