Late Goal Lifts #4 Clemson by #16 Orange

October 17, 2015

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Neither the No. 16/-- Syracuse nor No. 4/5 Clemson men’s soccer teams could solve the other in the first 89:09, but an Orange turnover at midfield led to a Tigers’ goal with 51 seconds remaining in regulation as it record the 1-0 victory at the SU Soccer Stadium.

The scoring play started when Kyle Murphy stole the ball at midfield and went unimpeded to goal, where he went one-on-one with Syracuse goalkeeper Hendrik Hilpert (Eiterfeld, Germany). Murphy put his shot in the back of the net with just 51 seconds on the clock for the game’s only goal.

“To concede the game with a minute left is obviously a tough one today,” said Syracuse head coach Ian McIntyre. “It was two good teams slugging it out. There wasn’t much difference between the two teams tonight. Unfortunately, we came out on the other side. But I told the guys I was very proud. I thought we were a good team. I think tonight we found out we’re a very good team.”

The match was evenly played as both teams recorded eight shots and both goalkeepers finished with four saves apiece. The Orange did have an 11-3 advantage in corner kicks, but couldn’t take advantage on the set pieces.

The first half featured back and forth action as both teams had quality scoring chances. Sophomore Julian Buescher (Duelmen, Germany) just missed giving the Orange (9-4-1, 2-3-1) an early lead when his shot in the 15th minute when just outside the far post. Clemson (11-1-2, 4-1-1) tested Hilpert with several long-distance shots, including one from Kyle Fisher from near midfield on a free kick. Hilpert tipped away the high-arching shot to keep the Tigers off the scoreboard.

Junior Ben Polk (Banbury, UK) made a run toward the goal in the 34th minute, but Clemson goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell got his hands on the ball. Junior Chris Nanco (Brampton, Ontario) tried to direct the ball into the back of the net, but just missed as it went out of bounds, giving the Orange one of its seven first-half corner kicks. Hilpert made a save on Murphy’s shot in the 41st minute, and neither team could convert on corner kicks in the final five minutes as the team’s went into the locker rooms at halftime tied at 0-0.

Syracuse’s offense applied pressure early in the second half, getting off one shot on goal and earning three corner kicks in the first three minutes, but couldn’t take advantage of its opportunities. The Tigers’ best scoring chance came in the 76th minute. Clemson earned a corner kick and the ball ended up on the right side of the box where Diego Campos put a shot on goal. Junior Louis Cross (Lancashire, England) was on the goal line and headed the ball away to keep the game tied, setting up Murphy’s last-minute heroics.

Syracuse continues its four-game homestand on Tuesday, Oct. 20 when it hosts Hartford at 7 p.m. at the SU Soccer Stadium in its final none-conference game of the season. Admission is free.

AGATE
                                1st          2nd        Final
Clemson              0              1              0
Syracuse              0              0              0

Scoring:
89:09 CU Kyle Murphy

Shots: Syracuse 8, Clemson 8
Corner Kicks: Syracuse 11, Clemson 3
Saves: Syracuse 4 (Hendrik Hilpert), Clemson 4 (Andrew Tarbell)

Attendance: 1,582

-- SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY: NEW YORK’S COLLEGE TEAM --