Clemson men's soccer defeats Notre Dame for second national championship in three years
OK, so Clemson is officially a soccer school.
Brandon Parrish scored in the first half and Ousmane Sylla added a clinching goal in the second to lead No. 9 seed Clemson men's soccer to a 2-1 victory Monday night against No. 2 seed Notre Dame, giving the Tigers their second national championship in three years.
The Tigers’ victory in the College Cup championship match unfolded at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, capping an impressive postseason that saw coach Mike Noonan’s team allow just one goal in five NCAA Tournament games.
Clemson (15-3-5) avenged its 3-2 loss to the Fighting Irish (13-3-6) in South Bend, Indiana, in their ACC opener on Sept. 9. The Tigers lost their Aug. 24 season opener to UCF 2-1, and on Sept. 22 to No. 14 Wake Forest, 1-0.
Clemson men’s soccer passed the Tigers’ football program for the most national titles with four; the football team has three.
Clemson's previous national soccer titles were won in 1984, 1987 and 2021.
SEMIFINAL WIN: Clemson men's soccer back in national championship game after beating West Virginia 1-0
Parrish, a senior midfielder from Nashville, Tennessee, gathered in a high kick on an attempted clearance by Notre Dame in front of its goal, took a couple of quick steps and drilled a shot into the right side of the net from just outside the box.
It was his fourth goal of the season and the eighth of the team captain’s career.
"We had a revenge tour and we stuck together for the last eight months and we were family," Parrish said. "That's why we have this trophy."
Sylla put the finishing touches on the victory with his goal in the 70th minute, taking a cross from Alex Meinhard and booting it home with authority. A senior midfielder from Dakar, Senegal, Sylla's goal was his team-leading 13th of the season. A first-team All-American and a Hermann Trophy semifinalist, he also led the Tigers in points, assists and shots on goal in 2023.
Clemson lost the shutout in the final minute. Tyler Trimnal was guilty of a handball and Notre Dame's Paddy Burns rocketed the penalty kick past Clemson goalkeeper Joseph Andema.
Andema had three saves in the championship and recorded shutouts in four of the Tigers' five NCAA Tournament matches.
Clemson became just the seventh school to win four or more national titles and the fourth ACC school to win the ACC championship and the national championship in the same year.
"It's the best one this year," Noonan said, laughing. "This team is resilient, tough, elite. They're a special group, so dynamic in so many different ways, a very diverse group. One thing that connects it all together is they love each other."
The Fighting Irish allowed two goals in a game just three times this season; two of those matches were against Clemson, which led the nation with 60 goals.
Scott Keepfer covers Clemson athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clemson men's soccer tops Notre Dame for 2nd national title in 3 years
