PAINFULLY CLOSE
How Notre Dame fell short in College Cup final vs. Clemson
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Notre Dame was painfully close to scoring multiple times Monday.
A header over the crossbar. A shot off the crossbar. The ball rolling just past a goalpost.
It was almost as if the soccer gods weren’t going to deny Clemson a second national title in three seasons.
The Tigers scored one goal in each half to defeat the Irish, 2-1, in the men’s soccer College Cup final at Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Ky. A penalty kick from Notre Dame’s Paddy Burns with a minute to go provided some late-game drama, but it was too little, too late for the Irish in its quest to win a second national championship.
“It’s obviously disappointing,” Notre Dame graduate senior Ethan O’Brien said. “You play so well in the game that means the most and you get so close to finishing the job that we’ve been trying to finish all season. This was really a goal since last season ended. It’s a lot of emotions. It’s tough.”
The closest chance for the Irish (133-6) came in the first seven minutes of the second half. Trailing 1-0, Burns had possession of the ball in front of the net, with Clemson goalkeeper Joseph Andema the only one in his path. The Notre Dame captain attempted to shoot it into the top-left corner of the net, but the shot sailed just high and hit the crossbar.
A collective gasp came across the stadium, as Notre Dame was inches away from tying the game.
“It was incredibly disappointing,” Burns said. “I certainly feel I should’ve hit the target from there. I was sort of it expecting to settle on my right foot, but it came right across to my left, so I kind of had to hit it quickly. Should be hitting the target, so it’s a chance missed from my perspective. … I’ve got to finish that, and unfortunately, it’s going to probably sit with me for a while.”
Two more grade-A chances came in the five minutes that followed, with one shot being blocked on the goal line by Tigers midfielder Brandon Parrish and a shot from Notre Dame’s Bryce Boneau going just wide of the net.
After countless attempts to tie the game, Clemson all-but ended it with a counterattack in the 70th minute. Alex Meinhard found open space on the right sideline, crossed a pass to Mohamed Seye, who buried a shot past Irish goalkeeper Bryan Dowd.
Clemson’s first half goal came on a shot from Parrish. A corner kick by the Tigers was sent toward the net, with Boneau there to kick it away.
The ball would go right to Parrish, though, who played it off his chest, controlled it and ripped a shot from just outside the goalie box. A slight deflection off Notre Dame’s Matthew Roou changed the trajectory, good enough to get it past Dowd for a goal in the 27th minute.
Notre Dame had plenty of chances to score in the first half. The best came in the seventh minute, as a beautiful pass from KK Baffour found the right foot of Daniel Russo. The senior fired a close-ranged shot, but the save was made by Andema.
Russo also had a header just go over the crossbar a few minutes following Parrish’s goal.
A controversial no-call when Baffour was in the penalty box led to uproar from the Notre Dame sidelines. Baffour appeared to be pushed down by a Clemson defender, but the referee let the action continue.
“It’s hard to see because maybe the ref had the best angle, but usually it’s hard to think there’s not contact,” said Notre Dame coach Chad Riley on the nocall on Baffour. “You always get that foul called if you’re a centerback and a forward breathes on you hard. I’d have to watch it, but of course we feel like if there’s a tussle in the box, it should’ve
been a PK.”
Other close chances for the Irish came on a free kick from Russo early in the second half and Roou on a shot with about 16 minutes remaining.
It’s the third-straight year that the season ends for Notre Dame with a loss to Clemson (15-3-5). The Irish out-shot the Tigers, 15-9, with five of its shots on goal compared to three for Clemson.
“Congratulations to Clemson for winning the title tonight,” Riley said. “With that, I couldn’t say enough good things of the team I’ve had the pleasure to work with for this year. They just displayed everything you would ever hope a group of student-athletes who compete every day to be their best can do.
“Tonight, with the exception of hitting the back of the net, this was our best performance of the tournament. I couldn’t be more proud to be associated with these guys and representing the greatest university in the world.”