Canes Come Up Short Against Clemson
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The University of Miami soccer team fell to the Clemson Tigers, 1-0, Saturday evening at Cobb Stadium.
“At the end of the day, I thought the team played outstanding today, just a little bit unlucky today, to be honest,” Miami head coach Sarah Barnes said. “Without question, they were relentless, competed for every ball. From a start to finish performance, this is the best they had all season.”
The Hurricanes (4-9, 1-6 ACC) and Tigers (9-5, 4-3 ACC) battled throughout the first half with neither side finding the back of the net.
Miami goalkeeper Melissa Dagenais, who entered Saturday leading the conference in saves per game, stopped all seven Clemson chances in the first frame, keeping the match level.
“She really took charge of her development after last season and has grown tremendously,” Barnes said. “In particular, she’s grown from a mental standpoint. You can see it in her presence and the saves she’s making.”
After the intermission, the Canes ramped up the pressure, controlling the majority of play in the second half.
However, the Tigers broke through in the 80th minute when Maliah Morris slipped one past Dagenais, ultimately, providing the difference in the match.
“We need to be more precise in the final third,” Barnes said. “At the end of the day, the difference in the game tonight was they finished their chance and we didn’t.”
Miami and Clemson combined to total four yellow cards in a physical affair on the pitch. The Hurricanes generated four corner kicks compared to the Tigers’ five chances.
The Hurricanes sported pink kits in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Up next, Miami hits the road for a pair of contests in the Old Dominion state, beginning with a match against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Thursday. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
