SOCCER PREVIEW: No.1 Clemson hosts No.16 Syracuse Friday

CUTrevor 2022-09-15 12:41:23


CLEMSON, S.C. — The No. 1 Clemson Tigers return home on Friday to take on the No. 16 Syracuse Orange at Historic Riggs Field. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. with the match set to broadcast on ACC Network.

At halftime, the 1987 National Champion Clemson men's soccer team will be honored for their title. This weekend, the team is celebrating the 35th anniversary of its incredible season, which culminated in a win over San Diego State at Historic Riggs Field.

The Tigers enter the match as the top-ranked team in the nation and look to build upon their 6-0-0 start. Most recently, Clemson earned a 2-0 victory at UAB to close out a 2-0 road trip including a victory at Boston College. Adam Lundegard's first career goal came in game-winning fashion against the Eagles as the Tigers held on for the road win, and Ousmane Sylla scored at UAB to extend his streak of matches with at least one point to six.

Clemson is 5-4-4 all-time against Syracuse, with Clemson leading in total goals 19-15. Most recently, the Orange upended the No. 6 Tigers in Syracuse in 2021 by a final score of 2-0. Prior to that result, Clemson had rattled off nine straight unbeaten matches in the series. 

Tigers’ standout Ousmane Sylla has led the way for Clemson, scoring four goals and notching five assists in just six matches thus far. He has tallied a point in every contest this season and is tied for the ACC lead in points with 13. 

He is joined at the top of Clemson's scoring leaderboard by senior forward Mohamed Seye, who has assisted three of Sylla's goals. He's added two of his own and has also earned four points in two matches, bringing his point total on the season to nine. He and Sylla are tied for the conference lead in assists at five apiece.

Syracuse enters Friday's showdown 5-0-1 and third in the ACC's Atlantic Division behind the 6-0 Tigers and Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The Orange have won three straight, most recently defeating Niagara 1-0 on Tuesday.

For all the most up-to-date information regarding Clemson men’s soccer, please visit ClemsonTigers.com and follow @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.


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