The opening round of the NCAA Tournament unfolded at Historic Riggs Field on Friday night, with a dominant performance by the No. 1 Clemson Women’s Soccer team as they secured a 2-0 victory against Radford.
Despite the Tigers’ dominance in the first half, Radford managed to stave off the twelve shots from Clemson. The breakthrough finally came in the 56th minute when defender Makenna Morris was on the receiving end of a cross from Caroline Conti and flicked the ball into the back of the net.
Radford’s defensive strategy kept most of their team in their own half, allowing Clemson to control the attacking third for most of the game. As a result, Radford posed no threat to Clemson’s defense, failing to register a single shot throughout the match.
“We wanted to come out to dominate the game. But give Radford some credit they came in with a defensive plan and tried to keep the game close. The hardest thing to do in the game is score and then it’s even harder when they put numbers back there. I was pleased with our team at halftime. I said ‘Listen, we’re playing fine, we just need to be a little patient’,” head coach Eddie Radwanski said.
Head Coach Eddie Radwanski said.
Carolina Conti stepped up and sealed the game for the Tigers in the 77th minute when she gathered the ball outside the 18-yard box. She dribbled through multiple defenders and slotted the ball into the bottom left corner of the net to give the Tigers a two-goal lead.
Clemson’s defensive dominance was vital, as their All-ACC goalkeeper, Halle Mackiewicz, sustained an injury while warming up and could not play. In turn sophomore Addy Holgorsen was thrust into the starting goalkeeper role.
“A little bit of nervousness, that comes with it. But my teammates were all there for me and we stepped up and got the donut and that’s what matters.” Holgorsen said.
Addy Holgorsen
This was Holgorsen’s first career start, and although she did not have to deal with any shots on the night, Holgorsen effectively controlled the defense. The Tiger’s back line is one of the main reasons they have been so successful this season.
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“They’re just amazing, the back four. We’ve got 14 shutouts this season, they’re just all-around studs and it’s great to have them back there.” Holgorsen said.
Addy Holgorsen
Last year, the Tigers made an early exit in the tournament as they lost to Vanderbilt in the opening round. This time, they played with a chip on their shoulder throughout the game to ensure a similar disappointment wouldn’t occur again.
“It’s been motivating us since that day. We train over the summer, we do all that hard work for these moments and here we did it and are moving on to the next round,” Conti said.
Caroline Conti
As the Tigers look ahead in the tournament, the earliest they will face off against an ACC opponent is in the semifinals. This means that the Tigers will encounter diverse styles of play from different conferences around the country in their upcoming matches.
“I just think we need to get back to what serves us well and be consistent with our play. You get in the tournament and you run into teams that are going to put a bunker up and you have to be patient and you have to adapt a little bit to get around it. And it’ll change all throughout the tournament because you’re not running into an ACC opponent just yet. You gotta be ready for all the different tactics,” Radwanski said.
Eddie Radwanski
Clemson’s second-round matchup in the NCAA Tournament will take place on Nov. 17 as the Tigers await the winner of Rutgers vs No. 8 Columbia.
