Soccer Travels to No. 21 Clemson Saturday
CLEMSON, S.C. – Miami continues its four-match road swing Saturday with a trip to Historic Riggs Field and a matchup against No. 21 Clemson. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Less than a year ago, Miami captured a thrilling 2-1 win over Clemson in its regular season finale at Cobb Stadium. A gorgeous strike from Cortney O’Connell with less than 10 seconds remaining on the game clock gave the host Hurricanes their most exciting win of the season.
Miami was trailing 1-0 for most of the match, but scored two goals in the final five minutes – including O’Connell’s gamewinner. The first goal of the season from then-senior Blake Stockton tied the match 1-1, before O’Connell’s magical goal – a strike from 20 yards out that curled into the top right corner of the net – gave Miami an unlikely win.
The Hurricanes will need to channel energy in hopes of a similar performance Saturday. Facing a talented Clemson squad boasting a 10-2-2 overall record and a 3-2-1 mark in conference play, Miami will need to be at its best for the match – scheduled for a free live broadcast on TigerCast (ClemsonTigers.com).
But after a strong week of training leading into Saturday’s match, head coach Mary-Frances Monroe is confident her squad can match its performance from 2013, if not O’Connell’s heroics.
“There was good energy at training this week, and the team has prepared well for Saturday’s match,” she said.
Miami has reason to be optimistic – the Hurricanes own a 7-2-1 all-time series advantage in 10 matchups with Clemson. Miami earned a 2-0 win at Historic Riggs Field in its last trip to Clemson back in 2012.
Clemson, one of eight teams on Miami’s 2014 schedule ranked in the most recent NSCAA Top 25 Coaches Poll, is led by sophomore Catrina Atanda (six goals, one assist). The Tigers are riding a four-match unbeaten streak heading into Saturday’s tilt.
Miami fell in its most recent match with No. 11 Notre Dame, dropping its road-swing opener at Alumni Stadium. The Hurricanes trailed just 1-0 at halftime, but fell to the Fighting Irish after a tough second half.
Miami’s road stand includes matches at NC State (Oct. 23) and No. 6 North Carolina (Oct. 26) before a season finale against Wake Forest (Nov. 2) on Senior Day.
In addition to a free live broadcast through TigerCast, live stats will be available through StatBroadcast.com. Follow @CanesFutbol on Twitter for in-game updates, and HurricaneSports.com for a full game recap and postgame statistics.
