CLEMSON, SC—In a battle of two top-20 teams, #17 Furman defeated #9 Clemson 2-1 in a men’s intercollegiate soccer match at Clemson, SC Tuesday night.
 
With the win, Furman improves to 9-1-2 overall, while Clemson is now 8-3-2 this season.  
 
Furman scored first at the 17:26 mark.   Bobby Edet took a shot, but the attempt was deflected by a Clemson defender.    The rebound came to Tyler Peoples on the left side just inside the box.   Peoples fired a diagonal shot into the netting for his fifth goal of the year.  
 
The Paladins took a 2-0 lead at the beginning of the second half in the 50th minute.    Martin Ontiveros sent a free kick to the front of the goal from the left corner of the box.    Michael Gandier headed the ball in the netting from just inside the goalie box as he scored his first goal of the season.
 
Clemson narrowed the lead in the 61st minute.   Jack Metcalf sent a pass from the back springing the Tigers’ Iain Smith free on a run creating a one-on-one situation with the Paladins’ goalkeeper Sven Lissek.     Smith drove inside the box and played the ball through Lissek’s legs and into the goal.   This was Smith’s first goal of the season.  This was only the second goal that Furman had given up since September 1.   
 
Clemson outshot Furman 14-5 and had nine corner kicks compared to Furman’s one.   The Tigers took nine shots in the second half to Furman’s one.    In the closing minutes of regulation, the Tigers’ Alexandre Rome’o Happi attempted a shot with 13:46 remaining but his attempt from 15 yards went just wide.   With 5:53 left to go Clemson’s Alex Stockinger fired a shot from 25 yards out and Furman’s goalkeeper Lissek knocked the attempt over the crossbar before it could dip into the goal.   

The Tigers were also without the services of their leading scorer Thomas McNarmara tonight.  McNamara was serving a mandatory one-game suspension for a red card he received last Friday night.

“It was all about our mentality,” said Clemson Head Coach Mike Noonan.   Our concentration part of the game slipped, and the lack of desire allowed what happened.   Furman wanted it more and they took it.   Our mentality tonight is unacceptable.     Ian Smith played well and it was good to see him score tonight.   

“Pittsburgh will come here Friday night, and they’re a good ACC team.   We must be ready for them and bounce back from this loss tonight,” said Noonan.
 
Clemson will play host to Pittsburgh in an ACC contest on Friday night at 6:00 p.m. at Historic Riggs Field.
 
 
Scoring
Furman—Tyler Peoples (Bobby Edet) 17:26
Furman—Michael Gandier (Martin Ontiveros) 49:59
Clemson—Iain Smith (Jack Metcalf) 60:03
 
Shots:  Clemson 14, Furman 5
Corner Kicks:  Clemson 9, Furman 1
Saves:  Andrew Tarbell (CU) 0, Sven Lissek (F) 5
Fouls:  Clemson 9, Furman 7
Attendance:  3,180
 

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