Cary, N.C. – The 4-seeded Clemson squad came up just short in the ACC Quarterfinals as they fell by a score of 1-0 to 5-seeded Duke. The quarterfinal match was the third time in history that the Tigers and Blue Devils have met up in the ACC Championship, both of those matches came in the semifinals in 2000 and 2002, respectively.
“You have two good teams that are going after it,” said 10th-year head coach Eddie Radwanski who currently sits at 99 career wins at Clemson. “You can’t fault our kids for their commitment and effort on the field – everybody left it out there.”
Despite sharing chances in the first half, none were enough to put either team on top before entering the locker room. Clemson’s first-half offensive charge came from the connection of Maliah and Makenna Morris who set the pace for the match quickly with key rushes in the final third.
“I thought we got off to a very good start to the game – we were dictating the pace and tempo,” said Radwanski. “We got into the 18-yard box on a number of occasions to create opportunities, but our final product wasn’t quite what we needed to be. That is something we are just going to have to get better at but it was encouraging to see.”
It took until the 51st minute for either side to contribute on the goal log as Duke broke through after a near-side deflected ball from Karlie Paschall was able to sneak by Hensley Hancuff. Clemson continued to add on the pressure in the second half looking for the equalizing goal as multiple chances generated through the final 15 minutes of the match.
Unable to level the match, the 1-0 decision marked the 16th time that a match between the two sides has been decided by one goal.
Maliah Morris led the Tigers in offense, contributing four shots and one shot on goal across her 59 minutes of play. 15 players earned minutes as five of those players played the entirety of the match.
With the ACC Championship run coming to an end, the Tigers have closed out the fall slate with a 6-4-0 overall record. The focus will shift ahead as the NCAA Championship will be played in the spring of 2021 in lieu of the fall season. Any updates regarding the spring will be announced via ClemsonTigers.com.
