The most special players step up in the biggest matches, and Clemson Captain Brandon Parrish delivered the game of his life to lead the Tigers past Notre Dame and to a second national championship in three years. It marked the conclusion of a dominant run as the 2-1 victory meant Clemson conceded just one goal in the NCAA tournament.

After an expected cagey start, Parrish sparked the game to life in the 27th minute with a world-class volley following a cleared corner kick. The Senior Midfielder, who was on the team for the 2021 College Cup victory, spoke to his state of mind when delivering such a moment.

BP 🎯 🤯
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— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) December 11, 2023

“I kiss the tattoo on my wrist after I score a goal or do anything because my childhood best friend passed away. So I took that as a moment to understand that he was there with me throughout this whole tournament and this game. And I did it for him and this team because this team has done everything for me, and I’m just happy I could give back to them.”

Considering what he delivered next, it is hard not to believe Parrish had help from an external source. As Notre Dame peltered the goal with chance after chance in the second half, including an attempt struck off the crossbar in the 56th minute, Parrish stepped up with one of the plays of the tournament with an acrobatic 58th-minute goal-line clearance.

YOOOOOOO 👀

📺 ESPNU#MCollegeCup x @ClemsonMSoccer pic.twitter.com/cezxlt79AZ

— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 12, 2023

That instinctive brilliance would prove to be just as important as the goal the Tennessee native scored, as 12 minutes later, Alex Meinhard would assist College Cup Offensive MVP Ousmane Sylla on a goal that effectively ended the game.

Ousmane Sylla is HIM 🤯#ClemsonUnited

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— Clemson Men's Soccer (@ClemsonMSoccer) December 12, 2023

Regarding the growth of Parrish over his four years at Clemson from one start as a Freshman to a career-high 18 this season, Clemson head coach Mike Noonan spoke to the development of the 2019 TDS High School All-American.

“The thing about Brandon [Parrish] is that he gets better every single year, and his future in the game is very bright because he is going to get better and better and better over the next three to four years.”

Not to be deterred following the second goal, the Irish showed admirable effort as they pushed for a comeback. But Clemson Freshman center back and College Cup Defensive MVP Papa Mar Boye stood tall in the middle of the 3-back system as he led a defensive fortitude not broken until Notre Dame captain Paddy Burns scored a consolation penalty kick with less than a minute remaining. Remarkably, it was the first goal the Tigers had conceded all tournament, as the adage that defense wins championships proved to be true yet again.

Clemson keeper Joseph Andema spoke to the team’s improved defensive foundation as the season unfolded, particularly in the lessons learned from their 3-2 loss to Notre Dame on September 9th, which marked the only time the Tigers conceded three in regulation time all season. “There has been so much improvement and so much growth ever since we lost that game, and that was our turning point.”

The Tigers would go 13-1-4 following that loss, conceding just 12 goals at an average of less than one a game.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS 🏆#MCollegeCup x @ClemsonMSoccer pic.twitter.com/iN0wwS7Vqo

— NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) December 12, 2023

Burns, who led the Irish by example all season, was emotional in the postgame press conference as he spoke to the heartbreak of coming so close to a legacy-defining win.

“From the moment we all step on campus at Notre Dame, we all have the goal of winning a national championship, and we work tirelessly every day to do it to come so close is pretty heartbreaking, but congratulations to Clemson. They are a great program, and they played well today,” said Burns. “I will be letting the players know how grateful I am to have played for them and to have led such a dedicated group. They are brothers for life, friends for life, and I am so incredibly proud to be their captain.”

Notre Dame head coach Chad Riley expressed what he will remember this group of players for.

“Some of my proudest moments with this group of guys are when we’re doing day camps, and they remember names when kids come to games three months later and how they are always great ambassadors of the game and the University. That’s what I am most proud of.”

As he led his team to a second championship in three years, Clemson Head Coach Noonan was full of praise for his players and a worthy opponent.

“Chad [Riley] and his team and his staff are first class, absolutely first class. They played exceptionally well tonight. And I thought our team had come a long way since we played Notre Dame, and now we are sitting on top.”

Clemson now has four national championships, with the other two coming in the 1980s. Impressively, only three players who played in the 2021 final (Parrish, Sylla, & Mohamed Seye) played again tonight, pointing to a program that has built a culture that fights for national championships regardless of who is on the roster.