CUTigers

OFFICIAL COLLEGE CUP THREAD: CLEMSON vs. Notre Dame

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 15:11:38

It's a matchup of the last two ACC champs in the NCAA College Cup (Final Four). Both teams advanced from the Elite 8 on PK's. The Tigers won at No.1 Oregon State and the Irish beat ACC foe Pitt. Notre Dame handed the Tigers one of their two home losses this season back in October.

Kickoff is at 6:00 on ESPNU, and I'll have live updates right here!

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 17:14:30

They're underway in Cary! Tigers wearing all orange.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 17:20:37

GOOOOALLLL!!! Fernandez with a banger from outside the 18, off the crossbar in the 10th minute! He is the one who tied the Elite 8 game at Oregon State with a PK in the final 5 minutes of regulation. He now leads the team with his 8th goal of the season. Phenomenal pass from Diop set up the goal.

TIGERS LEAD 1-0 IN 1ST.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 17:30:49

Ugh Notre Dame shot goes off the post, and a penalty by Diop in the box gives Notre Dame a PK to tie the game with 24 mins left in the half.

TIED 1-1 IN 1ST.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 17:58:10

Seye into the game for the Tigers. He is their best goal-scorer but has been battling a knee injury. He's playing with a brace on his leg.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 17:58:30

That's the end of the half. Tigers possessed the ball about twice as much as the Irish, but Notre Dame had one more shot on goal, including one that went off the crossbar.

TIED 1-1 AT THE HALF.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 18:22:11

Second half is underway!

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 18:37:31

Still tied 20 mins into the second half. Tigers just took their third corner of the game, but Fernandez hit it too far beyond the far post.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 18:39:00

Seye back in the game with the brace on his knee.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 18:41:01

Whew! Tigers dodge a bullet on a shot wide by Notre Dame's top goal scorer, who tied the game in the first half.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 18:48:36

WHEW!!! Tigers survive huge scare! With the ball being banged around in front of the net. Marks knocked the ball down but was unable to secure it. Looked like Diop got away with a trip right in front of the goal line. That would have been his second penalty in the box tonight! The first gave Notre Dame the tie. Still tied with 15 mins left in regulation.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:05:39

Irish just had a great chance far post with 2 mins left. Looks like we're headed to overtime though...

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:06:21

Notre Dame gets a corner with under a minute left.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:06:44

Agren clears but it's another corner!

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:07:57

That's the end of regulation. Both of these teams advanced to the Final Four via penalty kicks, and we may be headed for PK's again! They'll play two 10-minute sudden death overtime periods before it goes to PK's.

TIED 1-1 HEADED TO OVERTIME.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:15:28

WHEW! Big save by Marks on a header off a long throw, right out of the gate! Game was almost over in a hurry.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:21:09

FOOT SAVE BY MARKS!!! Two incredible saves in the opening minutes of overtime! Marks made two saves in PK's at Oregon State last Saturday night to get the Tigers here.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:24:44

That's the end of a stressful first overtime period. Notre Dame had three great opportunities to end it, but the Tigers survived. They'll play one more 10-minute sudden-death period and then go to PK's. If it goes to PK's, you've gotta like the confidence with which Marks is playing right now.

TIED 1-1 HEADED TO DOUBLE OVERTIME.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:30:55

Ugh Callum Johnson had an open net but Notre Dame was able to clear the ball out.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:33:41

Seye draws a yellow card and gives Irish a set piece with 5 mins left.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:33:54

Whew header goes wide!

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:37:19

Malou gets shaken up and jogs off the field. He made the Tigers' winning PK at Oregon State last game.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:38:00

Malou is back in and appears to be ok.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:42:07

And we're headed to PK's again!

TIED 1-1 HEADED TO PENALTY KICKS.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:48:48

Wow, John Martin taking the first shot for Tigers. He did not play at all tonight and didn't shoot in the PK's in the last game.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:49:22

Martin scores on a no-doubter!

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:50:45

Notre Dame ties 1-1. Fernandez will take the Tigers' second shot. He scored the Tigers' only goal in regulation and made the PK that tied the game at Oregon State.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:51:42

Fernandez scores! Tigers lead 2-1.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:52:12

Irish get lucky on a shot off the crossbar. Tied 2-2.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:52:26

Agren puts Tigers up 3-2!

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:52:53

Irish tie it 3-3.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:53:51

Diop's left foot puts Tigers up 4-3! Keeping the pressure on the Irish.

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:54:15

MARKS SAVE!!! Malou can win it!

CUTrevor 2021-12-10 19:55:41

MALOU SCORES!!! TIGERS WIN!!!

Mike Noonan advances to his second NCAA Championship, the first since 2015! The Tigers will play the winner of tonight's game between Georgetown and Washington. The Tigers had been knocked out of the last 2 NCAA tournaments via penalty kicks, but they have exorcised those demons by winning their last 2 games thanks to PK's! Marks made 2 saves in PK's in the last game at No.1 Oregon State, and he made another big one tonight. He also made some tremendous saves in overtime!

CUTrevor 2021-12-11 11:36:24

CARY, N.C. -- After a penalty kick save by goalkeeper George Marks, Justin Malou placed a penalty perfectly into the right-hand side of the net, sending the Tigers to their fifth National Championship Game in program history. No. 8 Clemson (15-5-2) and No. 4 Notre Dame (14-5-5) were tied 1-1 after 110 hard fought minutes, and Clemson came out on top of the penalty shootout for the second-straight game by a score of 5-3.

After the first three penalty takers for both teams made their attempts, Marks again played hero, propelling himself to his right to stop a well-taken penalty. Malou walked calmly and confidently to the spot and slotted his game-winning kick beautifully into the side-netting.

Notre Dame threatened early when a long-distance shot struck the crossbar, but ultimately stayed out of the net. It was the Tigers who struck first when Pipe Fernandez took a touch to his right and hit a brilliant shot that banged off the underside of the crossbar and over the goal line to give Clemson the first lead of the game.

The lead however was short-lived as a dangerous Notre Dame attack resulted in a penalty kick, which was calmly slotted into the right-hand side of the net, tying the game at one apiece in the 21st minute. Both defenses held steady for the remainder of the half. The Irish outshot the Tigers 4-3 and earned two corners to Clemson's zero.

Clemson came out of halftime committed to possession, but were unable to create any clear-cut chances in the first ten minutes of the half. Notre Dame created a turnover in dangerous territory with just over 20 minutes remaining, but the resulting shot rolled just wide of the frame.

The Tigers responded with two chances of their own when a Brandon Parrish cross found Mohamed Seye’s head on the back post, but the Spanish native was unable to beat the keeper. Moments later, Callum Johnson found space at the top of the box, but his shot was also saved.

With just two minutes left in regulation, a very dangerous Irish cross found a head, but bounced over and wide of George Marks’s net, and the two teams headed to overtime. The Clemson defense held strong in two overtime periods, sending the match to a shootout.

The Tigers and Fighting Irish went back and forth for the first three shots with successful attempts from John Martin, Luis Felipe Fernandez-Salvador and Oskar Ägren. Hamady Diop made the first attempt of the fourth frame before, once again, the senior captain Marks shined on the biggest stage in college soccer as he dove to his right side and saved the Fighting Irish’s fourth penalty, before Malou’s goal pushed Clemson over the edge and into the National Championship match.

Up next, Clemson will play the winner of No. 2 Washington vs. No. 3 Georgetown, which kicked off at WakeMed Soccer Park at 8:30 for the NCAA Division I National Championship. The Championship match will be televised on ESPNU and will kick off at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 12.