CLEMSON WOMEN'S SOCCER

WSOC sports_soccer
Clemson equalized the score in the first half with a Mackenzie Duff header, but FSU scored the second half's lone goal for a 2-1 ACC Championship victory (Clemson athletics photo).
Clemson equalized the score in the first half with a Mackenzie Duff header, but FSU scored the second half's lone goal for a 2-1 ACC Championship victory (Clemson athletics photo).

No. 7 Tigers fall to No. 1 Seminoles in ACC Championship


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The No. 7-ranked Clemson women’s soccer team had a bid for a first-ever ACC Championship come up short Sunday versus No. 1 Florida State at WakeMed Soccer Park (Cary, NC), 2-1.

The top-seeded Seminoles (16-0-1) got on the board early with a long-distance goal from Onyi Echegini, sending a volley to the net from just outside the box almost seven minutes in.

Third-seeded Clemson’s answer came on a set piece in the 29th minute, where Dani Davis lofted a pass from a corner kick and Mackenzie Duff headed in the equalizing goal, her sixth score of the season.

The Seminoles finished the first half with a 5-4 shots advantage and the sides even with shots on goal (2 each). The Tigers (15-3-3), making a first title game appearance since 2002, were called for seven fouls to FSU’s three, and Tigers head coach Eddie Radwanski was tabbed with a yellow card shortly after Clemson’s Caroline Conti picked up the half’s lone on-field yellow card of the first half herself.

FSU turned up the pressure in the second half and forced multiple saves from ACC goalkeeper of the year Halle Mackiewicz, and in the 57th minute, the Seminoles took advantage of a turnover in Clemson’s end of the field and Beata Olsson sent a pass on the ground for Echegini to dive in feet-first ahead of a Clemson defender for her second goal of the game.

FSU’s Cristina Roque came up with her third save of the game in the 69th minute on a Samantha Meredith shot that Roque stuck a foot out to deflect.

Roque and Mackiewicz finished knotted at three saves.

“This was a high-level game today. For me, everytime we play games like this, I know it helps our team to get better. I know talking to Brian, he feels like his team gets better as well. It is great preparation for the NCAA tournament and trying to move forward and I thought from a playing perspective, it was a great showing for women’s soccer. There were some moments where we played some great football out there, we were just unfortunate to not be able to pull out the win,” Head Coach Eddie Radwanski said.

Two of Clemson’s three losses this season came versus Florida State this season, with a 4-2 home loss the other to open ACC play in September. The title was a fourth-straight ACC crown for the Seminoles.

The Tigers will find out their NCAA Tournament path at 4 p.m. on Monday (NCAA.com stream).


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